Elk Prairie Campground — Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

I’m probably giving this an extra star for nostalgia. I camped here decades before,  before it became a more modern campsite, and it was formative. I’d suggest LATE summer, like August, or better yet, after Labor Day. It’s the warmest, nicest time. Or when the Elk are in mating season! LOL. Or spring, when the Lupin arrives. There are also INCREDIBLE day trips into California’s interior, Indian history, little known parks and trails everywhere. Bring all the yummy foods you want… you’re not going to be near a grocery store. Feel a side of California few know about.

I don't have a lot to add beyond what has been said by others.  This campground is about the location.  It is nestled right in the state park w/old growth redwood trees and hikes accessible directly from the campground.

However, it is very tight, which is difficult for anyone with a larger trailer.  The facilities are showing their ages as well.  The showers were in decent shape, but the bathrooms could use some work. 

It is still the best campground for exploring the park though.  And the negatives should not turn you away.

We loved this campground. It's proximity to many trails with beautiful Redwoods was amazing. Some sites were in the prairie as opposed to nestled in the Sitka Spruce trees, so that's something to take into consideration. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Showers were about $1.00 and took quarters. We had site 62 and think we got the best site in the park. It was a drive through site however there are two tight trees that you would struggle to get a larger RV through on the road to get there. It had enough room for 2 large tents and two trucks. It also has a secret tent pad behind the driveway in the trees!

Very quiet, but tight campground in the Redwood National Forest. We enjoyed proximity to trails and other parks, along with the ranger talks each night. Sadly, the facilities aka the bathrooms are badly degraded and need to be updated. They don’t charge entrance fees for the park, rangers can explain why if you ask. I think this should be changed so they can afford to install new bathrooms. A lot of sites were supposedly reserved but no one present for days. Host are able to forfeit their reservations if they don’t show up by te second day, but it seems like they were very relaxed about this. Many sites were empty but the campground was listed as full. I suspect problem book for the weekend and just show up late, which is not fair for those who would have liked to visit.

This was tied for my favorite redwoods campsite. We stayed for 1 night in march and it was almost entirely booked so I would reserve a spot. It was a little buggy in the woods but not too bad. The prairie itself was really beautiful especially at dusk. The surrounding woods is exactly what you look for when going to redwoods.

Perfect spot right by so many incredible hikes. The campground is secluded and you aren’t on top of everyone which is nice.

My friend and I stayed here on our bike tour from Seattle to San Diego in 2019 and it was great. We stayed at a hiker/biker site under a tree. There were elk and lupins all over the prairie—it was so beautiful! I highly recommend.

Stayed near Thanksgiving. First day was absolutely beautiful. Second day — despite the weather forecast — had light rain all day and night.

Camp spaces are nicely marked, with a table, fire-pit, bear locker. Couldn’t buy firewood there despite what’s said in the literature.

Had a small cargo trailer and a free-standing canopy, so the rain wasn’t really an issue.

In August 2019 we rode from Seattle to Santa Barbara, staying most night in hiker/biker sites. Elk Prairie was our first campground in Redwood National State Parks. Biker/hiker sites were nice, picnic tables and bear boxes but was missing the USB charging station we had found in most Oregon state park. We did not see any elks during our short stay(one night) here but had seen quite a few on our way there just before entering Redwood National State Parks. From the campground you can get to some very nice(not technical) hiking trails that will allow to appreciate and the huge trees found here.

Because they do not have running water had to close

This is a nice campground with little campsites. We had a 21’ travel trailer and could barely fit down the roads in campground. Very dark because of trees. Not solar friendly. Showers and flush toilets. Potable water.

I try to go to different places. But this is my favorite place to camp. Always clean, most sites feel private, clean restrooms and showers. So many hikes right around the campsite. On the first Saturday of the month, Newton B Drury Pkwy is closed, and everyone rides their bikes up and down the Pkwy. You are guaranteed to see elk and moose.

I know that recreation.gov let you reserve the site. I know that it looks DELIGHTFUL on paper. Trust me though, unless you have a small class C or a van, or a TINY teardrop trailer, you're going to have a bad day parking your rig. Both entrances into the main loop are steep, narrow, and crooked. The sites are shorter than promised and challenging to back in to. All this for no water, no electrical. Fun! Oh, but the trails are nice...

Wonderful place to stay among the Redwoods if you don't mind being without hookups and love the all nature experience. Our site was right next to the creek!

