Ferndale

Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Victorian architecture, wild beaches, and California redwoods.

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Wendy & John Farm

For Ferndale, the village: check out https://www.visitferndale.com/souvenir-edition   About our property: There is a gentle spirit throughout these beautiful 80 acres of evergreen forests and pastures.  

What can you expect? Quiet, beauty, birdsong, ocean roar, widely spaced campsites (only 5 on the 5 acres set aside for camping), extra stuff if you need or want it (fresh bread, soup, cobbler; free firewood, local tips on travel and where to hike or what to visit), etc. Or total solitude if you want it. Bring your (most breeds) dogs if you wish. Starlink internet means you can Zoom in the forest. Walk to the beach along a no-shoulder country road (or drive).  Teach your toddler how to build a dam in the shallow creek.  Read. There are no visible neighbors, no ambient light or sound. The air is clean and clear and the water is potable from an artesian spring on the property. No electricity at the sites, no generators allowed. (Charge your electronics at the farmhouse.) 

My aunt and uncle bought the property in 1947 from the first European settler, Paolo Gabrielli, who immigrated in early 1914 from northern Italy with slips of his grapevine in the lining of his coat.  (The grapevine still grows over the back deck.) Paolo's wife Felicita and their three children stayed behind; they were to follow within the year. In the country outside of Ferndale, California, Paolo purchased the property one mile from the ocean and built a Tyrolean-style house, a chicken house (with a grappa still under the main floor), an outhouse, a corral, and a barn. He purchased 7 cows. And then, it was August 1914, and the War to End All Wars broke out in Europe. Felicita and the children, living in their village on the Austrian border, were interned in a prison camp in Austria with the rest of the village's residents. The Gabriellis' young daughter died there. Six years passed before Felicita and her sons, Virgil and Louis, were able to join Paolo in America. In 1938, Virgil--Fr. Gino--became the first Ferndale boy to serve Mass in his hometown church.  Felicita died in 1940, and Paolo closed the dairy and moved into Ferndale. In 2013, we invited the people who had been children in the 1920s and '30s and who had come to this ranch after Sunday Mass to gather with other Italian families for polenta, wine, and music. These old-timers came to our house with photographs and maps and Mass cards and diaries, and shared their memories of a childhood in this place that still embraced them.

What can you expect? Quiet, beauty, birdsong, ocean roar, widely spaced campsites (only 5 on the 5 acres set aside for camping), extra stuff to purchase if you need or want it (fresh bread, soup, cobbler). Free firewood, local tips on travel and where to hike or what to visit. Or total solitude. Bring your (most breeds) dogs if you wish (males must be neutered). Starlink internet means you can Zoom in the forest. Walk to the beach along a no-shoulder country road (or drive).  Read. There are no visible neighbors, no ambient light or sound. The air is clean and clear and the water is potable from an artesian spring on the property. No electricity at the sites, no generators allowed. (Charge your electronics at the farmhouse.)

The beach is a one-mile walk from our property.

This is a campsite set up and Hazelwood,  in a creekside alder grove, about 100 feet from the bathrooms and showers at Base Camp. Hazelwood has 2 clearings and can (and has) happily accommodated two families with 2 dogs and 5 children, ages 5-16.  

Forest Field #1, base camp, near bathrooms and hot showers, sheltered under a massive spruce, full of morning sun. (Tent not provided, but firepit, table, chairs & free firewood is.)

Campsite setup at Base Camp, within a few feet of the showers/bathrooms. Base Camp is sheltered, at the end of the gravel lane, the prime location for winter camping without  pack-in; the other Forest Field sites can't take vehicles in the rainy season.

A glimpse of our spruce forest. Here, we're foraging for chantrelles. (November and May are key seasons.)

