Crescent City
City Park (Front St.) -The City Park, located on Front St., right along the water, is popular with local kids and families. At the entrance to the park is an adorable redwood bear carving, and also a huge hollow redwood section, 1600 years old, for kids to play in. A bike path goes along the water's edge, plenty of grassy areas and picnic tables. And you'll get the best views of the Crescent City harbor and all the fishing boats.
The "Kidtown" play area is exceptional - silvery natural wood climbing structures and castles, swings and sandbox. The Fred Endert Municipal Swimming Pool is an indoor swimming pool with water slide, open to the public, recreation swim for all, every afternoon in the summer. West of the swimming pool is a shallow beach area, a great place for kids to wade and watch the shore birds. Make a quick stop by the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center. The Northcoast Marine Mammal Center rescues sick or hurt sea lions, seals or dolphins. You can see the recuperating animals in outdoor enclosures and watch them being fed. When we were there, one or two of the little sea lions had their own green plastic wading pool to play in.Pebble Beach Dr. tide pools - Along Pebble Beach Drive are plenty of tide pools visible at low tide. Easy access between Freeman and Pacific Streets, spend some time poking through the clear pools looking for giant green sea anemones, orange and purple sea stars, black turban snails, and bull kelp seaweed.
Battery Point Lighthouse - The lighthouse, built in 1856, is situated on a chunk of rock that even today is inaccessible at high tide. At low tide, you can walk across the rocks and sand to the lighthouse.
April - Sept. take a tour inside the lighthouse. It's fascinating to see where the lighthouse keeper and his family lived (including children), climb up the ladder to the light tower, and hear about the history of the Battery Point Lighthouse. Tour days and times are variable, depending on low tides schedule.
Tide pools in front of the lighthouse are fun for kids to explore.Fly kites at Crescent Beach - On the stretch of flat sandy beach south of the harbor, Crescent Beach, there's usually a stiff breeze blowing in the afternoon. This is the perfect place for kids to fly kites. You can buy kites at the Wal Mart in town.
Enderts Beach and Nickel Creek - Drive down to the end of Enderts Beach Rd. and hike down the trail 1/2 mile to the beach. The trail itself is fun, wildflowers and trees bent over into "tunnels." Play on the beach at low tide, lots of driftwood and seaweed, then take a short walk up the "creekside trail" along bubbling Nickel Creek, ringed with a forest of lush ferns and towering Douglas-fir trees.
