I recently spent several days visiting the southern Oregon and northern California coast, and the Redwood forests at Jedediah Smith State Park.  I invite you to join me on a virtual trip to these magical places.

I visited 9 different places on this trip. All were beautiful. Some were pure magic and I still feel the connection to that magic just looking at the photos. As with many special places in this world, photos don’t begin to do justice to what it actually feels like to be there in person.


Bandon, Oregon: 

We started by walking several miles at low tide along the beaches of Bandon, Oregon. This place is a refuge for shore birds, and simply walking and listening to the sounds of the ocean and the birds is so soothing!! We spent time exploring tide pools, finding seastars, watching birds, and taking in the fresh ocean air. Simply walking with no particular destination or distance in mind is a beautiful thing.

Jedediah Smith State Park Campground: 

When the campground itself is incredible, you know you’re in a good place. Jed Smith Campground is one of those places. Our campsites were along the Smith River, with the beautiful sound of flowing water for good company.  One of the trees at our campsite dwarfed my little teardrop trailer, so amazing to wake up in the morning and give it a tree-hug.

Walking along the Smith River, we found blooming native iris, lupine, black willow, and three-cornered leeks, among others. The color of the water is a beautiful dark teal, and Stout Grove, one of my favorite places on Earth, is just across the river.

While the campground was full, it was so quiet there. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being amongst with the tallest trees in the world and the energy they put out. We imagined that everyone there was under the influence of the forest magic: Calm, peace, serenity, contentment, joy.

Jedediah Smith State Park: Grove of the Titans:

Grove of the Titans is a group of ancient and massive Redwood Trees, some of the tallest in the world. This sacred grove was known by indigenous people for hundreds of years, but remained relatively hidden until its location was posted online in 1998. People searching for the grove created informal trails that damaged the forest floor, caused erosion, and threatened the health of the grove and adjacent Mill Creek.

Several organizations worked together to protect this habitat by creating elevated walkways to allow for everyone to safely visit the grove without causing further damage. More information: https://redwoodparksconservancy.org/grove-tit

Part of the Mill Creek Trail goes through what I imagine J.R.R. Tolkien would describe as a hobbit tunnel, passing alongside a huge fallen tree that has turned into a nurse log, through a forest undergrowth tunnel, right out of a fantasy tale.

From giant trees to tiny flowers like the native Asarum/wild ginger, I’m so happy this place is protected and accessible now. As with all photos of these trees, they are hard to photograph because of their massive size. It’s almost impossible to convey how large they are without a human standing at the base. This is a sacred place with all the feels of amazement, wonder, and awe. I still carry that feeling with me.

Jedediah Smith State Park: Stout Grove:

Stout Grove is perhaps my favorite grove of Redwood trees, another sacred place full of magic. This is more of a slow wander (I love how “wander” is so close to “wonder”), not a hike per se, along a very level and smooth trail – which is a good thing because it’s not a place where you want to be watching your footsteps, instead you’re craning your neck in every possible direction to take in the wonder of this place. It’s on the opposite shore of Smith River from Jed Smith Campground.

One of the things I love about this place is that it’s possible to get up close and personal with the trees, to hug them, lay a gentle hand on them as you walk by, and simply spend time being in their presence. With several benches for sitting and gazing, it’s a perfect grove for all abilities.

On this trip I visited twice, once with my friends and once alone. The grove seems to quiet and slow people down, to ask us for silent contemplation. On my solo wander it was so incredibly quiet, even though there were other people there. It’s a sacred natural cathedral that I’m so grateful for.

Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, OR: Secret Beach:

We drove north up the Boardman Scenic corridor without a specific plan in mind, ready for adventure and the beautiful coastline. Our first stop was near Arch Rock and it was so foggy it was almost impossible to see anything, but after several minutes the fog started to lift and we were treated to a beautiful view below.

Next we pulled over on the side of the road and took a short trail without really knowing what it would lead us to. What greeted us at the end was nothing short of enchantment! Secret Beach (not so secret) is a stunning place to connect with the ocean, the threshold between earth and water and sky. We spent quite a bit of time here simply soaking in the beauty and wonder. The sound of the waves, the smell of the salt air, the incredible way light played off the cliffs and rocks and trees: An array of senses hard to describe.

This was a bonus we were not expecting, and are so very thankful that we decided to follow a little unknown trail. I feel there’s a life metaphor here… sometimes you have to take a path you’re not sure where it leads to, but there may be a treasure at the end!

Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, southern Oregon: Whaleshead Beach:

We stopped at Waleshead Beach for lunch and more wandering. I love walking barefoot in sand and water, and here it was warm enough for me to kick off the shoes here and let my toes dig into the sand. We found a perfect lunch rock and enjoyed a simple meal (which always tastes oh-so-much-better outdoors), and then I spent time simply walking and grounding, loving the feel of being barefoot and letting my feet take me wherever they wanted to go. Sunshine, waves, sand, birds, big sky. Beautiful.

Jedediah Smith State Park, CA: Lieffer and Ellsworth Trials:

After our day exploring the beaches of the Boardman Scenic Corridor, we took a short hike at Jed Smith to the Lieffer and Ellsworth trails for more tree magic. While this area’s trees are not quite as large as Grove of the Titans or Stout Grove, it’s a truly beautiful area that is well worth a visit.

Again, these forests seem to ask us to slow down, be silent, and soak in the goodness the forest has to offer. A short 2-mile hike was a perfect way to end our magical day – coastline and oceans and forests and trees. A perfect combination!

Del Norte Coast, CA: Enderts Beach: 

South of Crescent City we hiked a section of the Coastal Trail to Enderts Beach – another beautiful place with stunning wildflowers along the way putting on a show for us. Close to the parking area the lupine and California lilacs were in full bloom and stunning!

There seems to be a permanent mist along these coastlines which make the light and scenery even more beautiful. After the sensory overload of flowers along the trail, a short steep section takes you down to the rocky beach that requires a bit of rock scrambling to get down to. This is a place to sit and relax and simply appreciate the show that nature puts on for us. There were many other beautiful plants including wild strawberries, succulents, and three-cornered leeks along the way.

Del Norte Coast, CA: Yurok Trail and Hidden Beach:

The ocean and the rugged and raw northern California coastline are so delightful that we decided to hike to one more beach. From the Lagoon Pond parking area we followed the Yurok Loop trail and connected with another section of the Coastal Trail to Hidden Beach.

For a while we were the only people there, since this beach requires a hike to get to. Another perfect lunch spot soaking in the goodness of the coast. I took off my shoes, wandered and let the sand and water surround me as I explored the rock formation. More connection to this amazing Earth that we live on.