Russ Park

On October 31, 1920, Zipporah Patrick Russ signed 105 acres of forested hillside over to the City of Ferndale with a condition attached: the land was to be used "forever as a park and recreation grounds… as a refuge and breeding place for birds." That deed language is the whole of the sanctuary status. No state or federal bird designation applies here, and the City cites none. A private landowner wrote it into the title a century ago, and it stuck.

Over 60 bird species have been identified in the park. The forest they're in was originally all Sitka spruce and grand fir, and Visit Ferndale describes the mature spruce stand as rarer even than redwood. A large Sitka near the main parking lot was core-sampled in 1989 and dated to the early 1870s.

Six trails exist, according to the City, but only four are named anywhere public: Lytel Ride, Francis Creek, Village Trail and Skunk Cabbage. Add Berry Run, a newer route served by a new trailhead at the Eugene Street entrance that opened with a ribbon-cutting on October 21, 2025. Per-trail distances and climbing elevations are printed in a park brochure that isn't posted online.

Trails lead to Zipporah Pond and to viewpoints over the town and the Eel River Valley. This isn't flat walking. Ferndale warns specifically about steep grades, uneven surfaces, unstable soil and tripping hazards, so it's boots rather than sandals.

Main parking is a gravel area on Bluff Street: from Main Street turn onto Ocean Avenue and keep going past the cemetery, where Ocean becomes Bluff, and the trailhead is on the right. Parking at the Eugene Street entrance is limited, and the City asks people to carpool. Open sunrise to sunset, minutes from Main Street.