Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Fern Canyon Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sun, May 10: 5–6ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Skip the dawn patrol — 5-6ft and poor - fair early on. Afternoon shapes up better with 5-6ft and poor conditions.
Mon, May 11: 5–6ft, 11s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 5-6ft on W swell at 11s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the NW and dropping conditions to fair.
Tue, May 12: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-5ft on WNW swell at 11s with glassy conditions. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Wed, May 13: 4–5ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on W swell at 11s and barely a breath of wind. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Thu, May 14: 3–4ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on W swell at 10s with glassy conditions. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
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.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Fern Canyon Beach is 5-6ft with a 11.55s swell period. Wind is NNW at 10mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Fern Canyon Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 3.5ft W primary swell at 11s, a 1.9ft WNW secondary swell at 12s, a 0.7ft SW tertiary swell at 15s, a 2.8ft NW wind swell swell at 5s. 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.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Fern Canyon Beach is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.85s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Fern Canyon Beach works best with a NW swell and SE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Fern Canyon Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Fern Canyon Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to advanced surfers. 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.
The prime season at Fern Canyon Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Fern Canyon Beach include dangerous shorebreak, cold water, sharks, extreme isolation, rip currents, no facilities. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
