Pelican State Beach
🏆 California’s Northernmost Beach — Remote sandy beach on the Oregon border
Pelican State Beach is the northernmost state beach in California, located just south of the Oregon border near Smith River. The small, secluded beach offers dramatic coastal scenery, beachcombing, and the quiet solitude of California’s least-visited coastline. The offshore rocks provide habitat for seabirds and marine mammals.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Smith River, CA (Oregon border) |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Distinction | Northernmost CA state beach |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anything here?
No facilities — this is a remote, undeveloped beach. Bring everything you need. The isolation is the attraction — wild California coast with no crowds.
About Pelican State Beach
Pelican State Beach is California’s northernmost state beach — a small, remote stretch of coastline just south of the Oregon border near the town of Smith River. The beach offers solitude and dramatic scenery where the redwood-forested mountains meet the Pacific. It’s often deserted even in summer.
Things to Do
Beachcombing in complete solitude, tide pooling, shore fishing, and storm watching. The nearby Smith River is California’s last major undammed river — famous for steelhead fishing. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is just minutes away.
Getting There
Pelican State Beach is California’s northernmost beach — a small sandy strand near the Oregon border in Del Norte County. The remote North Coast receives over 70 inches of rainfall annually, supporting ancient coast redwood forests nearby. Del Norte County’s population density (18 per sq mile) makes it feel more like Oregon or Alaska than the California of popular imagination.
Insider Tips
Oregon border: Pelican State Beach is California’s northernmost beach — literally steps from the Oregon state line. Pro tip: The remote Del Norte County coast is spectacularly wild — old-growth redwoods meet the ocean, sea stacks dot the shoreline, and the coast is nearly deserted. Redwood coast: This area has the tallest trees on Earth — Hyperion, at 380 feet, stands in nearby Redwood National Park.
Best Time to Visit
Summer: Warmest (but still cool — 60°F). Fall: Clear weather and fall salmon runs. Spring: Wildflowers and whale migration. Winter: Dramatic storm watching — 20-foot waves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is the tallest tree?
Hyperion, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Redwood National Park, stands 380.3 feet (115.9m) — taller than the Statue of Liberty. Coast redwoods are the tallest organisms on Earth. They achieve this height through fog drip — their needles comb moisture from coastal fog, providing water even during dry summers.
🏖️ Visit Pelican State Beach
California’s northernmost beach — remote coastline at the Oregon border.
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