Loved this campground. Some sites sacrifice size for awesome water feature. I had a large site but no direct access. There is a trail that starts at the campground that leads you to direct water access. Each site had its own bear box. Lots of elk, chipmunks, ducks and these large aggressive blue jays. No bears seen directly but there was recent claw activity on my bear box.

Beautiful, private campsites carved into a mixed forest of redwood, fir, and maple trees. There are some truly fine sites along Prairie Creek and a handful of unique sites skirting the meadow that might not be for everyone (they’re much less private).

An abundance of awesome hikes give you the chance to wander amongst old growth redwoods — one of the greatest privileges nature offers.

If you have a pup like me, it’s tough to beat Cal Barrel Road, a rad 180 out that’s around 6 miles round trip. Since it’s technically a road, dogs are allowed! The entire hike winds through stunning upland old growth, starting near the famous Atlas Grove. It’s a rare opportunity to hike through ancient redwoods with your furry friend.

Closest supplies are in Orick and quite limited, though it’s its can be found, so it’s all good.

What an amazing place to stay. It was a little chilly and wet from the rain. It was my first time camping in the rain but was still absolutely amazing. Pack for the colder weather if you’re visiting in April. There are a lot of banana slugs to see and mushrooms to find. The hikes throughout the redwoods are breathtaking. It was the perfect place to unplug from the world.

Very quiet! Would love to stay again in the summer.

[Internet. No Verizon or T-Mobile signal in the campground. You might get a blip by the park entrance but the park entrance also has a wifi station you can park near and use.]

PROS

→ Lots of sites on the creek! → Provides a wonderful outdoorsy camping experience. → On Fridays (and perhaps Saturdays too) you can walk to the visitor center and catch a ranger guided tour. → You are guaranteed many elk sightings. → The bathrooms and showers were clean.

CON

→ The showers are quarter operated at 25¢/minute. The water pressure is very low and the shower rooms are chilly. The water is warm. Not all showers have signage on how to operate the shower. Put a quarter in and pull the shower handle towards you.

4.5 stars - As always, the shower gets me. But as always, I mark 5-stars on my 4.5 star reviews since I believe it’s a great campground overall and don’t want my shower obsession to affect the rating at all.

—————————— [Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]

Dump station? - No Water fill? - No but there are water spigots Clean site? - Yes Clean bathroom? - Yes Flush toilet? - Yes Showers? - Yes but they are 25¢/minute Laundry? - No Dish washing sink? - No

We stayed at one of the hike into camp sites. The hike in isn't very far at all but it's separated with from the other campers that it creates a peaceful and private environment. There is a specific campsite that you can really hike into, that one is a 3 mile hike and you have to call ahead to reserve that space. But our little hike (a few hundred feet) was wonderful. The forest was so quiet and peaceful I've never experienced such a quiet forest. There were showers, bathrooms, lots of hiking spots, fire pits, near by pond for fishing, and a little cute town 20 min drive away. I will definitely be coming back to this camp site again.

I camped here many, many years ago. In fact, it was over two decades ago. We spent a night here as part of a road trip that took us up the Pacific Coast all the way to Seattle. I had just moved to California from the East Coast, and the sheer size of the country north of San Francisco (where I was living at the time) blew my mind.  We had a hike-in site, but I can't seem find on the current maps which one it was exactly.  Again, this was over 20 years ago.  But we checked in at the Prairie Creek visitors center.  I remember this clearly, as we were given a bear canister for our food, which was the first time I'd ever had to use one of these. When I'd go camping back east, I'd just hang my food in bags. But the ranger was adamant we'd want this canister for the site we'd be camping at. More on this later.

The hike in was about 2 miles and took us deep into ancient groves of Redwoods. At the time, I thought this was the most beautiful spot on Earth that I'd ever visited. It's still probably in the top 10, maybe top 5. The site itself was on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.  It was your typical California state park primitive site with a picnic table and fire pit.  We made dinner and listened to the waves crashing on the beach below.  It was July, and we had daylight until almost 9PM. It was actually sunny that evening, which at the time didn't strike me as unusual, but that's because I was a newcomer to the state. Fog is very common along the northern California coast, so even in summer, it can be quite cool - indeed almost downright cold. I'd like to think that we came prepared with warm clothes and layers, but we probably didn't (again, I was a recent transplant from the East Coast and still associating summer with hot and humid weather.) We were were lucky it happened to be a warm and balmy day.

