Independent birding guide — not affiliated with the original Redwood Coast birding trail project or the domain's previous owner.

Region overview

Redwood Coast birding map

A schematic of birding areas from the Oregon border to Humboldt Bay. It is not to scale and not for navigation.

The Redwood Coast runs north to south along US Highway 101, with US Highway 199 branching inland. The diagram below shows the order of the main birding areas covered on this site. It is not a road map. Use an official park or agency map to find your way. The National Park Service publishes maps for Redwood National and State Parks, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife manages the wildlife areas in Del Norte County.

Schematic, north at top: Oregon border, Lake Earl, Point St. George, Crescent City and Castle Rock, Smith River and US 199, Enderts Beach, False Klamath Cove, Klamath River, Prairie Creek, Bald Hills, Redwood Creek, Humboldt Bay and Arcata Marsh Pacific Ocean Oregon border US 101 US 199 / Smith River Bald Hills Rd Lake Earl & Tolowa Dunes Point St. George Crescent City Castle Rock NWR Stout Grove / Jedediah Smith Enderts Beach Road False Klamath Cove Klamath River mouth Prairie Creek: Elk Prairie, Cal Barrel Rd Gold Bluffs Beach (Davison Rd) Dolason / Lyon's Ranch Redwood Creek Freshwater Lagoon Arcata Marsh Humboldt Bay NWR Schematic only, not to scale.
North is at the top. Green dots are birding areas, blue dots are estuaries and the offshore refuge, and brown dots are towns or hubs.

The coast, north to south

AreaHabitatMore
Lake Earl & Tolowa DunesCalifornia's largest coastal lagoon, about 11 miles south of the Oregon borderSites
Point St. GeorgeCoast; site of the county's "Best Bird"Checklist
Crescent City & Castle RockOffshore seabird and goose roost, viewed from Pebble Beach DriveSites
Smith River, Stout Grove, US 199Riparian forest, old-growth redwoodsMurrelets
Enderts Beach Rd, False Klamath Cove, Requa RdCliffs, offshore rocks, beachesSites
Klamath River mouthTidal estuarySites
Prairie Creek (Elk Prairie, Cal Barrel Rd, Newton Drury Pkwy)Redwood forest and meadowMurrelets
Bald Hills Rd, Dolason & Lyon's Ranch trailsOak woodland and prairieChecklist
Redwood Creek, Freshwater LagoonEstuary and lagoonSites
Humboldt Bay & Arcata MarshBay, eelgrass, mudflat, salt marsh, constructed wetlandsHumboldt Bay

Planning by season

Habitat bands along the coast

The NPS birds page sorts the parks' birding into habitat bands, and the map follows the same pattern. Coniferous forest, dominated by coast redwoods, covers most of the parks. Oak woodland and prairie occupy the far southeastern corner, reached by Bald Hills Road. Riparian forest lines Redwood Creek, Prairie Creek, Mill Creek and the Smith River. Estuaries form at the mouths of Redwood Creek and the Klamath River. Along the coast, about half the shoreline is sandy beach and the other half is tall, rugged cliffs and rocky seamounts, where seabirds nest. Picking one band per morning is a simple way to plan a multi-day trip.

Distances and drive times aren't given here. Check current road status with the parks before you go.

Why the old trail covered Del Norte

Audubon described the original Redwood Coast birding trail as "43 choice destinations in beautiful Del Norte County." The northern half of this map follows that county. The southern part extends into Humboldt County to take in the southern redwood parks and Humboldt Bay, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of Hemispheric Importance.

Sources