Elk Prairie Campground

This was tied for my favorite redwoods campsite. We stayed for 1 night in march and it was almost entirely booked so I would reserve a spot. It was a little buggy in the woods but not too bad. The prairie itself was really beautiful especially at dusk. The surrounding woods is exactly what you look for when going to redwoods.

My friend and I stayed here on our bike tour from Seattle to San Diego in 2019 and it was great. We stayed at a hiker/biker site under a tree. There were elk and lupins all over the prairie—it was so beautiful! I highly recommend.

In August 2019 we rode from Seattle to Santa Barbara, staying most night in hiker/biker sites. Elk Prairie was our first campground in Redwood National State Parks. Biker/hiker sites were nice, picnic tables and bear boxes but was missing the USB charging station we had found in most Oregon state park. We did not see any elks during our short stay(one night) here but had seen quite a few on our way there just before entering Redwood National State Parks. From the campground you can get to some very nice(not technical) hiking trails that will allow to appreciate and the huge trees found here.

This is a nice campground with little campsites. We had a 21’ travel trailer and could barely fit down the roads in campground. Very dark because of trees. Not solar friendly. Showers and flush toilets. Potable water.

Loved this campground. Some sites sacrifice size for awesome water feature. I had a large site but no direct access. There is a trail that starts at the campground that leads you to direct water access. Each site had its own bear box. Lots of elk, chipmunks, ducks and these large aggressive blue jays. No bears seen directly but there was recent claw activity on my bear box.

Beautiful, private campsites carved into a mixed forest of redwood, fir, and maple trees. There are some truly fine sites along Prairie Creek and a handful of unique sites skirting the meadow that might not be for everyone (they’re much less private).

An abundance of awesome hikes give you the chance to wander amongst old growth redwoods — one of the greatest privileges nature offers.

If you have a pup like me, it’s tough to beat Cal Barrel Road, a rad 180 out that’s around 6 miles round trip. Since it’s technically a road, dogs are allowed! The entire hike winds through stunning upland old growth, starting near the famous Atlas Grove. It’s a rare opportunity to hike through ancient redwoods with your furry friend.

Closest supplies are in Orick and quite limited, though it’s its can be found, so it’s all good.

I camped here many, many years ago. In fact, it was over two decades ago. We spent a night here as part of a road trip that took us up the Pacific Coast all the way to Seattle. I had just moved to California from the East Coast, and the sheer size of the country north of San Francisco (where I was living at the time) blew my mind.  We had a hike-in site, but I can't seem find on the current maps which one it was exactly.  Again, this was over 20 years ago.  But we checked in at the Prairie Creek visitors center.  I remember this clearly, as we were given a bear canister for our food, which was the first time I'd ever had to use one of these. When I'd go camping back east, I'd just hang my food in bags. But the ranger was adamant we'd want this canister for the site we'd be camping at. More on this later.

The hike in was about 2 miles and took us deep into ancient groves of Redwoods. At the time, I thought this was the most beautiful spot on Earth that I'd ever visited. It's still probably in the top 10, maybe top 5. The site itself was on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.  It was your typical California state park primitive site with a picnic table and fire pit.  We made dinner and listened to the waves crashing on the beach below.  It was July, and we had daylight until almost 9PM. It was actually sunny that evening, which at the time didn't strike me as unusual, but that's because I was a newcomer to the state. Fog is very common along the northern California coast, so even in summer, it can be quite cool - indeed almost downright cold. I'd like to think that we came prepared with warm clothes and layers, but we probably didn't (again, I was a recent transplant from the East Coast and still associating summer with hot and humid weather.) We were were lucky it happened to be a warm and balmy day.