Now, about that bear canister. I loaded all our food and toothpaste into it and placed it about 50 yards away from the tent. I recall thinking that this was purely precautionary - there was very little chance a bear would actually come to our site.  I was wrong.  At about 2AM, we heard a large creature walking around the campsite. I admit that I panicked for a moment or two. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But then I remembered that black bears do tend to be timid, and will often be scared off by loud noises. For reasons I've never been able to explain, I grabbed my flashlight, jumped out of the tent, and started making barking sounds, like a dog. As embarrassing as that is to admit, the bear ran off into the woods.  I barely caught a glimpse of it. We obviously didn't sleep too well after that, but as the morning broke we began to convince ourselves that there was no way we were actually visited by a bear.  It had to be an elk. When I returned the canister to the ranger, he disabused me of that notion. If we had heard something loud enough to wake us in that part of the park, it almost certainly was a bear, he said.  Over the next 25 years, we'd camp in areas with lots of bears (Yosemite, King's Canyon), and we'd see bears often, but this remains the only time a bear would actually come to our site while we were sleeping.

Per my rating system, this is an easy 5-stars as the Redwood National Forest and the CA state parks within it are some of the most beautiful spots on this planet. You can easily spend a week or more exploring the area. I've not returned to this specific spot since that July night so many years ago, but I've visited several of the other state parks in the area. Having written this, perhaps it's time for me to see if I can find this particular site again. That would be a fun adventure.

We reserved the last site in the campground. It was great. Bathrooms were a little far away, but there was plenty of room. 4 family shower rooms. You can get creek side spots just below us. Hiked from camp. Saw elk in the prairie. Like someone else said, close to Fern Canyon.

Wonderful campground in the redwoods. Lots of good sites, mostly mostly in the northern loop. Plenty of hiking trails around and elk everywhere!! Fern canyon is just a short way up the road and a definite must hike!! We will be returning here often

I didn't expect there will be actual elk there. I woke up to bunch of elk in front of my tent! Beautiful hikes, nice camp host and camp spots are in nice wooded area, some are by the creek, lots of privacy.

Excellent facilities, stunning location, great hiking. Spot 20 is secluded, choose wisely here! One of the few sites I've wanted nothing more than just stay and hang.

Beautiful! Showers and bathrooms. Awesome spots to roam around and check out the site. Can’t see main road from site. Good amount of space between spots.

We camped spot 40 and would absolutely want it again!

I really love this campground, especially because of how lush all the plants are. Some sites back up to the small river running through the park, and the lush vegetation give some privacy which is a huge plus! This park has TONS of trails, you will certainly not run out of things to do. I did the ~8 mile hike to Fern Canyon in the rainy winter and it was beautiful. 

Star gazing in the clearing right before the campground is spectacular on clear nights, and the last time I was there a family of deer were grazing next to us while we stargazed. I have stayed here 2 times and each time I was very happy I did!

Nothing compares to camping out amongst Sequoias. It's a great site. Coin showers are little cold, but run the sink faucets until they're hot and then start your shower. Your neighbors will be very close, but the foliage makes you feel slightly secluded at night especially. Each site is compact for tent camping... You'll be able to fit two 4-person tents comfortably. Firewood is $10 per person. Access to some amazing redwoods hiking trails are a short walk through the grounds. I didn't have cell service at all. Bring walkies for the trails.

Well screened and large campsites with tables and fire rings Mine was in the FF (first come, first served) section on the creek. There are well maintained hiking trails through out the magnificent Redwoods forest and excellent trail signage Showers and toilets clean. Friendly,helpful staff. Stayed mid-Nov. for two nights at $33 per.

Stayed here last weekend and it was absolutely magical. Word of advice, unless you want a small amount of light into your campsite, avoid site 30 as it is right next to the bathrooms (which were super clean by the way) and there is a large light outside of it and there is a clearing from that site to the restroom so the light isn’t blocked at all. It can also be quit noisy, and the walk up to the bathroom is right next to your campsite so there is a lot of foot traffic. Otherwise great place to camp.

I love to return to this place.  It has campsites in a redwood forest along a small stream. And then there is a meadow in front where the elk come down to graze.  They have benches all around the meadow so you can watch the elk from a safe distance.

There are miles and miles of trails through old growth (and second growth) redwoods.

Magical. You can hike to the beach, pick up a section of the coastal trail, or simply visit different groves of redwoods.

It can be damp here - think beach and redwoods, so be prepared fro dampness.

Siate ahe typical tables, fire rings and food lockers. Clean rest room and coin showers as well.

You can strike out north to the mighty Klamath River, over the hill to the Fern Canyon or hang with the elk.