Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park on the California Redwood Coast is loaded with ferns. I love seeing the forest floor and hillsides full of them. But one place in particular really celebrates fernery and is aptly called Fern Canyon. The first time I came here was over 18 years ago during an Oregon/Washington road trip with my sister, daughter and niece. We were all amazed by our visit and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Mark and I also came here some years ago and it was still just as wonderful. A return to Fern Canyon was definitely in order. I would love to visit this place every year if I could as it is that special.
I am glad we talked to the rangers before driving out to the Canyon. We visited the Redwood National Park Visitor Center a few days before and were told that the Canyon was accessible, but the footbridges over the creek had been removed for the season. A visit guaranteed wet feet. I decided we should bring our rubber boots and it was the best decision as we were able to walk through the creek and keep dry.
Getting to Fern Canyon is a bit of an adventure as it involves driving for some miles (about 10) on a winding, narrow dirt road with a couple of creek crossings. One of the creeks was rather wide but it was no problem for our truck. Once we reached the parking area it was a short walk before entering the Canyon where Home Creek flows. Since it is later in the year, I was a little surprised at how well the creek was flowing. As I said earlier, I was very happy about our rubber boots. While others were rock hopping and enduring soaked shoes, we could happily splash in and out of the creek. I think I spent most of my time walking in the creek, as it was just more fun that way.
Fern Canyon is well known for having 50 foot walls covered with ferns. These walls and all the fallen logs and branches give the Canyon a primeval look and feel. It is not surprising that several movies have been filmed here including “Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “BBC’s Walking With Dinosaurs” and “IMAX: Dinosaurs Alive.”
There are five different kinds of ferns growing here including five fingered, sword and lady. The National Park Service page describes these ferns as an “ancient species” dating back over 325 million years. In addition, there is lots of other foliage giving the Canyon a lush, tropical look. In some areas moss covers the walls and misty sprays from the top keep everything soaked.
Although the Canyon is fairly open most of the way, at one point there was a tangled mass of downed trees, stumps and logs. It looked like we wouldn’t be able to go further but we were able to pass under the trees and continue on.
Fern Canyon can be done as a loop hike with steps that lead up the hill to a trail in the forest and back to the beginning. We didn’t want to leave the creek and fern covered walls though and decided to continue further up the creek until there wasn’t any where to walk and go back the same way. This was a perfect walk, I just wish it had been longer as it is under a mile each way and I hated for it to end.
On this trip I took this walking stick that I am embarrassed to say I have been meaning to use for close to two years but keep forgetting to take it along. This stick has a bit of a story. When we were staying at a campground next to the Mississippi River we met one of our neighbors. Although we only had the opportunity to talk to him a few times, he kindly surprised us with this stick. On the river’s edge he found a willow branch which had been gnawed by a beaver. He turned it into a walking stick, writing in pen the date and place it was made (Vidalia, Louisiana). A thoughtful gift that shows we have met some of the nicest people on the road.
It seems to us that Fern Canyon is one of the more difficult places to take photos because it tends to be dark and shafts of light beaming in wash out the photos. I say this because I don’t think pictures can do this place justice. It needs to be seen to be appreciated. If you haven’t been I hope you will consider a trip here some day. There is also lots more to see in the area since it is part of Redwood National Park. The redwoods are incredible and the beaches are pretty great as well. Check out the gallery below for several more Fern Canyon photos.
In my next post more about our stay on the California Redwood Coast!
Wow! Beth, this place looks amazing. We wish we could visit there. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comment! Yes, it is such an amazing place and I wish you could see it.
Fun!
Great to hear from you Ilona! It was such a fun day amongst the ferns. I hope this finds you well. Are you in Arizona yet?
Wow, such a beautiful area. Fun story about the walking stick. The road is such a great place to meet great people! Definitely can appreciate how difficult it would be to take pictures in that area, but the ones you got seem to do the place justice, really beautiful.
Thanks for your comment Matt! Yes, we should have been using the walking stick sooner! Fern Canyon is such a great place to visit, definitely a favorite even though photography can be a challenge.