Lake Earl & Del Norte Coast
Del Norte County · near Crescent City · North Coast
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Oct–Apr for waterfowl & raptors; spring migration
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- birds · land-mammals
- Species
- Wintering waterfowl, Aleutian geese, raptors, Roosevelt elk, shorebirds
- Amenities
- Largest coastal lagoon in CA · Quiet wetland & dune trails · Wintering waterfowl & raptors · Roosevelt elk nearby
- Best for
- Quiet, off-the-radar wetland birding
- Features
- California's largest coastal lagoon · Uncrowded Flyway birding · Elk on the dunes · Wild Del Norte coast
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Muddy, faint wetland trails · Cool, wet, foggy weather · Remote, few services · Keep distance from elk & flocks
- Good for a first timer
- No
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- moderate
- Habitat
- wetland
- Sighting
- 3
- Viewing notes
- California's largest coastal lagoon — a quiet, birdy wetland-and-dune wilderness with wintering waterfowl, raptors, Roosevelt elk, and Pacific Flyway migrants near the Oregon line
- Intl tip
- California's largest coastal lagoon, in the far NW near Crescent City — a quiet mosaic of water, marsh, dune, and forest that draws Pacific Flyway migrants. Wintering waterfowl, marsh raptors, Aleutian geese and shorebirds Oct–Apr, plus Roosevelt elk on the dunes. Miles of low-key trails, but wild and lightly visited: faint muddy paths, cool wet foggy weather, sparse services. Bring boots, a scope, and patience — a North Coast secret with solitude.
The guide
Tucked into California's far northwest corner near Crescent City, the Lake Earl wildlife area protects the largest coastal lago…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lake Earl & Del Norte Coast — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.85, -124.2