blue lotus adventures

The Coastal Trail through the parks is about 70 miles long. However, 4.8 miles of it passes through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The best place to access the Coastal Trail here is at the end of Davison Road. While the Coastal Trail runs between the beach and the road, there is not much parking unless you are camping at Gold Bluffs Beach campground.

I hike 2.75 miles of this as part of the Friendship Ridge Loop hike. During this section you do not catch a glimpse of the ocean. The trail follows a fairly straight path along the tree line and the prairie before you can reach the ocean. It is completely flat and this section is very enjoyable. Along the way you will pass Gold Dust Waterfall as well as several other lessor waterfalls.  I really liked this waterfall, probably because the rangers never told me about it when I checked in at the visitor center and asked questions about trail conditions, lengths and hiking times of my route. It’s possible the ranger didn’t even know as many of them are seasonal part timers. I found this because I heard it. It is set back off the trail in a wooded area that is marked as Liermann Family Grove. It is a narrow stream of a waterfall and reminded me more of a tropical jungle. One down side is I was bit by more mosquitoes here than on my entire trip. As soon as I walked back onto the Coastal Trail, they were gone.  This is only about 1.5 miles on the Coastal Trail from the Fern Canyon Trailhead at the end of Davison Road

You can return the way you came for a nice 5.5 mile hike or continue on with the Friendship Ridge Loop by ascending off the Coastal Trail by West Ridge Trail which will meet up with the Friendship Ridge Trail and eventually Fern Canyon. West Ridge is the most difficult section and the entire loop is 8 miles.