Pictures of Prairie Creek Park

Pictures of Prairie Creek Park: James Irvine trail, Miners Ridge, Gold Bluffs Beach, Fern Canyon

(Copyright © 2020 Piero Scaruffi)
If you would like the original, high-resolution pictures, contact me

Notes of this trip | Back to California hikes | Pictures of the world

Highlights

From start to end

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them | If you have a high-speed connection, click here for larger pictures)

Elk Prairie Park

Where to park your car (before the visitor center)

Hawk?

Elk Prairie Park visitor center

James Irvine trailhead (go right)

Trailhead (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

The first of many bridges

James Irvine trail

Continue towards the Miners Ridge trail (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

James Irvine trail

Mushroom

James Irvine trail

Mushroom

Left to the Miners Ridge trail

Multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances

James Irvine trail

Don't take this trail

Go right (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

James Irvine trail

Mushrooms

Ferns

Mushrooms

James Irvine trail

Mushroom

James Irvine trail

End of the Miners Ridge trail (go south)

Finally a sign in kms

Gold Bluffs Beach

Campground

The coastal road

Watch for elk

End of the road

The beach

The road becomes a trail

A short trail

After about 200 meters turn right (no sign!) to Fern Canyon

Walking into fern canyon

Back to the stairs (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

The stairs

and fern canyon down below

James Irvine trail

Down to fern canyon via the upper trail

Fern canyon

Elk

Back on the James Irvine trail (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

James Irvine trail

Mushrooms

Multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances

James Irvine trail

Mushrooms

James Irvine trail

Mushrooms

Ferns

Mushrooms

James Irvine trail

Back to the junction with the Miners Ridge trail

If you want to camp at Gold Bluffs Road: this is the unpaved road to Gold Bluffs beach and campground (requires a permit from the visitor center) located at the end of Davison Road (unmarked as of 2020 - follow the sign for Elk Meadow a few kms north of Orick and south of Prairie Creek Park)

The unpaved road to Gold Bluffs beach and campground

See also the old pictures: Prairie Creek Park: Prairie Creek trail & West Ridge trail (**)