The Navarro River Redwoods State Park winds along HWY 128 between Ukiah and Fort Bragg. Along the drive, you will enjoy a meandering highway through some of the most beautiful and lush scenery you can imagine. Redwoods, ferns and the Navarro River will escort you along the way.
The Navarro River Redwoods State Park is an area that encompasses 660 acres, so there are two different campgrounds in the area, tons of hiking trails and great fishing in the Navarro River.
Image: parks.ca.gov
Two Different Campgrounds:
Within the 660 acres of this state park lies 2 separate campgrounds. Both are completely unique, not just in themselves but to each other. One campground in located in the thick of the redwoods alongside the Navarro River and the other one is nestled against the coastal cliffs within 600 feet of the Pacific Ocean.
The much larger campground is the Paul Dimmick campground, which is in the redwoods and more of a forest setting, and the other is the Navarro Beach Campground, located on the coast, where the Navarro River meets the ocean.
* Address: Highway 128 Albion, CA 95410
* Phone: (707) 937-5804
* Elevation: 145 feet
* Established: 1987
* Size: 660 Acres
Paul Dimmick Campground:
The Paul Dimmick was closed for many years, which most people weren't aware of and after 7 long years, the Paul Dimmick Campground is finally reopened for the 2021 summer season.
This campground is located on Highway 128, six miles east of the junction with State Highway 1 near Fort Bragg, California. If you are coming from Yreka then this campground is located 14.9 miles west from the town of Philo (Hendy Woods State Park).
Please note that this is a first-come first-serve campground, so no reservations are available, and you will have to drive through to see if any sites are available.
Campsite Fee:
$35 a day
Add. Vehicle Fee:
$8 per vehicle
Pets:
Allowed on leash &
attended at all times
Showers:
No Showers
Water:
Many spigots around campground
Toilets:
Pit Toilets Only
Campground Map:
Campsites:
The Paul Dimmick campground offers 27 sites listed as both RV, camper and tent accessible. However, I contacted the Mendocino State Park office and I was told that all sites are "tent only".
The roads through the campground are very narrow and larger motor homes in camp trailers might have trouble navigating their way through the Campground.
I have witnessed people camp here with smaller Class C RVs and even small camp trailers, but it was a tight fit and backing in to your site did take a little bit of time and skill to accomplish.
Tent Sites:
Like I mentioned before, all of the sites in the campground are really tent sites because the roadway in the campground is so narrow and there are some sharp turns.
In almost every state park, where camping is possible, tents are almost always allowed for nearly every site, camp trailers and RV's are usually the problem when it comes to length and width of the parking pad and the site itself. If you head up to the Redwoods in Crescent City, the sites up there have been measured. So check on the State Parks page for those particular campgrounds.
Handicap Sites:
According to the California State Parks website, there are two ADA accessible sites here, which are site number 6 and site 23. I didn't see any real distinguishing characteristics that would make these sites different from other sites, except for maybe a larger parking pad area.
If I do find out more information on why these two specific sites are ADA compliant, then I will update this page as soon as I have that information.
UPDATE: The handicapped accessible sites are leveled out as well as the tent area. They also looked a bit larger than the other sites but I didn't measure them.
Unique Sites:
Campsites 1 through 5 and 25 are located right next to the North Fork Navarro River, so you get a nice view of the river itself and are probably some of the better spots in the campground.
River View Site for a small tent
Sites 15 through 18 are actually walk in sites, so there is no parking for your vehicle and these are intended for, you guessed it, people that walk into the campground and want to camp.
Walk-in sites are very overgrown at the time of this update.
Campsite Features:
This is a pretty bare-bones campground, but it does have some expected features and amenities you would see at nearly all state park campgrounds, which was basically a picnic table, a fire pit and a storage cabinet.
There are wildlife in the area, like raccoons, that have a tendency to get into your food, so you will want to still store your food in a secure area.
Picnic Table
Fire Pit
Bathrooms/Showers:
There are only bathrooms at this campground and no showers are available, so you will have to make arrangements if you plan on staying a few days.
The toilets here are the non-flushing type, which means that they are just big pits dug into the ground with a toilet seat on, and they get pumped every once in a while when they get full.
Not the best options as far as toilets go, but it is definitely better than nothing.
Vehicles:
The camping fees per night do include one vehicle, and as I mentioned at the top of this post any extra Vehicles will cost an additional $8.
Some parking spots can accommodate two smaller vehicles, especially if you are tent camping but if you have a smaller camp trailer that your towing with your vehicle, you will more than likely be maxed out on space if you have an additional vehicle with you so you will have to park in the day use area.
Day Use Area:
There are two different day use areas in the campground, one is located across the road from campsite number 5 and is a smaller day-use area that is mainly just for parking and the main day use area is located between sites 25 and 26 and is positioned right along the Navarro River.
