Elk Head Trail to College Cove, a Beautiful Coastal Hike in Trinidad, CA

On our road trip through Northern California’s coastline, we stopped by the quaint little town of Trinidad to stretch our legs. While we were here, we stumbled upon a short, easy yet beautiful coastal hike to a gorgeous, secluded beach. This Elk Head Trail to College Cove in Trinidad is the epitome of everything we love about a Norcal hike; lush forest, gorgeous coastline, sandy beach, and rolling fog. And depends on the season, there are also wild edible berries lining the trail which makes Vy very happy.

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

Elk Head Trail Trailhead
41°04’07.2″N 124°08’58.5″W

Parking

Small dirt lot at the trailhead

Restroom

There is no restroom

Fee

Free

Important Things

Fire and camping are not allowed.

Distance

To the Beach: 0.5 miles R.T.
The whole trail: 1.5 mi R.T.

Elevation Gain

187 ft

Level

Easy. Beach access can be steep and slippery.

Time:

1-3 hours depending on how long you want to spend at the beach.

Pet-friendly

You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leashed.

Ideal Time

Low tide will give you the best access to College Cove Beach.

Weather

Video

Getting There

To get to the trailhead for Elk Head Trail to College Cove, from the town of Trinidad, follow Stagecoach Road going north. About 0.8 miles, turn left onto a road signed for College Cove and Elk Head. Follow this road for a few hundred feet to a small dirt parking lot. If you’re facing the ocean, the trailhead will be on the right-hand side. There are no signages there. You can also use the GPS cords above to map your route.

The Adventure

Getting to College Cove

We pulled up to the dirt lot in the early afternoon. There were a few cars there, however, we were the only people on the trail. Besides a small sign for what is allowed on the trail, there aren’t any other signages. So, at first, we weren’t sure if we were in the right place, however, we were committed at this point. The trail weaves through a lush green forest full of coastal spruce with an understory of fern, moss, and seasonal wildflowers. Along the way, there are also tons of blackberry and salmonberry bushes.

About 0.15 of a mile, you’ll come to a small trail on the left-hand side leading toward the ocean. This short detour will take you to the beautiful, secluded College Cove. Even though this trail is only about 500ft, it is quite steep and can be slippery. This short section of the Elk Head trail to College Cove is quite scenic. You’ll pass through gorgeous views of the ocean below, tall pampas grass tunnel, and short staircases to get to a sandy beach.

College Cove Beach

This beach at College Cove is breathtaking. It is a local favorite since the cove provides shelter for surfing and safe swimming during the summer. The beach here is actually separated in the middle and access between the two beaches is only possible during low tide. College Cove is also full of fascinating rocks and tidepools to explore. During the wet seasons or after heavy rains, you can find College Cove Falls tumbling down the cliff at the back of the beach. If you look out the ocean, you can see Pewetole Island, a large rock covered in trees. This island marks the division of College Cove and the main Trinidad State Beach.

The Second Section of College Cove

If you cross over to the other beach section of College Cove and walk toward the end, there is a big rock formation covered with trees and vegetation. Underneath this big rock is a rock arch called “The Portal”. The arch is accessible during low tide. The tide was quite high when we went so we didn’t get a chance to check out the arch. However, we noticed a small but well-used trail leading up to the top of the rock. The trail looked to be pretty steep and quite slippery. Curiosity got the best of us. We decided to check it out.

The trail to go up this rock is pretty sketchy. Luckily, we had our hiking shoes on, which make it so much easier. This trail leads to the top of the rock and then descends down to its backside. Most of it was fully exposed with slippery sand. If you want to check this out, make sure to be careful and watch your footing. Once we got up here, the view was incredible. We had the whole place to ourselves.

The Elk Head Trail

After spending our time here, we decided to finish the Elk Head trail. Once we follow to beach access back to the main trail, we took a left to continue on our hike. The trail once again weaves through dense vegetation with occasional glimpses of the coastline below. There are multiple splits on the trail but they all either meet back up together or lead to a viewpoint. Eventually, the Elk Head trail goes under a tree tunnel toward a junction. Going left toward to ocean will continue the trail, while going right under a dark, ominous-looking forest will take you back to the parking lot. Right after making that left, you’ll come up to a yellow wooden gate. Once you cross over the gate, the trail opens up to the view of the ocean. The trail ends at a wooden staircase, leading down to a beautiful rocky outcrop.

Beautiful Viewpoint at the End of Elk Head Trail

This area felt very peaceful. Most people visit only going down to the College Cove Beach and back. Therefore, we have this place entirely by ourselves. Being up here gives us a different vantage than down at the beach. From here, we can see further out at the gorgeous rocky coastline. Apparently, you can see gray whales during their migration from here, as well as seals, sea lions, sperm, and blue whales. We also saw a pod of dolphins during our visit. It was quite a treat.

The Alternate Route Back

After enjoying the peacefulness here, we made our way back. Once we cross back over the yellow wooden gate, we decided to take the alternative route back to the parking lot. The entrance to this section of the trail looked kinda creepy. This trail was so dark compared to the bright main trail. Also, when we went, the trees had lost all their leaves so it really felt like we were entering a cursed forest. These tall, dead-looking trees formed a tunnel along the trail. The ground was also barren except for occasional small plants. Once we passed through this dark tree tunnel, the trail got a brighter and lusher. There were ferns and moss lining the ground, as well as different types of mushrooms. After a short distance, the trail will meet back up with the main coastal trail to go back to the parking lot.

Elk Head trail to College Cove is a wonderful trail with jaw-dropping sceneries. For such a short and easy trail, there is so much to see. We loved our time here and can’t wait to come back. Another beautiful coastal trail you should check out on your way along the coastline is the Yurok Loop trail in Klamath. Also, another must is Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

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.