Now, about that bear canister. I loaded all our food and toothpaste into it and placed it about 50 yards away from the tent. I recall thinking that this was purely precautionary - there was very little chance a bear would actually come to our site.  I was wrong.  At about 2AM, we heard a large creature walking around the campsite. I admit that I panicked for a moment or two. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But then I remembered that black bears do tend to be timid, and will often be scared off by loud noises. For reasons I've never been able to explain, I grabbed my flashlight, jumped out of the tent, and started making barking sounds, like a dog. As embarrassing as that is to admit, the bear ran off into the woods.  I barely caught a glimpse of it. We obviously didn't sleep too well after that, but as the morning broke we began to convince ourselves that there was no way we were actually visited by a bear.  It had to be an elk. When I returned the canister to the ranger, he disabused me of that notion. If we had heard something loud enough to wake us in that part of the park, it almost certainly was a bear, he said.  Over the next 25 years, we'd camp in areas with lots of bears (Yosemite, King's Canyon), and we'd see bears often, but this remains the only time a bear would actually come to our site while we were sleeping.

Per my rating system, this is an easy 5-stars as the Redwood National Forest and the CA state parks within it are some of the most beautiful spots on this planet. You can easily spend a week or more exploring the area. I've not returned to this specific spot since that July night so many years ago, but I've visited several of the other state parks in the area. Having written this, perhaps it's time for me to see if I can find this particular site again. That would be a fun adventure.

Well screened and large campsites with tables and fire rings Mine was in the FF (first come, first served) section on the creek. There are well maintained hiking trails through out the magnificent Redwoods forest and excellent trail signage Showers and toilets clean. Friendly,helpful staff. Stayed mid-Nov. for two nights at $33 per.

Stayed here last weekend and it was absolutely magical. Word of advice, unless you want a small amount of light into your campsite, avoid site 30 as it is right next to the bathrooms (which were super clean by the way) and there is a large light outside of it and there is a clearing from that site to the restroom so the light isn’t blocked at all. It can also be quit noisy, and the walk up to the bathroom is right next to your campsite so there is a lot of foot traffic. Otherwise great place to camp.

First of all this is Not Gold Bluffs Beach. This is Cal state park adjoining Praire Creek next to a quiet meadow often featuring Elk. It is located off hwy 101 and in the midst of a pristine redwood forrest with well groomed trails. We have RV trailer and the sites are private, quiet with bear boxes and fire pit with water spigot. No other amenities- no Dump Station. Didn’t matter to us.. we were content to park,sleep, and walk the trails in the am. Lovely.

When traveling to the Redwoods there are so many amazing campgrounds to visit. I have been to the Elk Prairie area once before but was not able to camp so made sure that on my most recent trip to make it happen. 

One of my favorite locations within the Redwoods the campground itself is only a short distance to some of my favorite trails in the area. 

You cannot go wrong at $35 a night to be in the direct footprint of the gigantic tree canopies in an area known widely for the frequently traveled paths of some of the forests most majestic elk herds. 

The campground comes with all the basics, fire pits and picnic tables are located at each of the sites. The sites range in overall sizing with some large enough to fit smaller RVs but many designed for the smaller set up such as my tent. 

While the ground is cleared, much like the rest of the location the soft wooded padding of the forest floor made for a comfortable place to settle in for the night. One thing you will want to remember when staying at this location is rain. 

Rain seems to come and go frequently and can occur without any warning. While staying here I was periodically inundated by the persistence of rain both light and heavy. 

While staying at this campground there are many benefits related to the overall location itself. Unlike many who will search for parking in small lots, you will have the built in benefit of having access to parking and thus some of the best entry points to trails. In addition, there is a small museum and Ranger Post at the entry to this camping area which makes for easy access to maps and additional restrooms. 

However with all the benefits there are a few disadvantages as well including the lack of cell and internet service. This is only a disadvantage if you do not have a offline map. Come prepared and you will not struggle at all and will be at an advantage.

This is a wonderful redwood park geared toward tent camping. It not particularly well suited to RVs. There are herds of Roosevelt Elk throughout the park, grazing in the meadow outside of the camping area. The elk are accustomed to people, but keep your distance. There are nice restroom facilities with hot showers. Bring quarters. The sites are close together but there is lush greenery to create a sense of separation. The big complaint are the bear boxes. They are impossible to close quietly so be considerate and plan your late night snack and beverage needs in advance. Reservation absolutely required months in advance for the summer season. This is a great place to go off-season.

Beautiful setting, most sites are under the redwoods. We did see elk in areas nearby, but not in the campground. We were there in a small travel trailer. There was no place to fill with water (bring your water bandit). And there is no dump station, the one at Patrick’s Point State Park is also closed. We were told to go to Emerald Forest RV to dump for $20 if you are in an RV you may want to consider a private RV Park for the price

We loved this campground! We had site number 29 and think it is one of the best ones in the campground. The site was large enough to fit our 10x10 tent. It was also very close to being near the bathrooms without us being right next to them. We were right next to the prairie creek which was beautiful. The campground and bathrooms were clean, with soap provided as well as potable water. The showers were good as well, although it was hard to get hot water sometimes. We also camped here on the weekends when the rangers had their talks in the evenings. We highly recommend attending these! They are geared towards a younger audience, but they are fun to experience and learn more about the area you are in. This campsite also has plenty of access to amazing hikes. We hope to visit again!

This was a fantastic location in Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.  Not too far from the highway was great on a road trip.  We saw a family of elk before even getting into the park.  Our campsite #58 was a little small and pretty squeeze by our neighbors, but overall it was fine.  

I would highly, highly recommend taking the hike down through the redwoods to the beach and then back up through fern canyon.  Was one of the best hikes I've ever done.

Campsites encircle bathroom buildings with private bathrooms (with flushing toilets) and private shower stalls. Very well maintained. Miner's ridge trail passed through several groves of redwoods and minor altitude changes.

We stayed at two different state park campground in the redwoods and this one was my favorite. Out of our whole two week camping excursion, this was my favorite. The landscape was just amazing, such massive awesome trees. Did not see any elk but there is always the possibility at this campground. Several hiking trails to explore. There is a visitor center and you can buy firewood from the camp hosts. Th restroom were decent and had nicer showers then the other campground we stayed at. Our campsite was nice and spacious. If you get the chance to go here do, and take the scenic highway to get to it. Also check out fern canyon, the road to get there is narrow and crappy but totally worth it.

The old growth redwood forest is spectacular. The dirt road to our campsite was 6 miles long winding and narrow and beautiful. Camping as close to the beach as you can get at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. A very nice campground. Nice bathrooms. A favorite and we will for sure go back.

When staying in this area I explored two campgrounds one more beach view (around 25 miles south) and another with more of the true Redwood Forest feel. This one being that one!  

We first drove up to this area mid afternoon, which in fall is the time that you start to see the clouds pushing back in from the ocean and the sun slowly start making its decline.  While it isn’t dark super early it also isn’t light and it is during this time that you see the elk moving across the area to graze. That was our first impression of this area, one of such awesome beauty!

We then explored the area even more to realize this campsite was much more than just a campsite it was a part of the State Park which held so much information about these unique and beautiful trees that you had to just stop to take it all in.

We opted to take in one of the shorter trails before fully settling in so we picked up a map at the visitor center area which also had a lot of really interesting items inside and took to the trail right outside the center. When we were inside we were told they offer cabins as well as camping and you can bring your RV as long as it doesn’t exceed a certain length.

We had a group of 4 and yet if we were only a few feet away it was odd to even hear one another speaking.

The world is completely quiet around you when you are in this forest and so the campsites are muffled by the forest moss and ground around them.  It is so surreal to be in a slightly improved area but yet feeling like you are a million miles from anything or anyone.  

Campsites themselves are far from typical, despite offering typical amenities.  They are set in the most serene place you can possibly find and have these huge trees peering over your every move.  It is as though time stands still when you are here because you stop to truly realize just how small you are in the big picture.

The one thing we kept trying to remind ourselves of is that because we were in nature to remember that this was one of the more open areas for animals since we were right in the middle of it all and to not forget that while being in such awe.  For this reason we were mindful of keeping containers closed and in the car, nothing in our packs that could attract any unwanted visitors and to always keep a light at hand when traveling as the sun began to set.

TIPS:

• Don’t rush this is a place you want to take your time. If you are on a trail fully allow yourself time to enjoy that trail don’t try to set a pace typical of other locations.
• Try hiking toward the shore from camp, it is one of the best views you will find of the California coast.

