Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park – Crescent City CA

Description

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed recreational facilities for Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, near Crescent City, California.  Del Norte Park was one of the newly-formed State Park Commission’s first acquisitions c. 1930.  

According to Engbeck, “CCC Company 1903, working out of Camp Prairie Creek, built a park entrance road, a campground and day-use picnic area, and coastal access trails.”

While Engbeck doesn’t specify, the only campground in Del Norte Coast Redwoods is at Mill Creek, east of Highway 101 and it has a two-mile entrance road; both are surely the work of the CCC. It was closed when we visited in early 2023.  

There are two picnic areas along the coast, and Crescent Beach was likely created by the CCC.

The Coastal Trail in the park was undoubtedly created and/or improved by the CCC enrollees, as were the several trails around Mill Creek campground (e.g., Trestle Loop, Nature Loop and Saddler Skyline Trails).

There was already a Redwood Highway running north-south through the park in the 1920s, but it was abandoned due to landslides and new highway built over a ridge route in the early 1930s.  That road may have had some New Deal funding from the federal government to the state highway department, but that is not confirmed. The present stub of Enders Beach road is probably a remnant of the old coastal highway.

There has been very little further development of Del Norte Coast Redwoods Park, most of which is accessible only by hiking trail.  The park is part of the jointly-managed Redwoods National and State Parks.