Lose yourself at

Patrick’s Point

We’ve made a few road trips up the coast of California, and with each one, we find more that we love about this area.

Different in every imaginable way from our own Southern California Coast, the “lost coast” offers beauty and solitude at every turn. About 30 miles north of Eureka and just outside of the town of Trinidad lies Patrick’s Point State Park. While only about a mile square in size, it packs a lot into a small space. From wide, grassy meadows to lush, dense forests, rocky beaches and more, there’s lots to explore here!

As is typical of most days along the lost coast, the day we visited was thick with clouds and mist, just what you expect when you’re up in this area. We came primarily to visit Agate Beach inside the park. I have a rock-hunter friend who lives nearby, and she’s got a house full of unusual specimens, many of which came from the shores of this beach. We stopped at a foggy parking lot and followed the trail signs down towards the beach. Gabe’s parents were with us on this trip, and they were eager to make the hike down as well. As the misty tree-lined trail dumped out onto the beach, however, the last 20 yards or so got a little treacherous. Mom decided that she’d rather just see and hear the waves from a bench a little further up the hill, so she and Dad stayed behind.

Gabe and I went ahead and were amazed at what we found. Agates of all shapes, sizes, and colors covered the beach. Thank goodness we brought a backpack because we went a little crazy. At first, we thought we’d just focus on green rocks – that sounds good. Oh, but wait – look at all the beautiful yellow ones… and how about those red ones… and let’s not forget the white ones! We must have spent an hour down on the sand selecting just a few great ones to take home. We packed up and headed up the hill to reunite with the parents. Venturing across the park, we visited a reconstructed Yurok Tribe village, complete with living quarters, ceremonial sites and fishing boats. This little detour within the boundaries of the park offered a glimpse into the lives of the native people who inhabited this area long before.

Further out, we parked again and followed a few trails as they led along the fog-shrouded coast, the waves of the Pacific crashing below. All along our trip, we were stunned by the magnificent coastline, and here at Patrick’s Point, the same was true. Rugged, natural beauty. While there’s not much beach on this side of the park, the trail we followed was beautiful, with lush ferns and blooming wildflowers in every direction we turned. While cold and a little wet, it was still eerily beautiful. Another offshoot of this path took us up the face of Wedding Rock where we took some more great photos. Stairs carved into the stone take you up and over this monolith to an impressive lookout site with views up and down the coast. It’s epic! Back in the car, we drove around and found several small campgrounds. This park looks fantastic for camping with hiking trails and secluded campsites surrounded by forest. We stopped in a meadow that overlooked the ocean and pulled out our picnic basket. We make it a point to find a market so that we’ve got our lunch ready ahead of time. Today’s meal: sandwiches, chips, and a bottle of prosecco, all with an insane view of the lost coast in the foreground. Perfection!

After leaving the park, we headed into the picture postcard town of Trinidad where a little lighthouse sits squat on the edge of a cliff. We took a few pictures here and headed out. We’ve been up to this area at various times of the year, and it’s always magical. I can’t wait until our next trip where I’m sure we will find more great things to do and see!