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Welcome to Del Norte County!

Del Norte County sits amid an awe-inspiring cathedral of soaring ancient redwoods, along a rugged wave-swept Pacific shore, deep in the cool serpentine canyons of the untamed Smith River - Del Norte County is where you will find the real Northern California.

Here, almost from the moment you arrive, you are immersed in the splendor of nature at her most extravagant. Each path leads to a breathtaking world of contrasts - tiny flowers in the shadow of the world's largest trees, the silent grace of a solitary pelican dippings its wings the pounding surf, morning mists evaporating in the warmth of the sun. Del Norte County is all this and more. Unspoiled and unlike any other place on earth, Del Norte County is an experience in nature, both on her own terms AND in the many ways the natural environment shapes and directs the County's unique lifestyle.

The influence of the sea and rivers is omnipresent. Cool ocean mists nurture the giant redwoods. Rich offshore fishing grounds support a thriving commercial fishery. The rocky chasms and thrilling whitewater of the Smith River - California's largest wild river system - form the spectacular centerpiece of the 305,337 acre Smith River National Recreation Area. And throughout Del Norte County, diverse river- and sea-creature habitats support an incredible array of wildlife. Magnificent forest trails, sandy beaches, and river rafting are all close at hand. Yet for all its accessibility, Del Norte County is unspoiled and uncrowded - perhaps the most remarkable fact of all.

A Bit of History...

The lure of gold brought settlers in the mid-1850's. In 1853 gold was discovered in Myrtle Creek.

Placer mining continued there and was enhanced with the completion of a ditch in 1894 which allowed year round mining. In the hills east of Smith River, copper mining began in 1860. With increased demand and production, the small town of Altaville flourished from 1862 -1867, until mining declined. More important than the mining which occurred in Del Norte County was the transportation hub which centered around the mule trains that took supplies from Crescent City to the mining camps along the Klamath River in the 1800's. Traversing the Kelsey Trail up the South Fork of the Smith River, these pack trains supplied much of the essentials needed to support these camps.

History is rampant with the occurrences of ships going down off the Del Norte Coast. In 1850 the Paragon became the first ship to sink off our coast. This was followed in 1851 by the Tarquin and the burning of America in 1855. The steamer Brother Jonathan is the most celebrated shipwreck. This steamer hit an uncharted reef on and sank with 215 passengers on board and a large gold shipment; only 16 passengers survived the heavy seas. In 1941, the oil tanker Emidio was hit by torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine. The ship drifted into Crescent City Harbor and sank. Five crewmen were killed by machine gun fire from the submarine.

Del Norte Chamber of Commerce

County of Del Norte