Fern Canyon Loop Trail
in California
A Popular Walk That Comes With Stream Crossings and Walls of Greenery. If you plan to drive to Fern Canyon from May 15 - Sept 15, you will need to apply for online - and have been issued - a free Gold Bluffs Beach / Fern Canyon parking permit. Read the official news release about how we are protecting this area with timed-entries.
Summer visitors now will have a safer and much less crowded experience at Fern Canyon. Note: Hikers can still hike the 11-mile round trip to Fern Canyon from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center without any permit. Prepare to get your feet wet to really explore this short walk into a stunning mini-canyon covered with ferns.
This is a very popular walk up a cobbled stream. Many travel writers and bloggers talk about the natural beauty of this area. You won't find huge redwoods right here, but it is surrounded by Sitka spruce and other conifers.
- States
- California
- Trail type
- National and State Parks trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Eugene, OR · 190 mi · ~5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.4006°, -124.0659°
About Redwood National and State Parks
This trail is inside Redwood National and State Parks, a national and state parks managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/ferncanyon.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Fern Canyon Loop Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Revelation Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Davison Trail: South Access
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Trillium Falls Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Lost Man Creek: Hike and Bike Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Coastal Trail: Skunk Cabbage (South)
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #8
7 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.