Swell Intel

Fern Canyon Beach Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Gold Bluffs Beach1-2+ftKlamath River1-2ftWilson Creek Beach1-2ft
Fern Canyon Beach surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2+ft
knee to waist high
Swell Period
7.6s
Wind
2mph
W / Gusts 5mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
2.8ft @ 8sNW
Secondary
1.1ft @ 13sWNW
Tertiary
0.7ft @ 7sWSW

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Wed, Apr 12-3ft
Poor

A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with light SW winds. Afternoon breeze fills in to 15mph.

6am9am12pm3pm
7s NW|6-15mph S
Thu, Apr 29-10ft
Poor - Fair

Hold off if you can — morning starts out poor with 7-8ft waves. The breeze eases and things smooth out to fair - good by PM.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s W|5-15mph WNW
Fri, Apr 35-6ft
Fair - Good

Expect 5-6ft all day on WNW swell at 12s with gentle E breeze — nothing amazing but surfable.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s WNW|5-6mph E
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Sun

Forecast Charts

Fern Canyon Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Advanced
Crowd
Light
Best Swell
NW
Best Wind
SE
Season
Fall

Fern Canyon Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a remote, rarely-surfed stretch of coast accessed by a rough unpaved road. The NW-facing beach receives powerful Pacific swells that create dangerous shorebreak and unpredictable conditions. State Parks warns that water activities are "unsafe" here due to large surf, cold water, sudden drop-offs, and pounding shorebreak. This is not a recreational surf spot.

Dangerous shorebreakCold waterSharksExtreme isolationRip currentsNo facilities

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Fern Canyon Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Fern Canyon Beach?
The current wave height at Fern Canyon Beach is 1-2+ft with a 7.6s swell period. Wind is W at 2mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Fern Canyon Beach surf forecast?
Our Fern Canyon Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.
What is the breaking wave height at Fern Canyon Beach?
The current breaking wave height at Fern Canyon Beach is 1-2+ft, produced by a 2.8ft NW primary swell at 8s, a 1.1ft WNW secondary swell at 13s, a 0.7ft WSW tertiary swell at 7s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
When is the best time to surf Fern Canyon Beach?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Fern Canyon Beach is Thursday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 9ft waves, a 11.1s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.