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Ferndale Frolic on a Ferndale Beach
Just outside Ferndale, discover a pristine beach on the Pacific Ocean, which stretches for nine miles with dairy farms to the north and steep cliffs to the south. At Centerville County Park and Beach, have an exciting afternoon filled with hiking, picnicking, beachcombing and wildlife viewing. Sandpipers dance on the water’s edge and cormorants, pelicans and gulls soar over the water in search of a meal in the depths below. Between the middle of November and the beginning of March, Eel River Bottoms, visible from the beach, is one of the largest coastal congregations for tundra swans. A cross overlooking the sandy shore memorializes travelers who died in an 1860 shipwreck when a steamer sank offshore. You can spot harbor seals sunbathing on the breakers a short way from the shore. Gray whales can be seen from the beach, migrating south during the winter months and heading north from January through May. You may even see mother whales and their babies coming close to shore in April and May. One of the best lookouts is just south of the beach on Centerville Rd. ATVs, 4-wheel drive vehicles and even horses are welcome to travel the sand. At night, build a small fire and gather around with friends and family while roasting marshmallows and gazing at the bright stars. You can even acquire a special permit and go fishing for night smelt. There is no camping on the beach, but it can be enjoyed from 5 a.m. to midnight. Centerville County Park and Beach is located five miles west of Ferndale on Centerville Rd. For more information, call (707) 445-7651.
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Centerville County Park and Beach, photo by Mackenzie Kincaid, www.redroanstudios.com
Visit the Ferndale Cemetery
A stroll through Ferndale’s cemetery is a trip through the history of the town and the people who founded it. Some of the headstones date back to the 1800s, and many of the town’s first pioneers and most venerable citizens have been laid to rest here. The graves are carefully tended and you’ll often find fresh flowers on even the oldest of gravestones. Take a walk among the tombstones and mausoleums, and enjoy the lofty vantage point: the cemetery sits on a hill overlooking the town, which affords visitors with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the town of Ferndale, and the Eel River Valley. You’ll find the cemetery on Bluff St., just a block away from downtown Ferndale. Ferndale Cemetery, photo by Mackenzie Kincaid, www.redroanstudios.com
54 Humboldt County • www.101things.com
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