California Beaches
Del Norte County Tolowa Dunes State Park
What to see:
- One of the most pristine wetlands in the State of California
- Dead Lake Trail 2 miles round trip From Sand Hill Road to Dead Lake
- Tolowa Dunes is 3.5 miles round trip. Your reward for reaching the lakeshores are excellent bird-watching opportunities, and a chance to see canvasbacks and the endangered Aleutian goose.
- Two coastal lagoons (Lakes Earl and Lake Tolowa) separated from Pelican Bay by a sandbar.
- 250 species of birds and up to 100,000 birds at one time at Lake Tolowa, a significant stopover for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway, the west coast bird migration route.
Located along the Del Norte County, California coast is an ancient spot named for the the Native Americans who have lived in the Lake Earl area for thousands of years.
Smooth sand dunes, a dramatic, driftwood-strewn beach, wooded ridges a superb wetland comprise Tolowa Dunes State Park, renamed in 2001 to honor local natives of the area. Located south of the Oregon border, the state park is a 5,000-acre park where Tolowa camped in the Pelican Bay area, fished salmon from the Smith River, gathered mussels and clams, and hunted sea lions. The natives generally didn't go hungry as food sources in and near the ocean were abundant.