This spot has the coast and desolate beaches as well as the magnificent fern canyon trail that takes you into a wonderland of green and inlet streams. I only wish I had stayed here longer.

This was my favorite campground in our northern california tour. Campimg among the redwoods, so quiet and shady we slept in late each morning. The elk prarie is a few steps away, we didnt have the right season to see any, but the morning fog on the meadow was still beautiful.

Camp hosts were lovely, scenery beautiful, bathrooms had coong operated shawers and were very well maintained.

The most private site at the campground. Close to walking trails and bathrooms. Campground amenities include water, firewood $8/bundle, and pay showers. No cell service.

I highly recommend this location - what could be better than camping in the redwoods, with elk grazing in the meadow right next to your camp!

Sites were decent sized for our 2 tents, surrounded by trees and bushes offering some privacy so you don’t feel like you are right on top of your neighbors. Very clean bathrooms, decent showers, picnic tables, fire pits. You are expected to keep your site ‘crumb clean’ and will be provided with instruction about that.

The only downside is that it can get very damp at night – which made it seem a little colder and had a lot of tent condensation.

There are many wonderful hikes in the area – love it when you can get forest and ocean on the same trail! Normally I don’t like hearing other people’s campground music, but whoever was singing vespers it was beautiful. Slept peacefully to sounds of the creek running by our site.

The visitor center was good and gave us a lot of useful information. The ranger even came around to let us know of local events.

One of my favorite all time campgrounds where you camp among the trees and streams then wake up to see the elk roaming the grasslands. The Prairie Creek trail is right at the entrance to the campground and is a great way to see what the park is all about. May is best to see the blooming rhododendron which is amazing!

This is a beautiful campground in the mid to lower part of the Redwoods. If you are lucky, you can get a site in the meadow area where the elk usually roam in the early morning or play at dusk. There are also plenty of sites set back in the woods. I scored a meadow site, which was great because my tent was wet from the night before, but quickly dried out. Six elk came within 30 feet of my tent as the sun was setting. Pretty awesome!

Firewood available for $8/bundle. Quarters required for showers. $35 cash or check/night. No credit cards!!

Awesome trails among the Redwoods right from the campground/visitor center.

You get a chunk of some of the most beautiful Redwood forests, oceanside. While the campsites are small and pretty close together it is rare to find a good campsite that offers showers, great scenery, bear boxes, fire rings and tables with your fresh water etc. Tent camping and RVs. You feel as though you are miles away from life as you know it and can truly get the chance to experience nature and relaxation with these giant old growth redwoods. Fern paths and wild berries galore. Northern beaches with overcast and fog which creates some chilly nights and mornings- plus you can get damp if you are not prepared. Northern coast. If the sites were not so busy all the time and cramped I would give it 5 stars.

Seeing the redwoods for the first time is incredible. This campground is in an ideal location, redwood forest, fern canyon and the beach. We saw elk on our drive into the park, at the campground and on the beach. The trails thoughout the park are incredible. The campground is small, there are bathrooms with pay showers. It's a basic campground but offers a chunk of the Redwood forest and Pacific Ocean! Absolutely incredible.

So you will be camping with people only a couple feet from you, it's load, it over crowded, it's sucks but your not there for the campsite you are there for the trees and nature and it excels in this. Wild elk roaming within feet of your campsites, epic Redwoods within walking distance, and a super friendly staff.

This campground was primitive and very "natural" in setting. The sites had a bear box for food storage and there were Elk grazing near our loop. We picked blackberries and watched bluejays landing nearby. There was a restroom with pay showers and a ranger station at the entrance. Not a lot here but plenty to do up the road on the Newton B Drury Pkwy we visited the ancient Redwoods that were amazing. Also, can drive to Fern Valley if you rig isn't too big. That is where a scene from Jurassic park was filmed.

To witness the grandeur of the redwoods and the ocean at the same time is pretty much the most awesome camping experience ever. At dawn the elk roam the shores, and you can take day hikes into the redwoods by way of a prehistoric feeling fern valley. Epic.