From Trinidad, California, we moved on up the coast to Port Orford, Oregon, a lovely coastal town with a working port. Our drive up the coast went smoothly, despite occasional heavy rain, and the rainy weather made for some very interesting coastal vistas along the way. Port Orford features a stunning coastal vista of sandy beaches and massive sea-stack rocks, including the well-known Battle Rock formation. Humbug Mountain is visible in the distance along the coast.
Month: June 2016
Campground Review – Humbug Mountain State Park
Description
Humbug Mountain State Park is a gem of a park and campground set in a deep forested valley between mountains, right off the Pacific Ocean. Sheltered from strong, cool ocean winds by the surrounding forest and mountains, the campground is warmer than nearby areas of the coast. The park features a hiking trail to the summit of Humbug Mountain (1,765 feet elevation) and access to a lovely pet-friendly beach, popular with wind surfers and scuba divers.
Trinidad – Foggy Days, Giant Trees and Lost Coasts
From Manchester Beach and the Mendocino Coast we moved on to another of our favorite spots on the northern California coast, Trinidad. There we camped among giant redwoods at the Emerald Forest of Trinidad RV Park, a park we have visited and enjoyed several times in the past.
Our trip from the Mendocino Coast to Trinidad went well, but was white-knuckled at times as we navigated the curvy road and steep grades of the Fort Bragg – Willits Road, CA-20. We chose the Fort Bragg – Willits Road as our exit from the Mendocino Coast to avoid even more curves and switchbacks on Highway CA-1, between Fort Bragg and Legett. The CA-20 is heavily used by semi and logging trucks, so is suitable for larger RVs, but there are some very tight curves with no shoulder where a large rig must swing out to clear the mountainside. Oncoming traffic sometimes made clearing the turns with a wide enough margin difficult. We were certainly relieved as we arrived in Willits and could continue our travels on the much more comfortable Highway CA-101! Continue reading
Campground Review – Emerald Forest of Trinidad
Description
The Emerald Forest of Trinidad is a lovely private campground nestled in a forest of giant redwoods. The campground offers RV and tent camp sites, as well as rental cabins. The Emerald Forest is just a short distance from the Pacific Ocean and within easy driving distance of many area attractions.
Campground Review – Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA
“Life is not measured by the amount of breaths we take,
but by the people and places that take our breath away”
— Zayne Richard Simpson
(as displayed at the Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA)
Description
The Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA is a beautiful campground on the wild and scenic Mendocino Coast. The campground is set in a shady copse of coastal pine next to Manchester Beach State Park. This KOA is a great base from which to explore local attractions, such as coastal vistas and beaches, majestic redwoods, Point Arena and Point Cabrillo lighthouses, and the Anderson Valley Wine Country. Continue reading
Campground Review – San Francisco North / Petaluma KOA
Description
The San Francisco North / Petaluma KOA is a lovely resort-level campground that is family and big-rig RV friendly. The campground is within easy driving distance of San Francisco sights, Sonoma and Napa County Wine Country, as well as local breweries, beaches and imposing stands of giant redwoods. Continue reading