Carruthers Cove Beach in Orick, CA

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About Carruthers Cove Beach in Orick, California

Carruthers Cove is the northernmost beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and in all of Humboldt County. This is a scenic area with driftwood at the back of the beach and a creek, Johnson Creek, that pools up in the sand. It requires a one-mile hike down the Carruthers Cove Trail to reach this secluded spot.

To get here turn off Highway 101 onto Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway at Exit 765 then turn west onto Coastal Drive. This road is unsigned, but it’s the last road at the north end of the Parkway. Continue to the end of Coastal Drive where signs indicate the rest of the road is closed to vehicles. There is a small pullout parking spot and a trail sign on the left at this location about a mile from the Parkway. Leave room for cars to turn around if possible. Only a few cars can fit at this trailhead, but it’s not likely to be full. Coastal Drive is a very narrow road so RV’s and trailers are prohibited.

Elk Prairie Campground is nearby to the south on the parkway if you’d like to camp before or after your adventures here.