Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach is one of our favorite coastal trails along Redwood Highway 101. We stumbled upon this beautiful trail while wanting to stretch our legs in between harder hikes in the Redwood National and State Parks such as Tall Trees Grove or Damnation Creek. To our surprise, even though it is an easy trail, Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach is super beautiful and has a wonderful payoff. It also overlaps with the Coastal Trail to the Klamath River Overlook, which is great for hikers who want to make it into a longer hike.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Lagoon Creek Picnic Area:
US-101, Klamath, CA 95548
41°35’40.3″N 124°05’59.1″W
Parking
Big, paved parking at the trailhead.
Restroom
There are restrooms at the beginning and at the Klamath River Overlook.
Fee
Free
Important Things
No camping or biking. It is not safe to swim, wade or surf here. There are rip currents and sneaker waves that are dangerous. This trail is also in the Tsunami hazard zone.
Distance
- 2.5 mi R.T. to Hidden Beach
- 8 miles R.T. to Klamath River Overlook
Elevation Gain
147 ft
Level
Easy
Time:
1-4 hours depends on what trails you take and how long you want to spend at the beach.
Pet-friendly
Pets are not allowed on trail.
Ideal Time
You can do this trail year-round, but we love early Fall or during Springtime. It’s less crowded and hot. You also can see wildflowers and berries.
Weather
Video
Getting There:
Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach trailhead is located in the Lagoon Creek Picnic Area, along Redwood Highway 101. It is 14 miles south of Crescent City and 68 miles north of Eureka. Lagoon Creek Picnic Area is also 1 mile North of the Tree of Mystery Tourist Attraction.
The Adventure
Hike to Wilson Creek Beach
We got to Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach trailhead quite early. There were a few cars at the parking lot, however, we were pretty much the only people on the trail. It was also quite foggy. At the beginning of the trailhead, there are informational signages marking the trail. After a quick walk through a green forest, we reached a small wooden bridge. Since we came in September, there were tons of blackberries along the bridge and the trail. I was quite happy as they make for a great trail snack.
After crossing over the small wooden bridge, we quickly came up to a huge cove full of monster Redwood driftwood on the right. This cove is part of Wilson Creek Beach. Of course, we didn’t miss an opportunity to check out this super cool area. It was interesting to see giant, bleached-white driftwood against the nearly black sand and green vegetation.
From Wilson Creek Beach to Hidden Beach
When we were done exploring, we continued on our way on Yurok Loop Trail to Hidden Beach. After a short walk, we came to a sign noting the start of the Yurok Loop. Going right on Coastal Trail/Yurok Loop Trail will give you beautiful views of the ocean while going left takes you through a dense forest. We opted for going along the ocean first. The trail weaved under a thick vegetation canopy before quickly revealing the beautiful views of the ocean. There were wildflowers and blackberry bushes dotting the trail. Supposedly, you can run into Elks here but we didn’t see any.
After the first view of the ocean, the trail went back in between the thick forest. This part of the trail is quite beautiful. It felt like we were walking through these gorgeous green corridors and gateways made out of tall trees, thick vegetation, and ferns. Eventually, we came up to another small directional sign. To go to Hidden Beach and/or Klamath River Overlook, you’ll want to go straight to continue on Coastal Trail. If you want to complete the Yurok Loop and return back to the parking lot, go left.
Since our destination is Hidden Beach, we continued on our way. Quickly after passing this sign, the trail opened up once again to another beautiful view of the ocean below. After this, the Yurok Loop trail to Hidden Beach alternates between more ocean views and dense forest. From certain viewpoints, you can actually see Hidden Beach.
Hidden Beach
About 1.1 miles, we came to a small fork on the trail. There isn’t any signage here so you might miss it if you don’t pay attention. If you come up to a small directional sign, you’re going a bit too far. Going straight at the fork will keep you on the Coastal Trail to the Klamath River Overlook. The small trail on the right will lead you to Hidden Beach. It gets a bit slippery and steep going down to the beach, especially after recent rain. Make sure to take your time.
The Hidden Beach is quite spectacular. As soon as you get to the beach, you’ll see tons of bleached driftwoods piling up. When we were there, someone actually built an adorable little wind shelter from the driftwoods. It was surprisingly very well-built, a perfect place to hide from the ever-blowing cold winds. One of the prominent features of this gorgeous beach is the giant rock stacks on the left, one of which has trees growing on top of it. The sand here is also quite interesting. It is nearly black, a beautiful contrast against the white driftwoods and the crashing waves. If the tide is low enough, you can also walk toward these rock stacks. There are some tidepools strewing around as well.
Hiking Toward Klamath River Outlook
It was hard to leave this place. Since we were the only people here, it felt like we were in our own little paradise. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end. We said goodbye to our slice of heaven and got back on the trail. After getting back to the main trail, you can either keep going straight to go to Klamath River Outlook or return back to the way you came from, through Yurok Loop. We decided to keep going a bit further, about another 0.5 miles because making a u-turn to go back. This 0.5 miles was mainly through the dense forest with short glimpses of the ocean below. Another hiker told us that the rest of the trail was like that. If you don’t want to do the hike, you can actually drive to Klamath River Outlook instead.
The Other Side of Yurok Loop Trail
On the way back, we decided to take the other side of the Yurok Loop trail. It led through a dense forest full of Sitka spruce, Douglas firs, and alders. It was quite pretty with moss clinging on the sides of the trees and ferns covering the ground. After a short distance, this section of the Yurok Loop trail joins back with the coastal trail and leads back to the Lagoon Creek Picnic Area. We love the Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach trail. For such a short hike, it was breathtaking. Having the beach all to ourselves was an added bonus. We can’t wait to go back here, maybe in the spring for all the gorgeous wildflowers!
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
This is our favourite hiking shoes. We use them for canyoneering as well. Lots of traction. Vy’s version.
Dustin’s version for La Sportiva shoes
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
Related Posts
Save your pins:
