The Victorian Town Called 'California's Prettiest' Is A Perfect Coastal Base To Explore The Redwoods

It's not really hyperbole to say that California has everything. From the lively feel of Denmark in the little fairy tale town of Solvang to California's most bizarre mansion that is a mysterious, supposedly haunted destination in San Jose, the towns and villages of California seem to get more strange and mysterious as you traverse the coast. But it all makes sense in Northern California, where the people thin out and villages like Ferndale, with a population of less than 1,600 people, attract curiosity for their isolation in a spectacular natural environment.

Settled in the 1850s by two brothers, and later followed by Danish dairy farmers, the Victorian homes and buildings constructed in the 19th century are known as the "Butterfat Palaces," in homage to the dairy farmers who built and resided in them. Ferndale's very first Victorian beauty, and still a cherished B&B in the village today, is the romantic Shaw House (703 Main Street), a seven-room guesthouse with period furnishings and antiques in every room.

In fact, the entire historic Main Street of Ferndale is listed in the National Trust for Historic Preservation. To obtain a physical guide to the Main Street walking tour that explains more about the houses and the route, go to the Visitor Information Center (580 Main Street) to get your copy of The Ferndale Enterprise Souvenir Edition, a newspaper-like guide with stories, history, and more. But of course, many people flock to Ferndale to base themselves for exploring California's majestic redwoods.

It isn't just the Victorian homes that make Ferndale such a pretty small town. The last Carnegie Library is Ferndale's own 1909 neoclassical building on 807 Main Street, where you can find childrens' story times, community events, and of course all the books you'll need for a cozy forest getaway. You might also want to stroll the wuthering hillside of Ferndale Historic Cemetery (500 Ocean Avenue), which was founded in 1868. Wander through the headstones to locate the final resting place of some of the settlement's legends daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Learn even more about Ferndale's history and storied residents at the Ferndale Museum (515 Shaw Street). The museum, a local hub with hundreds of volunteers and local members, publishes a history pamphlet six times a year, assists members with genealogical research, and is home to permanent exhibits of Victorian-era and early 20th century interiors. Check in for events and special historic home tours throughout the year.

To join a few more humans in the sparsely populated county, head to the county seat of Eureka, which has its own forests to explore and Victorian-era buildings on the California coast. Although not quite as quaint as Ferndale, you may find a few more services and hotels to ensure you are able to stay in the area.

Located about 20 miles north of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, a lush California paradise of towering trees and America's highest-rated state park, Ferndale is surrounded by the remnants of an old-growth forest that has been around for millennia, with the oldest cataloged living redwood clocking in at 2,200 years old. Redwoods served Indigenous tribes in mythic symbolism as well as practical material, and maintain a link with California's undisturbed nature through their old age. The preserved 90,000 acres of park land, located on the historic land of the Lolangkok Sinkyone people, is part of the redwoods preservation project that led to the founding of California's extensive State Park network. You can enjoy the awe-inspiring presence of these eerie and unimaginably tall redwoods — some of which you can walk through as a tourist spectacle on California's coast — within minutes of the tiny Ferndale community.

If a natural high is not quite cutting it, you can always try Humboldt County's other famous natural export: cannabis. On a half-day farm tour (9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) with Humboldt Cannabis Tours (meeting at 215 C Street Unit D-1), you'll be able to tour a farm, speak with farmers, and learn about how the county came to distinguish itself as California's premiere place for growing top-quality California weed.