14. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
North of Prairie Creek, the scenic parkway rejoins Rte. 101 and then jogs inland, crosses the broad Klamath River — famed for its autumn migrations of Chinook salmon — and returns to the coast at False Klamath Cove and the next great stand of trees at Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Shrouded in fog, this primeval forest of redwood, alder, and spruce stretches to the water’s edge; each spring a sumptuous understory of rhododendrons, azaleas, and wildflowers blazes with brilliant color. Although nature has long since restaked its claim, the area was once heavily logged — as you hike the trails, look for huge, fern-covered stumps and the crumbling trestles of the old logging railroad.
15. Lake Earl Wildlife Area
Crescent City’s C-shaped harbor is known for its chilly sea breezes and breathtaking mountain vistas, and the region nearby is famous for its Easter lily farms, which produce the vast majority of the nation’s bulbs. Aptly, the city celebrates Easter twice — once in spring and again in summer, when revelers toast the harvest at its Easter-in-July festival.
North of Crescent City, the Lake Earl Wildlife Area offers a fitting finale to the coastal portion of the drive. Unlike the rugged cliffs to the south, the coastline here consists of wind-sculpted sand dunes that run inland as much as half a mile. In August the first wave of migrating Arctic birds arrives, and by October this 5,000-acre reserve of pastures, lakes, and marshland is host to huge, honking parliaments of canvasbacks, mergansers, tundra swans, and the world’s population of the Aleutian Canada goose, a rare variety numbering just 6,000 or so.
16. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Named for a mountain man and fur trapper who was the first white to travel overland from the Mississippi to California, 10,000-acre “Jed Smith,” as it is known locally, is one of the state’s oldest and most beautiful parks. Temperatures run a bit higher here than to the west. For an especially scenic detour, take Howland Hill Road, which follows Mill Creek’s winding course and provides easy access to the Mill Creek Trail and many of the park’s stately groves of tall trees. Northernmost of the great redwood parks, Jedediah Smith is also one of the least visited, making it a perfect spot to enjoy the warm sunshine that comes as a welcome contrast to the chilly coastal fogs just 10 miles away.
17. Smith River National Scenic Byway
Stretching from Crescent City to the Oregon border, this 33-mile scenic drive along Rte. 199 offers spectacular mountain scenery. The highway follows the nationally designated Wild and Scenic Smith River through the Siskiyou Mountains and Six Rivers National Forest. Along the way you can behold a sublime, uninterrupted wilderness of deep gorges, broad canyons, and lofty peaks.
Republished from:
Most Scenic Drives in America
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