Highway 101 Haven

Take a break from the long and winding 101 Highway. Our private, gated, open field is perfect to park your vehicle overnight or check out the 30ft yurt,  if you need a bed or have a larger family. Located 5 minutes off Hwy. 101 , it's an easy stop to rest your head and get on your way with the many sights to see in the Pacific Northwest.

     Stroll the family garden and check out the sheep that graze the pasture land. There is a hot tub available for an added fee. Community fire pit and pingpong table available. Town is just 10 minutes away.  There is also a convenient market a few blocks away. This is convenient to grab fresh made sandwiches and snacks for a picnic lunch, coffee in the morning or bottle of wine for the evening. The market also has a bathroom. Currently there is only a pit toilet at the property.

     We are 20 minutes from cruising the Avenue of the Giants and about 30 min. to the Beach. There are several State Parks in the area for hiking and swimming, including Swimmers Delight and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park which has over 17,000 acres of old-growth redwoods.

the driveway into the pasture parking area.


Bayside Cabin

Come stay in our cozy little cabin tucked in an alder forest.  Only a few minutes drive from downtown Arcata, it’s like being in the middle of the woods, right in town. This is a quiet neighborhood and is bike-friendly for getting around town. Feel free to ask us for recommendations on places to eat, get a drink, or find an adventure in Arcata and surrounding areas.

We are located less than 40 minutes from Redwood National and State Parks where you can find incredible hiking trails! 

Truly one of the coolest cabins I've been in, it feels like you're completely immersed in nature

Who doesn't love an outdoor shower in the woods!

Historic Farm Humboldt Bay

Come share the beauty of this historic heritage.

Camping spot surrounded by mature cedars on 2 acres overlooking Humboldt Bay. 

You have full access to a hot bath/shower bathroom, and kitchen in the main house.

There is plenty of sights and scenery including biking and kayak trails, estuary birdwatching, and close to the south jetty beaches.. this is a special place. 

Southport is located between Ferndale and Eureka, in a small farming community called Loleta. 

This is a hobby farm with ducks, geese, chickens, sheep, dog, and cats.

The Redwood Stumphouse

Similar to a treehouse, The Stumphouse sits on an elevated deck wrapped around an old growth Redwood stump and is surrounded by large Redwood trees. The site is a short walk uphill from the parking area. Please feel free to ask about access before booking or review the photos section for pictures of the path if you need more details. The Stumphouse is large enough for 2 sleeping pads inside and there is space on the deck for one more, however please note that the deck is not covered. A quick walk downhill brings you to our family's farm (where farm products are available for purchase, see below) and above the stump house are logging roads and acres of forest land. Neighbors are nearby but not visible due to the lush environment and large neighboring acreages. The air is clean and fresh as we are 5 miles from the ocean and surrounded by forests. As far as history, our land was logged in 1915 and several old growth stumps are scattered on the property as evidence. Since then the forest has regrown and the young trees are already hundreds of feet tall. A twenty minute bike ride or five minute car ride will bring you to one of two nearby towns, and spectacular beaches are also close by. 

Eureka, just minutes to the south and Arcata just minutes to the north offer dining and entertainment of all kinds. Farmers markets, movie theaters, live music, boat tours of Humboldt Bay, breweries, wineries, cider companies, roller-derby and more, there is always something fun to do in the area. Outdoor walks and hikes in both the forest and along beautiful beaches and coastline are abundant. Patrick's Point State Park and the town of Trinidad 15 to 20 minutes drive north offer some of the most breathtaking coastal views and beaches in the country. With 6 rivers, 3 lagoons, Humboldt Bay and the ocean nearby there are almost always opportunities for great boating and fishing. If gambling is your thing there are 3 casinos just a 10 to 20 minutes drive away. If you would like directions or advice on things to do please feel free to ask us!

Fresh eggs, cream top cow milk and yogurt can be purchased in the barn when available as well as soaps, salves, tinctures and hydrosol, all produced right on the farm!

We hope you will consider staying at the Redwood Stumphouse on your next trip to Northern California.

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