Introduction
We stayed in the Gold Bluffs Beach campground and it was our favorite in the redwood region. Our campsite was on the beach side of the loop and the facilities were great. It's a great campground for a redwoods region base camp. The redwoods region has fantastic trails - ranging from less than a mile to many miles. Some of the trails are paved and ADA compliant. We saw a lot of wildlife here - elk, fox, birds, harbor seals, etc. We'd recommend spending a few days here to see everything in the area.
Insider Information
We think this campground is the best of the redwood bunch. It had views, wildlife, hiking, and great bathrooms/showers. The only hitch is that you must be less than 24 feet and without a trailer. The road getting to the campground (and Fern Canyon trail) does not allow long rigs and you have to pass the ranger station on the way. The road is dirt and a bit curvy but otherwise it's great for a dirt road. In July 2023 we hit no major washouts or washboarding. The road from the campground to Fern Canyon does have two small streams you need to ford but they are easily managed in any vehicle. If you are uncomfortable with the water level there is parking so you can walk the road to the trail.
Camping
We think the outer campsites on the beach side offer the best views. Any of the sites will offer solar and a short walk to the beach. The bathrooms and showers are centrally located and a short walk from any site. Most of the sites have a small pullout for parking and we found it a bit challenging to get our 19' van off the road and level.
Amenities
The bathrooms and showers were clean and in much better shape than the other California state parks we had visited. Both bathrooms and showers were single use locking door types. There were 2 showers and 4 bathrooms which seemed enough for the campsites. There are water spigots throughout the campground. We only found one with hose threads to fill our van with. It was located near sites 16 and 17. There is no dump station nearby, so plan accordingly as the drive out to "civilization" gets tedious.
Activities
Trillium falls trail is nearby the campground and has one of the best trails through the redwoods. You can take the short but steep 0.5 mile hike to the falls and back. Or you can do the entire 2.75 mile loop. This trail starts in a big parking lot right off route 101. We found plenty of parking available. Fern Canyon trail is also nearby the campground. This unique canyon follows a small stream. The canyon walls are steep and the canyon is narrow. The uniqueness comes from all the ferns growing along the steep walls and floor. There are many little waterfalls down the sides of the canyons. Fern Canyon is a 1.1 mile loop but it's easy to hike into the canyon a bit and then come back out.
Nearby
The redwood state parks are enclosed by the national park so there is a lot to do nearby. Visit each state park for different trails and views. Some state parks in the system are close to the beach and some are more forested and inland.
Redwood National Park
We were able to find grocery stores and gas with 30 minutes of any of the parks.