If you want to just stop by and use the day use area and not camp for the night, you will have to pay a fee of $10 in the self-registration box at the entrance.
Navarro Beach Campground:
The Navarro Beach Campground is located at the headwaters of the Navarro River. A truly primitive campground with an amazing location. This is a dry campground (no water) so be sure to come prepared. All sites are open to the world with the exception of sites 1 and 2 which have bushes for a bit of privacy.
The state park does offer a beach wheelchair upon request. This is available for use at the California State Park beaches in the Mendocino coast area.
Call (707) 937-9177 at least 7 days in advance if you want to reserve one for yourself or someone you know.
Campground Map:
Campsite Fee:
$35 a day
Add. Vehicle Fee:
$8 per vehicle
Day Use Fee:
Free
Pets:
Allowed on leash &
attended at all times
Showers:
No Showers
Water:
No Water
Toilets:
Pit Toilets
Dump Station:
No
Campsites:
All the campsites are basic, providing a picnic table and a fire ring with a grill attachment. These are no frills sites, but they make up for that in the stunning views of the ocean. There are 10 sites per the state park information, but we counted 11 on our visit.
RV Sites:
There is enough room for smaller class C motor homes and small camp trailers in most of these sites, 3-11, as they are roughly the same length and width.
For example, a 4-door Toyota Tacoma truck pulling a smaller R-Pod camp trailer is about the maximum length that these sites can accommodate.
Site 1 can accommodate a longer setup and site 2 is much smaller than any other of the sites and probably would not be large enough for an RV or trailer.
Tent Sites:
All the campsites at Navarro Beach Campground will accommodate tent camping but keep in mind there are size limitations, due to the campsites themselves being very small.
You can probably still fit a decent size tent, as most of the site's parking areas are 10 to 14 feet wide by 38-40 feet long.
Smaller tents would obviously work but if you have a larger family size tent, it would eat up a lot of your camp area.
Handicap Sites:
There were no sites at the campground indicated that they were ADA accessible or compliant and I found this to be true when I visited myself, as all the sites were sandy and no asphalt or concrete was present.
Unique Sites:
There are not really any unique sites here because they are really all the same layout except for the first two sites, which provide a little different experience. I have witnessed many times a large school bus conversion vehicle parked at site 1, due to the angle at which it can park, making for a nice windbreak as well.
Site 2 is a bit smaller than sites 3 through 11 and is cut out into the bushes a little and if you park your car across the front, you can make a nice windbreaker as well.
Campsite Features:
Picnic Table & Fire Pit
All of the tables and fire rings are laid out pretty much the same way for sites 3 through 11 and are identical, with no variations in design.
The tables are made from concrete, so they are very heavy and nearly impossible to move. I'm not sure if the fire pits have a grate attached for cooking, like I see other campgrounds.
Bathrooms & Showers:
There are only bathrooms at this small campground and no showers are present, which is surprising given that the ocean is so close.
The bathrooms themselves consist of one single building at the end of the parking lot, with non flushing toilets. These are basically pit toilets, where a hole is dug into the ground and they are pumped and cleaned on a semi-regular basis.
Vehicles:
When you pay the camping fee, one vehicle is included in that fee and if you have a small enough vehicle and trailer setup you will actually fit into your parking area in your campsite. I'm not sure about extra vehicles, regarding additional fees or where you would even park those vehicles but when I find out I will update this article.
Day Use Area:
The day use area at Navarro Beach is massive and consists of a lot of sandy areas, a ton of driftwood and approximately half a mile of shoreline. This is where most of the pictures you see online are taken and is a very beautiful place where the Navarro River and the Pacific Ocean meet.
There is no fee to use the day use area here and there are tons of parking spaces available, the parking area runs along the opposite side of where the campsites are. The shoreline of the ocean is approximately 600 feet away from where you park and you can explore the beach or head up the shores of the Navarro River.
Trails:
The trail system in the Navarro River Redwood State Park is a very friendly system of trails. Although there aren't any crazy long trails, the ones that are there are worth the stop, even if it's just for a little while.
Trail 1: Navarro Fire Access Trail
Navarro Fire Access Trail is a 4.7 out and back trail along the fire access road. Its wide and mostly flat, which makes it accessible for people of all levels to enjoy a stroll through the redwoods.
It has an elevation gain of about 337 feet for the entire length of the trail. It is stroller accessible, so this is a place that the kids can enjoy too.
Directions:
Staring Out At Paul Dimmick:
If you are coming from the Paul Dimmick side of HWY 128 then you will locate the trail approximately 4.3 miles or 6 minutes away. When leaving the campground, take a left like heading towards the ocean. You will see the fire access gate on your right. See the map below.
