Beachcombing

Del Norte County offers miles and miles of beaches to walk, explore and look for treasures. Unlike many beaches along the northern coast of California, our beaches have easy access, from Klamath to the Oregon Border.

Our beaches are incredible. They are accessed by fern-lined paths, some are accessable by hikes down the hillside from gorgeous vista points, some are accessed by staircases down cliffs, but, most are accessble from simple coastline parking. The beaches vary from black sand beaches to white sand, fine sand to pebble beaches. In some areas, the sand has been wasted clear, leaving layers of basalt exposed.

While your beachcombing, you may be distracted. You will be able to relax, smell the ocean, and cut you pace to the Del Norte County pace. While combing the beach, you will see sea stacks, islands, cliffs, forests, sand dunes. Probably you will watch the gulls, pelicans, sandpipers, willets, murres, oystercatchers and cormorants. Most likely, you will hear the sea lions and/or harbor seals in the distance. Some beaches you will hear the ocean crashing on the beach, rocks and sea stacks, while other beaches will have the ocean rolling in so smoothly you will have to listen to hear the tide. Your feet will feel the silky sand, the wet packed sand, the pebbly beach or the smooth rock shelving, depending on the beach. All your senses will be involved in your beach combing experience.

While beachcombing, and you finally look down, you will see many things that have washed ashore, including a plethora of exciting drift wood pieces, shells, sea glass, seaweed and more. Of course in the tide pools you will see crabs, starfish, anenomes, urchins, snails, barnacles, small fish, and more. Depending on the beach you choose, you'll find large crab shells (from the dining of the seagulls), jellyfish, shark egg pouches, stingrays cartilage and more. Certainly, you will find granite, serpentine, agate, quartz, basalt with vains. If you look carefully, you will notices the cliffs with layers of embedded shells and fossils. Sometimes, you can find a glass ball or buoy from far away places.

Pick up what you see, admire it, take it home, make art out of the driftwood, rocks, shells, fossils.

See Beachcombing in Del Norte for more information about the many beaches that Del Norte has to offer.

Warning, as you wander our beaches, you're not going to be surrounded by others, you may not even see another soul on your beach walk, so be prepared to relax and enjoy your exploration.