Camera Roll: California's Epic Fern Canyon Trail Feels Like Traveling Back in Time

15.11.2024 - 09:38 / matadornetwork.com

Fern Canyon, deep within Northern California’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, is a rare natural marvel — but not one that has escaped attention from travelers in recent years. Though it’s at the end of a long rutted road in Humboldt County’s coastal wilderness, the narrow gorge is so popular with hikers that the park introduced a permit system in 2022, requiring anyone who wants to access the road to the canyon to apply online for one of 150 Fern Canyon passes.

The permit system is a welcome addition, limiting the number of people who can access the canyon each day to protect its fragile ecosystem, but still allowing those who plan in advance to enjoy the uniqueness of the natural wonder.

And natural wonder it is. It’s defined by 60-foot walls blanketed in dense, emerald ferns, and is an environment that has endured for millennia. It’s a cool, damp climate, where mosses, lichens, and ferns thrive in layers of green. The prehistoric, otherworldly feeling has even earned it a place on the big screen — most notably as a backdrop for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Fern Canyon is a short and quick hike, but getting to the trailhead will take some planing. Aside from needing a permit during the summer months, you’ll also need to get to the trailhead, which is a roughly six-mile drive along a muddy, rutted road. You’ll want an AWD or 4WD vehicle, and be prepared to drive through a few small stream crossings, as well as some significant potholes — some experience off-road driving will make the process a bit faster. There’s no cell service, and while there are pit toilets at the trailhead, there’s no water.

Be sure to have either a CalParks pass, an America the Beautiful national parks pass, or $12 in cash to pay the entrance fee at the gate about halfway up the road. The parks are in a remote part of northern California, so you’ll need to make it an overnight trip. You’ll want to stay in nearby towns like Arcata, Crescent City, or Orick, or rent an Airbnb closer to the trailheads.

The closest major airport is Oakland, CA (about a six-hour drive), though there is a small airport in Arcata, CA, in Humboldt County, that connects to Denver, LA, and SF. Regardless of where you stay, you’ll need to rent a car. Fortunately, the whole northern California coast is a perfect place to road trip, especially if you continue up the coastline through Oregon and Washington state.

Here’s what it’s like to explore the Fern Canyon Trail, an amazing hike even if you couldn’t care less about dinosaurs (or ferns).

The first thing you’ll see on the trail is an elk warning sign. This part of California is home to protected Roosevelt elk, who can be slightly more aggressive during the mating season (autumn). While we didn’t see any on