Lost Coast Headlands Update and Other Beautiful Ferndale Hikes

February 26, 2024

Key Points

  • Fleener Creek trailhead and parking lot are closed due to landslide activity.

  • Main BLM rest area on east side of Centerville Road is open.

  • Centerville Road is closed past the main BLM rest area (other than to local traffic), so Guthrie Creek trailhead is also closed.

  • Ferndale offers a wealth of other beautiful outdoor attractions to visitors.

If you’ve spent any time on the coast, you know that change is a constant. Now, Mother Nature has brought some big changes to the Lost Coast Headlands outside Ferndale.

Due to “active landslide risk” at the Fleener Creek trailhead in recent weeks, both the parking lot and trail are closed to the public. Landslide damage to wooden steps on the trail closed the path in mid-January, and more landslide activity in recent days—captured in photos and videos by local drone operators—have officials reiterating that the area is currently too risky for the public to visit.

“This is not an invitation to go look,” Humboldt County First District Supervisor Rex Bohn said on Facebook. “It is a dangerous situation.”

According to Bohn and to the Bureau of Land Management office in Arcata, Centerville Road will be closed beyond the main BLM rest area on the east side of Centerville Road (other than to local traffic). That means the Guthrie Creek trailhead will also be inaccessible for the time being.

The main BLM rest area—located up the hill from the Centerville Beach parking lot, on the east side of the road—remains open, and hiking is still an option on the east side of the flat prairie trail that leads from the rest area parking lot, BLM told the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other places to get outdoors and enjoy the natural beauty of Humboldt County—safely.

Visiting Ferndale soon? Be sure to put Russ Park on your itinerary: Just minutes from Main Street, this 110-acre nature preserve might as well be another world. It’s home to a mature Sitka spruce forest, a wealth of bird species and other wildlife, and several miles of excellent hiking trails. Visitors staying in Ferndale can also enjoy Centerville Beach*; charming Hadley Gardens and Firemen’s Park in downtown Ferndale; nearby Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwoods National and State Parks; Eureka’s Redwood Skywalk; the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; Humboldt Botanical Garden and hiking trails; and much more. Want to get moving with a gym workout, yoga class, or bike rental? We have that too!

*We want everyone to stay safe at the beach. Swimming is not advised. Be vigilant about dangerous sneaker waves. Please see this beach safety brochure from the National Weather Service.

So, what’s next?

Explore VisitFerndale.com to start planning your trip today! (And be sure to check out our calendar to learn about upcoming events that bring visitors back year after year.)

Questions? Contact the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce at info@visitferndale.com or (707) 786-4477.

Want updates? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @VisitFerndale, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Pack your binoculars, stay safe, and we can’t wait to see you in Ferndale.

Photo(s) by Leon Villagomez for Ferndale Chamber of Commerce. May not be reused without permission.