West Coast Wanderings Day Four: The "Short" Hike That Wasn't
Day #4 - Long - Short hikes and cool surprises
📍Prairie Creek State Park to Richardson Grove State Park
🥾 250 miles
📈 Elevation Gain: 112 feet
Favorite moment: Seeing a huge heard of elk!
Day four began with what was supposed to be a short morning hike in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
The plan was simple: stretch my legs, enjoy the redwoods one last time, and get back on the road. The trail started exactly as expected—peaceful, quiet, and surrounded by towering trees that seemed to disappear into the sky. Sunlight filtered through the canopy while ferns covered the forest floor, creating the kind of scenery that makes you stop every few minutes just to take it all in.
When I reached what should have been the turnaround point, I noticed another trail branching off. Instead of retracing my steps, I decided to see if I could turn the hike into a loop.
That decision worked out... sort of.
A few miles later, I started to suspect that the "loop" wasn't going to be quite as short or convenient as I had imagined. After about three miles, it became clear that an out-and-back route might have been the smarter choice. But by then, turning around didn't seem much better than continuing forward.
Along the trail were signs warning hikers about bears and reminding visitors not to approach wildlife. Thankfully, I never encountered any bears, but the signs were enough to keep me alert and scanning the woods around me. Every snapped twig or rustling branch suddenly seemed much more interesting.
By the time I finally returned to camp, my "short hike" had turned into an eight-mile adventure.
After packing up camp, I continued north along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline on the trip. One thing I've discovered about this part of California and southern Oregon is that the parks seem to flow seamlessly into one another. You leave one state park only to find yourself entering another. The scenery never really changes—towering forests, rugged coastlines, and endless opportunities to pull over for photos.
I stopped several times throughout the day, including at Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Both offered spectacular viewpoints and dramatic coastal scenery that would make it impossible to have a schedule. Every overlook seemed more impressive than the last, with rocky cliffs, crashing waves, and forests meeting the Pacific Ocean.
At one point, I pulled into a gas station to fill up before continuing on. While getting gas isn't usually a memorable part of a road trip, it serves as a reminder that even in some of the most remote and beautiful places, eventually you have to think about practical things like fuel, food, and how far it is to the next town.
While gassing up, I came across one of the highlights of the day—a huge herd of elk grazing beside the road. There were far more than I expected to see, spread across a large grassy area and completely unfazed by the passing traffic. Some were resting, others were feeding, and a few seemed to be keeping watch over the group. It felt like stumbling across a wildlife documentary in real life. I spent quite a while taking photos and simply watching them before moving on.
Before long, I crossed the California-Oregon border. It felt like a milestone, even though the landscape remained familiar. The towering forests gradually gave way to Oregon's rugged coastline, but the sense of adventure remained exactly the same.
One thing that surprised me during this part of the trip was just how disconnected I had become. For nearly two days, cell service had been spotty or nonexistent. The redwoods and remote stretches of coastline are beautiful, but they don't always come with a signal. After several stops along the Oregon coast, I finally found a strong connection. My phone immediately came to life with text messages, voicemails, emails, and notifications that had been waiting for me. It was a reminder of just how far removed I had been from everyday life. While it was nice to reconnect, part of me missed the simplicity of being completely unreachable.
By early afternoon, I made the decision to begin the return trip south. Like many great road trips, there comes a point where you realize the destination isn't the goal—the experience is. I had reached Oregon, explored its spectacular coastline, and spent a few unforgettable hours among some of the most beautiful forests and beaches on the West Coast. Now it was time to point the truck south and begin the journey home.
As evening approached, I once again found myself searching for a place to spend the night. For the fourth afternoon in a row, luck was on my side. I found an available campsite in a beautiful campground that had surprisingly few visitors that evening.
By the time I arrived, the sun was already getting low, leaving only enough daylight to set up camp and take a quick look around. Even without much time to explore, it was easy to tell this was a special place. The campground was quiet, peaceful, and surrounded by the natural beauty that had become a constant companion throughout the trip.
Sometimes the best travel days aren't the ones filled with major destinations or carefully planned activities. Sometimes they're the days that begin with a "short hike" and end eight miles later, after unexpected detours, incredible coastal views, a roadside herd of elk, and another lucky campsite waiting at the end of the road.
Tomorrow, the journey home continues.
Thanks for journeying with me!
~ Bridget
