Within some of the state's most rugged, remote coastline and among the planet's oldest and gargantuan trees, California's north coast is the perfect hideout. Starting in northern Sonoma County, the topography slowly transforms into something wilder and wilder.
Heading north, the woods of maple and redwood become more dense and lush in Mendocino County. Van Damme and Russian State Parks straggle the border of the beach here. Swimmers who are not afraid of the cold Pacific Ocean slap on wetsuits to explore the abalone and urchin populated waters.
Visitors at Van Damme hike inland to the lush Fern Canyon, home of such ferns as stamp, sword, lady, licorice and bird's foot. The headlands of Russian Gulch offer a waterfall, spectacular hiking and ocean views with trails leading to "Devil's Punchbowl," a 200-foot-wide rock blowhole at the edge of the surf.
The coast just gets weirder. Between Rockport and Eureka, Hwy. 1 abandons the shore for about 75 miles. The Kings Range mountains jut out, up to 4,087 feet, from the beach's edge and the fog spends most of the day hanging low. You've entered the Lost Coast: only three tiny roads allow slow, winding access to the sea from the highway. Though this is a paradise for adventurous backpackers, car camping is minimal here.
Giant willows, adler and dogwood spread farther up the coast. Everything is alive on an enormous scale as you peruse the more than 75,000 acres of Redwood National Park. This is the home of the "Tall Trees Grove" -- the world's tallest grove of sequoias.
More than 200 species of wildlife claim this area as their home, including black bears and a herd of Roosevelt elk, many as heavy as one-half-ton, which roam around the park's eastern portion. Wet mist often hangs in the air. As you peruse the trails beneath the roof created by the tree tops, you may get a sense of a truly ancient forest.
Within some of the state's most rugged, remote coastline and among the planet's oldest and gargantuan trees, California's north coast is the perfect hideout. Starting in northern Sonoma County, the topography slowly transforms into something wilder and wilder.