Staring Out At Navarro Beach:
If your journey is starting out at the ocean or even Navarro Beach Campground, then you will need to head East, and it will take you approximately 8 minutes (5.5 miles) to arrive at the trailhead, which would then be on the left-hand side of highway 128.
The photo below shows what you will be looking for as there are no trail markers.
Trail 2: Mustard Gulch Trail
Mustard Gulch Trail is a short jaunt down an old logging road with just 2 miles out and back. This trail is easy and wide, so taking a stroller shouldn't be an issue.
Mustard Gulch Trailhead
Directions:
Staring Out At Paul Dimmick:
Mustard Gulch trailhead is really close to the Paul Dimmick campground, in fact it is only point seven miles away which would take you roughly one minute to get there by car.
You could walk there, if you wanted to, and it would take you approximately 13 minutes, according to google maps.
Staring Out At Navarro Beach:
If your starting point is at Navarro Beach, then the trailhead is roughly 8.1 miles away.
You'd want to head on highway 1 for a short distance and then merge east on to highway 128 and you will see the trailhead on your left-hand side.
Trail 3: Dimmick Memorial Grove
This little stroll takes you on a paved loop directly through and around the Paul Dimmick Campground. Its only 0.6 miles but all of it in the redwoods and on the river. Easy jaunt and good for families with kids. You can park in the day use area of Paul Dimmick Campground to access it.
Trail 4: Navarro Point Preserve and Scenic Trail
This easily accessible trail is a 1.5 mile loop on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It's appropriate for the whole family, having a wide path and is a relatively easy hike. During the spring you will find wildflowers abloom and if you are lucky, you may spot seals down below among the surf or on the sand.
Getting there:
The trail is on the ocean side of highway 1. You will travel down a well marked driveway to a small parking lot.
Historic Town of Navarro:
Image Courtesy of: navarro-by-the-sea-center.org
The history of Navarro River and the surrounding areas begins in the mid 1840's, around the time of the gold rush in the Sierra Nevada. Settlements had been made along the Navarro River and local estuaries to accommodate timber and the tradesmen who worked and lived near the mill in the 1860's.
These mills loaded their lumber onto schooners that were built locally for the growing lumber industry. A couple of the buildings that are still standing today at Navarro Beach are thankfully preserved to share this part of California history.
Natural and unnatural Disasters In The Area:
The financial "crash" of 1893 closed the second Navarro mill. Because of this, the owner was no longer able to pay his 250 employees. Many people who had set up home in the area left at that time.
When the 1906 earthquake hit San Francisco, it was not the only town to feel destruction. Apparently the earthquake was felt all along the coast. The Navarro Inn By The Sea felt some major damage.
In 1907 there was a great flood of the Navarro River during which the old wooden bridge that spanned the Navarro River was completely wiped out.
1913 what was left of the town of Navarro was burnt to the ground on a windy night. Sparks ignited and nearly everything was lost to history.
Then in 1921 the home of Captain Fletcher (Builder of the Navarro By The Sea Hotel) was burnt, with nothing left but memories. It is believed that since it was left open to fishermen and travelers that someone may have let the fire get too hot and that was all it took to destroy the wood timbered structure.
The Inn By The Ocean:
In 1865 the now historical Inn was built by Captain Fletcher. This building was to serve as a lay-over for men awaiting their loads of lumber on schooners. Originally it was said to have at least 12 small rooms located on the second floor of the home.
The Inn stayed in the family for many years. Always purchased for a mere $10 as was tradition.
Eventually the Inn was purchased and changed hands over the next century. Always maintaining itself as an Inn and a place for people to get away. Eventually a bar and restaurant were added. It was a popular place during its heyday.
As time passed, the Inn was not up-kept. The cottages that had been built were demolished in the 1960s. It's said that it was still a popular place to stop in the 1970s, but issues with keeping help at the bar ended up causing the Inn to be boarded up and abandoned.
In 1990 the Inn was purchased with the hopes of reopening it to the public, unfortunately there were too many issues. It was sold to the State of California Department of Parks and recreation for $300,000 in 1996. The building had sat for so long that it was greatly in disrepair. But people took notice and through donations and with the help of "Save America's Treasures" program funds have been secured to restore the Inn to its former glory.
As of the writing of this, the Inn though currently closed to the public is being renovated. You can peer inside to see what's happening.
Other Buildings:
There are a few other buildings still standing on the property. The home to the left of the Inn was the "Company House" or rather it was originally occupied by the lumber mill manager. This home has also been standing since about 1865.
Helpful Resources:
I have listed the different resources I found along the way when writing this article on the Navarro River Redwoods State Park and even though there aren't many links, I'm sure they'll still be helpful to most people, but the maps will definitely be a huge help!
Navarro River Redwoods State Park Map
Paul Dimmick Campground Map
Navarro Beach Campground Map Closeup
Navarro Beach Campground Map