For our second stop in the area, we camped about 20 minutes east of Crescent City at Panther Flat Campground, on the Middle Fork of the Smith River. The campground was just outside of Jedediah Smith State Park, which protects the redwood forests in the area. We couldn’t wait to explore this area.
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Crescent City is only about 15 miles south of the California-Oregon border and boasts a unique lighthouse, whose oil lamps were first lit on December 10, 1856. What makes it unique? First, it is only accessible at low tide, and second, its lighthouse keepers are still in residence.
I had just read about the low tide access as we were driving towards the coast. I quickly checked the tide table and the current time was 10:49 a.m., and low tide was at 10:48 a.m. Perfect timing! The lighthouse became our first stop. As the pictures below show, it’s located on a small island, connected to the shore by an isthmus, hence the need to visit at low tide. Another interesting tidbit: the area was hit by a tsunami in 1964, stranding the lighthouse keepers on the island. They provided eyewitness accounts of the devastation as the waves wreaked havoc on the mainland.
While in Crescent City, we discovered a fantastic dog-friendly brewery just blocks from the lighthouse. It had a full menu – Dave loved his pizza, and I devoured the fish tacos. We even got lucky with their famous cookies: that day’s special was chocolate chip. Yum!
Our last stop of the day was the Simpson-Reed Grove, a redwood sanctuary right off the main highway. There is just something magical about walking among those incredibly tall trees. I also discovered how the fallen redwoods act as “nurse logs.”
To ensure we had our fill of coastal redwoods, we took a narrow, winding gravel road to see two other old growth areas: The Grove of Titans and Stout Memorial Grove. Each had unique characteristics as you hiked through their trails.
The stay would not be complete without a swim for Murphy The campground was nestled in trees right above the Smith River. Murphy had no problem finding a trail that led to the river and enjoyed a refreshing swim in the cool, clear water; retrieving a stick, of course.
Dave and I were able to visit 7 of the 9 California national parks, only missing Death Valley, and the Channel Island. Both would be worth another trip to California. We now head north to Oregon for more incredible beauty.
Loving the northern California coast Brenda, beauty everywhere Dave, and river swimming is fun too Murphy.
Love those redwoods. Like being in a cathedral…silent, breathtaking, almost spiritual. Enjoy Oregon. It is equally as lovely as Northern California. Reta