This West Coast State Park is a hiker’s paradise with stunning views all around

Hiking is a great way to enjoy the breathtaking views of the beaches and ocean in California. Located just two miles north of the quaint town of Mendocino, Russian Gulch State Park is one of the area’s most stunning places to hike. This state park’s trails offer breathtaking views of the Pacific and California coasts.

This hike takes in many sights such as a breathtaking waterfall, a creek, a cliff, a beach, a ruined sea cave, and a three-mile canyon. The outdoor activities available in this park, such as rock pooling on the beach, paddling in the stream, and geocaching on the trails, are its biggest highlights. If you fall in love with this place, you can stay overnight and explore the park and its breathtaking views as much as possible. To make sure you can revisit these memories after your trip to this park is over, remember to pack your camera.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, located on California’s Big Sur coast, is a hiker’s paradise with stunning views. Located along Highway 1, the park is famous for its stunning scenery, including jagged cliffs jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. A short hike leads to a highlight called McVay Falls, a majestic 80-foot cascade that pours over a pristine beach. Trails such as the Ewaldsen Loop, which offer sweeping views of the coast as they wind through redwood trees, are accessible to hikers. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers a peaceful getaway in California’s coastal wilderness, as well as incredible natural beauty, whether you want to camp overnight or spend the day exploring.

Read more: The Most Beautiful Places In America’s State And National Parks

Things To Do At Russian Gulch State Park

Russian Gulch State Park offers a variety of terrain for hiking enthusiasts, making it a popular pastime. There are fifteen kilometers of different difficult routes. A shorter route is the 0.75-mile Headlands Trail, which follows the shoreline and offers views of the park’s famous Devil’s Punchbowl Sinkhole. The Fern Canyon Trail is a more difficult hike that ranges from 5.4 to 6.3 miles in length, depending on which branch you choose on the Falls Loop Trail. Because both trails lead to the park’s stunning 36-foot waterfall, both trails are worth the trek.

Cyclists can take a break from walking by riding 2.8 miles on the North Boundary Trail and 2 miles on the Fern Canyon Trail. Popular activities in the area include horse riding, kayaking, canoeing and geocaching. Swimming and exploring rock pools are available on the beach where Russian Gulch Creek empties into the ocean. During certain seasons, you can see salmon spawning in the creek.

Shellfish such as abalone, crab, lobster, mussels and oysters can be caught by experienced fishermen, although conditions can be dangerous. Freediving and scuba diving are also possible, although only in suitable weather conditions and for experienced divers. Whatever you decide to do with your time while you’re here, it’s one of the best stops to make on your trip along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Staying At Russian Gulch State Park

For those looking to spend the night under the stars in this stunning preserve, Russian Gulch State Park offers 26 rental campsites. They are located on the banks of Russian Gulch Creek, with room for tents, small RVs (24 feet or less), and trailers up to 21 feet. Each site can accommodate eight people or less, with picnic tables, lockers to keep critters from taking your food, grills and fire rings.

There are no power hookups, but there are shared showers, parking and amenities. Your horse can spend the night in one of four equestrian campgrounds with corrals, or in group campsites that can accommodate ten cars and nine to forty people. All of these locations are available for online booking through the California State Parks website. Because there is so much to do here, your stay will inspire you to take the road trip of a lifetime and explore every national park in California.

READ |A stunning Caribbean island that Americans often overlook

READ | Cruel Reasons Why Hikers Abandon the Deadly West Coast Trail

---