Orick - (7 Miles; Loop) Friendship Ridge Trail to Coastal Trail

Davison Road
Orick, California 95555
Northern Humboldt

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is loaded with incredible trails and this is another.  It's beautiful!  Starting from Fern Canyon, you pick up the Friendship Ridge Trail heading north.  The trail takes you up along a ridge through towering redwoods and lush ferns, winding its way mostly parallel to the coast.  It is so easy to get lost in your thoughts as you make your way up the trail.  It's so gorgeous and peaceful with beauty all around you at every step. 
Eventually you will have options to head to the coast.  For this hike, we took the Friendship Trail to the West Ridge Trail and followed that to the beach.  The photos do not do the hike justice.  
The beach is a great place to relax for a little bit, eat and play.  It's so beautiful and the sound of the crashing waves never gets old.
For the return trip, we chose to walk along the beach and saw not another single person until we got back to Fern Canyon.  You can also take the coastal trail which runs along the bluffs.  This trail is easier on the ankles and will take you by a pretty cool waterfall.  This route is pretty popular. 
Park Info:
Take a look at our Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park section for information on this incredible state park. 
Distance:  7 mile loop
Degree of Difficulty:  Moderate. The trail certainly has plenty of ups and downs and you'll get a good workout taking on this one.  
Dogs:  No
Camping:  Yes, there is great camping at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. 
How to get there:
From Hwy 101 (2 miles north of Orick), take Davison Road west.  Shortly after taking the Davison Road exit, the road will turn into a narrow dirt road which will go 8 miles until you reach the park entrance. Vehicles wider than 8', longer than 24' and trailers are prohibited. After entering the park, follow the road for 3 miles until you reach the parking lot where the road ends.  Fern Canyon is about a 1/10th mile walk from the parking lot and you'll see signs for the trailhead from there. 
More info:
The parking lot gets crowded quick becaue it's also the parking lot for Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach as well as some other trails and activities.   Get there early if you can. 
Other things to do in the area: 
If you're heading North from here, be sure to visit our Del Norte County Road Trip Section for fun things to do along the way.  The Berry Glen and Skunk Cabbage Trails are pretty awesome too. 
*Click on the photos to enlarge them