Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tolowa Dunes State Park & Lake Earl Wildlife Area
Two miles north of Crescent City, this
state park and wildlife area
( 707-464-6101, ext
5112; sunrise-sunset)
encompasses 10,000 acres of wetlands, dunes, meadows and two
lakes,
Lake Earl
and
Lake Tolowa
. This major stopover on the Pacific Flyway route
brings over 250 species of birds here. Listen for the whistling, warbling chorus. On land,
look for coyotes and deer, angle for trout, or hike or ride 20 miles of trails; at sea, spot
whales, seals and sea lions.
The park and wildlife area are a patchwork of lands administered by California State
Parks and the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The DFG focuses on single-species
management, hunting and fishing; the State Parks' focus is on ecodiversity and recreation.
You might be hiking a vast expanse of pristine dunes, then suddenly hear a shotgun or a
whining 4WD. Strict regulations limit where and when you can hunt and drive; trails are
clearly marked.
Register for two primitive, nonreservable
campgrounds
(tent sites $20) at
Jedediah
Smith
or
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
campgrounds. The mosquitoes are plenti-
ful in the spring and early summer.
Pelican State Beach
Never-crowded
Pelican State Beach
( 707-464-6101, ext 5151)
occupies five coastal
acres on the Oregon border. There are no facilities, but it's great for kite flying; pick one
up at the shop just over the border in Oregon.
Sleeping
Clifford Kamph Memorial Park
CAMPGROUND
( 707-464-7230; 15100 Hwy 101; tent sites $10)
Pitch a tent by the ocean (no windbreaks) at Clifford Kamph Memorial Park; no RVs. It's a
steal for the beachside location and, even though sites are exposed in a grassy area and
there isn't much privacy, all have BBQs.
