russian gulch state park

A go to hike and you can be amongst the redwoods as well as see the rich flora and fauna of the area. Several trails to take and bring a jacket it can be shady and cool

We spent about three hours here and had a good time. We got a map where we paid when we got in. It was a clear day, and we started out walking on the bluffs (to the right in the picnic area when you come in). This was a short hike, maybe 30 mins if you take a lot of breaks to check out the views. There is a beautiful view from the picnic tables here that would be perfect for a lunch. Next we went down the hill to the bottom, parked, and walked to the north trail trailhead which was about a 5 min walk from the parking lot. This trail had pretty steep switchbacks for about 10-15 minutes before it flattened out at the top of a ridge. There were many trees and brush we had to step over from the recent storm, but just keep straight on the trail. This trail eventually descends to meet the fern canyon trail, which is a flat and semi-paved trail that meets back at the campground. In all, about an hour and a half hike at a brisk pace. I saw some people biking on the fern canyon trail, which looked fun. Last, we went back to the top picnic area, and saw whale spouts in the cove as the sun set...all in all a great way to end the last day of 2014.

It was a very pleasant 5 mile round trip hike. There are some uphill parts that will leave you breathing heavy but overall not bad at all. The path has a few parts that you need to be careful on as it gets quite narrow and steep. The waterfall is pretty. Probably not going to blow you away but the hike to it through the redwoods is quite lovely. Be ready to pay $8 to enter the park.

The only negative for us is that we arrived too late in the day - one can easily spend an entire day enjoying the wonderful and spectacular sights and sounds within this park - from great hikes inland to waterfalls, to coastal trails where one may observe and listen to the sounds of tons of water blasting through blowholes and arches. This is a must place to go. Take hiking shoes/boots and walking sticks with you as when you go inland there are wet and muddy parts of the trail which are not good with tennis shoes and very difficult to try to get around. Highly recommend!

Fern Trail is wonderful; About a 5 mile hike R/T - maybe 6. The trail leading to the Russian Gulch water fall trail is an easy hike, but you need some basic endurance. You can also bike this trail and park your bike at the entrance to the falls trail. That would be fun. There are some picnic tables and bike parking at the base of the falls trail. We took the shorter, albeit uphill hike to the falls, which we would consider as moderate - but you do need to be in shape. You can take a longer path around. There was a tree that had fallen on the trail. We climbed over it and kept on going. Well worth the hike - beautiful falls. Good workout.

Fabulous hike with beautiful views along the way ending in a waterfall. All of 4 1/2 miles round trip and then a walk to see the Blow hole on the same site.

Spent about 2 hours here just visiting the bridge and the blow hole area. The bridge is breathtaking even with the fog out, it was even better once it cleared up on our way back to the car. Had a lot of fun near the blow hole. Spent time walking down near the tunnel and climbing on the rocks. Overall great way to spend a morning/afternoon.

This is a very delightful state park on the Pacific shore and it´s coastal headlands. Make sure to visit the blow hole. Its formation was made by pounding of waves against the coastal headlands. A tunnel has been formed which comes inland about 200 feet, and at its end the earth has caved away forming a hole 100 feet across and 60 feet deep. There are also great hiking trails. Best enjoyed on a clear day or after the fog has burned of.

This lovely state park has all the elements to make for a great day or camp and stay. The park staff greet you with a welcoming smile and very were helpful with maps and personal information on park highlights. We toured the campground area on our way to the Fern Canyon Waterfall Trail and were impressed with the large and very private sites tucked into the surrounding forest. The bathroom facilities in camp were very clean even with the campground being fairly full. There was plenty of parking at the trail head. The hike was about 4.4 miles round trip as we chose the shorter version. Most of the way is paved and flat making it a perfect trail for meditative walking. The trail follows a small creek through a fern filled canyon lined with amazing redwoods.The pavement ends at a small picnic area and then continues .75 miles to the falls. This portion of trail is dirt and mostly uphill. The steeper sections have stair steps cut into them to make for easier climbing...all in all not terribly difficult to walk. The falls were delightful with a couple of benches for contemplating. We hiked this trail mid-week and had it all to ourselves! The sounds of the creek, birds and breeze though the trees were not disturbed by the chatter of people that have to talk the whole way along! Also, not one piece of trash. The whole park was very well cared for. We then walked the ocean bluffs to view the vistas and Devils Punchbowl, which was totally cool! The afternoon spent at Russian Gulch was a highlight to my stay in the area. GO!

This is a delightful fern-filled creek canyon that has a narrow but paved trail most of the way up. Bike a couple of miles, then walk the (non-bicycle) path to the lovely fall.

With a a few trails intersecting, there are a number of options to extend your hike. We did the main waterfall loop, but with the harder, shorter (left) trail to the fall first. Both coming and going were great and loved the forest canopies (and the banana slugs!). The fall was fairly active (end of June) but, since you're approaching it from above, the first view might seem underwhelming to some, but beautiful in any case. We also did the punchbowl/beach loop...a nice contrast with beautiful shore views and open vistas. Definitely a worthwhile hike and worth the effort. Especially convenient to Little River and Mendocino.

There were two things we wanted from this park, Devil's Punchbowl and the waterfall. Both turned out to be underwhelming. The walk along the coast near the Punchbowl was very nice, and trail to the waterfall was good as well. The waterfall itself was only a pathetic little stream, perhaps due to the drought we are experiencing. I could imagine it would be a terrific fall if there were enough rainfall.As for the Punchbowl, perhaps we visited it at a wrong time. It was low tide, and there was only some water at the bottom..

The blowhole was an add-on suggested by the park staff. Beautiful views of the coast. The 6.5 mile trail to see the waterfall was underwhelming. I felt like I could be in the woods anywhere and the waterfall was rather dinky. Personal preference but if I went again, I'd only go to the blowhole.

We ate our picnic lunch at the table on the bluffs. The swallows flying by on the breeze and the cormorants fishing were wonderful to watch.

This is simply a beautiful place to camp. Tucked into a ravine underneath the bridge and pretty fauna all around.