Crescent City started with the Tolowa and the Yurok cultural groups (yes, they're still there) before the 1848 Gold Rush brought a wave of settlers. J.F. Wendell established the town in 1853.
It's fairly obvious where the city got its name
Crescent City started with the Tolowa and the Yurok cultural groups (yes, they're still there) before the 1848 Gold Rush brought a wave of settlers. J.F. Wendell established the town in 1853.
It's fairly obvious where the city got its name. Its southern extreme juts out as a crescent of land where Elk Creek flows into the Pacific Ocean. It looks very much like a northwest California coastal town should with wide-open spaces, uncrowded streets, and buildings no taller than two stories. There's even a picturesque lighthouse rising from a sliver of land inviting seafarers to surf from the beach, camp at the nearby state parks or attend celebrations at the county fairgrounds.
The most desirable locations for a shoreline community are at the beach but only a few single-family homes occupy those coveted positions. The closest apartments for rent to the water are Surf Apartments and Crescent Arms, about a block away from the beach across Beach Front Park. You can't really generalize about rental apartments in Crescent City when you only have half-a-dozen complexes scattered around town.
A specific example is Seawood Village, located in the northwest part of the city, and surrounded by forest. You can start with a one-bedroom and move up to a two-bedroom townhouse for rent with a month-to-month commitment. Amenities like a indoor laundry and mail rooms, lap pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center, basketball court and dog park will keep you entertained within the complex.
Totem Villa, on the opposite side of the city boasts easy access to the Redwood Highway, but you need to meet financial qualification to rent there. The only perk you get with the extreme affordability is a spot for your wheels, which isn't much considering street parking is free and plentiful.
The city's unique landscape sometimes stirs up the giant waves known as tsunamis. Fortunately, the community's efforts to mitigate such disasters earned it formal props from the U.S. government. From becoming the first tsunami-resistant port on the West Coast to developing preparedness resources, the locals know how to deal with disasters. Once you receive a warning, which may come via radio, TV, phone, text message, or siren, get as far away from the coast as possible and head for higher ground.
The water and the trees should clue you in that the great outdoors are the big draws for indoor dwellers. Rocky and sandy stretches, like South Beach, Pebble Beach Drive, and Point St. George, make for great swimming, surfing, and tide pooling. But watch out for rough currents.
For green, you can't get any bigger than the 10,000 acres of old growth redwood in Jedediah Smith State Park. On its numerous hiking trails, you might say hi to deer, coyote, fox or black bear. Other forested recreation areas include Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park near the coast and Stout Grove, which also possesses sprouting redwoods and ferns.
Twigs and grass aren't your only sources of fun. Elk Valley Casino gives you a chance to make money with games like poker, slots and Bingo. The Del Norte County Historical Society Museum explains how the area came to be, using the former county jail. And the St. George Reef Lighthouse offers helicopter tours from the Crescent City Airport.
