Crescent City, California—Northern Gateway to the Redwoods

Crescent City is located on the Pacific Coast in northern California, about 20 miles south of the Oregon border.  While it’s not a big city — about 8,000 residents — it’s the largest community along in the Redwoods coast and is the northern gateway to this region. It’s also where you’ll find Redwood National Park headquarters.

The city is named for the crescent-shaped beach to the south of the town, a popular place to walk dogs and beachcomb. The climate is cool and does not change much throughout the year, but we found it pleasant. You’ll often find washed up redwood trees on the beach.

A distant photo of Crescent City was used for the One Clue Mystery photo on February 22nd (see below). As usual, it was recognized by the amazing George G — congratulations as always, George!

The best known landmark in Crescent City is the Battery Point Lighthouse. It was built on a small island not far from the shore (see photos below) in the mid-19th century.

Battery Point lighthouse a historical landmark which you can visit at low tide — the only time a path you can walk across appears.  Or if you don’t mind getting your feet and legs wet, you can risk walking to it at a higher tide.

Tourism is an important industry, especially to those who wish to explore the nearby ancient Redwood Forests.  You can read more about some of the items of interest for visitors in Crescent City at this link if you are interested.

The area around Crescent City has been used as a setting in major motion pictures.  Scenes from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial were filmed nearby.  Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park was where many memorable “Endor” scenes were shot for Return of the Jedi.

There are other lovely beaches found to the north and south of Crescent City, a sample shown in these photos:

I always like to document local street art, like these murals from Crescent City…

As a parting gift, I share this photo.  I loved the sense of humor of this Asian gentleman who put the following warning on his rear window: