RATING |
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 |
DISTANCE |
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1.8 miles round-trip |
HIKING TIME |
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1 hour |
ELEVATION GAIN |
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250 feet |
HIGH POINT |
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250 feet |
EFFORT |
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Moderate Workout |
BEST SEASON |
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Year-round |
PERMITS/CONTACT |
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Redwood National and State Parks, |
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(707) 465-7335, www.nps.gov/redw |
MAPS |
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Redwood National and State Parks |
NOTES |
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Dogs allowed; check a tide table for |
Leave the shady redwood forests behind on this windswept hike to one of Crescent City’s most scenic beaches, complete with rocky tidepools and brayed, tan sands.
From Crescent City, drive three miles south on U.S. 101 and turn right (south) on Enderts Beach Road. Drive 2.2 miles to the end of the road. The trailhead parking lot is just beyond Crescent Beach Overlook.
The Enderts Beach Trail leads to a long stretch of rock- and driftwood-strewn beach with rich tide-pooling opportunities. Be sure to check the tide table at the trailhead bulletin board or park visitor center so you can time your trip for low tide, when the most interesting sea creatures will be revealed.
The trip begins where Enderts Beach Road ends near Crescent Beach Overlook, just a few miles south of Crescent City. The trail is an old abandoned road that has partly collapsed into the sea. This was the former Coast Highway used by travelers before the present-day Highway 101 was built. Clearly Mother Nature isn’t finished with her demolition yet: You’ll pass by an impressive landslide just a short distance from the parking area.
Most of the route is wide enough for holding hands with your hiking partner, and it’s just a simple downhill walk of 0.6 mile to a three-way trail junction. A short nature trail alongside Nickel Creek leads left, straight ahead is the Coastal Trail heading south, and to the right is the path to Nickel Creek Campground and Enderts Beach. Before you make a beeline for Enderts Beach, take a side trip on the 0.25-mile Nickel Creek Nature Trail, which passes by a grove of remarkable fern-covered trees. Licorice ferns grow high off the ground on tree branches and trunks. Alongside Nickel Creek they hang off tree limbs from every possible angle, looking like massive, leafy beehives. This short nature trail ends abruptly at a viewing bench by the creek. Have a seat and remind yourself that you’re in the northwest corner of California–judging by your surroundings, you could be in Florida’s Everglades.
From Nickel Creek, return to the junction and follow the opposite trail into Nickel Creek Campground. This oh-so-easy-to-reach backpacking camp would make a great overnight trip. Check out its five campsites, make a mental note for a future visit, then take the right fork that leads uphill above the restroom. In a matter of minutes you reach a grassy bluff above a long, crescent-shaped beach. Enderts Beach is rocky and driftwood-strewn, but it also has large sandy stretches where you can lay out your towel. If the tide is low and you want to check out the tidepools, hike along the beach to the south (some tidepools are also found on the beach’s north end, but the southern pools are more plentiful). Common sightings include the giant green anemone, black chiton, opalescent nudibranch, leather sea star, red sea urchin, purple shore crab, and ochre sea star. Remember to leave everything exactly where you found it; no collecting of sea creatures is permitted.
A tent site at Nickel Creek Campground provides 24-hour access to spectacular Enderts Beach.
At certain times of the year, park rangers lead visitors on guided tide-pool walks at Enderts Beach. Check with the ranger station in Crescent City for information on current dates and times.
After visiting Enderts Beach, return to the junction before Nickel Creek Campground where the Coastal Trail heads south. Hike south on the Coastal Trail for as far as you like, passing through redwood, spruce, and red alder forests interspersed with open coastal bluffs.
