Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Notable Campgrounds

• Best for elk encounters: Elk Prairie Campground is set next to a meadow where Roosevelt elk roam.
• Best for beach camping: The Gold Bluffs Beach Campground is perched in coastal dunes.
• Best for cabin camping: The Meadow Cabin Colony offers the comforts of cabin rentals.

Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation

1. All Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park campsites are reservable 6 months in advance online or by calling 1-800-444-7275.
2. Make sure to reserve early if you’d like to camp on a week or during the summer season when campgrounds fill up.
3. The Elk Prairie Campground has a hike-in/bike-in section for visitors arriving on foot or bicycle.

When to Go

Summer is Prairie Creek’s busy season, when highs in the 80s and lows in the 50s make for comfortable camping. Just be sure to bring rain gear and a jacket for the common summer morning fog. Winter is also a special season here, when the forest is lush with rainfall and crowds are smaller.

Know Before You Go

• Between May 15 and September 15, the park requires a day-use permit for the popular Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon areas. Permits are reservable 30 days in advance online through the Redwood Parks Conservancy, although permits are not required with a Gold Bluffs Beach camping reservation.
• The park’s old growth redwood population and its 280 redwood groves have earned it a World Heritage Site & International Biosphere Preserve designation.
• Don’t be surprised if you hear high-pitched screams or whistles between August and October—this is Roosevelt elk mating season, when male elk bugling battles are frequent occurrences.
• The other two state parks in the Redwoods National and State Park complex, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, lie further north of Prairie Creek near Crescent City.