Hidden Beach and Requa Overlook

One of the more spectacular sections of Coastal Trail in RNSP is the 4-mile length between Lagoon Creek and the mouth of the Klamath River. The “Hidden Beach Section” of the Coastal Trail extends along high, steep, spruce-spiked cliffs rising far above the breakers.

The trail tunnels through a dense tangle of ferns and blackberry bushes, emerging to offer ocean views. Inhale the salty air, hear the sea lions bark, and savor the splendid coastal scene.

For the hiker with only a short time, Hidden Beach is a worthy destination – a driftwood-strewn sandy cove tucked beneath towering bluffs. But those with the stamina and curiosity should carry on to Requa Overlook, where the river meets the Pacific in a dramatic rush of tides and currents, and where the Yurok people have fished for salmon since time immemorial.

The trailhead is Lagoon Creek, a spot with its own colorful history. The tranquil pond here was formed in 1940 when a lumber mill dammed the creek. Today it floats heart-shaped yellow pond lilies and plays host to ducks, herons, and red-winged blackbirds. Long before it was a millpond, the Yurok people knew it as O-kwego, and a village once stood on its banks. Walking here, you’re treading the margins of two histories – the industrial and the indigenous – that both shaped this coast.

Yurok Loop Trail circles the lagoon, offering a choice of a coastal ramble or an inland retreat. Either way, the loop provides a pleasant add-on, and a reminder that this place has always been a crossroads – of cultures, of ecosystems, and of the land and sea.

What makes this hike special is the variety: dark forest one moment, bluff-top views the next; the quiet hush of ferns underfoot, then the bark of sea lions carried on the wind; the intimate charm of a hidden cove and the grandeur of a river’s end at the ocean. In short, it’s a hike that reveals the richness of the redwood coast in a single, satisfying loop.