Harbor guide
Crescent City Harbor
Crescent City, Del Norte County, CA
Overview
Crescent City Harbor is Del Norte County's harbor, protected by breakwaters on the far North Coast near the Oregon line. The Crescent City Harbor District runs it from 101 Citizens Dock Road, and the waterfront mixes commercial fishing, sport fishing, whale watching and visiting boats with restaurants, RV parks and marine businesses.
The Inner Boat Basin
The small-craft basin just north of Citizens Dock is the heart of the harbor. Rebuilt and dedicated on March 22, 2014, it has 240 slips from 30 to 70 feet plus side-tie moorage for vessels up to 175 feet, and it's dredged to 12 feet. The docks are concrete with lighted power pedestals, reached by an ADA-compliant gangway. The basin was built to resist a 50-year tsunami event: its 30-inch piles, sleeved in HDPE, were driven 21 to 37 feet into bedrock, and H dock works as a wave and current attenuator. That history matters here; the tsunami after the 1964 Alaska earthquake nearly wiped out two of the harbor's old wharves. Ashore there's an ADA-compliant restroom building with showers, a laundry room and an enclosed fish cleaning station.
Services on the waterfront
Renner Petroleum sells fuel, the Citizens Dock Ice Plant supplies ice and Englund Marine Supply carries gear, weather gear, fishing supplies and crab pot rentals. The harbor also has haul-out and repair, launching valet service, a launching ramp, pump-out, used-oil disposal and wet and dry winter storage. Free Wi-Fi covers the harbor. You can eat at the Chart Room, the Boat House or Schmidt's House of Jambalaya, Bayside RV and Redwood Harbor Village RV sit on harbor grounds, and the California Coastal Trail runs through.
Approach and entrance
Come in carefully: the approach is full of rocks and shoals, including Chase Ledge, covered 21 feet, about 0.9 mile south of Round Rock. The entrance channel is a Coast Guard Regulated Navigation Area. When conditions are unsafe, the Coast Guard can impose a bar restriction that keeps recreational, charter and commercial fishing boats out, and it can close the entrance to all vessels when conditions exceed its search-and-rescue capability. Both are announced on VHF 16 and 22A. A Coast Guard vessel is stationed in the harbor basin.
Getting there & access
Approach
Approach with care because of the many rocks and shoals off Crescent City. Chase Ledge, covered 21 feet, lies about 0.9 mile south of Round Rock. Use an up-to-date chart and plotter.
Entrance channel
The entrance is a Coast Guard Regulated Navigation Area that can be restricted to keep recreational, charter and commercial fishing boats off it, or closed to all vessels. Listen for Broadcast Notices to Mariners on VHF 16 and 22A before crossing either way.
Moorage
Call the Harbor District at (707) 464-6174 to arrange a slip or side-tie in the Inner Boat Basin.
Launching
A launching ramp is available, and the harbor offers launching valet service. Call the District for current launch arrangements.
By road
The harbor office is at 101 Citizens Dock Road in Crescent City. Bayside RV and Redwood Harbor Village RV parks are on harbor grounds.
Amenities
- Slips and side-ties — 240 slips 30–70 ft, side-ties to 175 ft, lighted power pedestals
- Restrooms, showers, laundry — ADA-compliant restroom building with showers and laundry
- Fish cleaning — Enclosed fish cleaning station
- Fuel — Renner Petroleum, (707) 465-1776
- Ice — Citizens Dock Ice Plant, (707) 464-9647
- Marine supply — Englund Marine Supply, including crab pot rentals
- Haul-out and repair — Haul-out and boat repair, plus launching valet
- Pump-out and oil disposal — Sewage/bilge pump-out and used-oil disposal
- Storage — Wet and dry winter storage
- Wi-Fi — Free Wi-Fi throughout the harbor
Rules & official resources
- The Coast Guard may impose a bar restriction, barring recreational, uninspected passenger, small passenger and commercial fishing vessels from the entrance Regulated Navigation Area, or a bar closure for all vessels
- Bar restrictions and closures are announced by Broadcast Notice to Mariners on VHF-FM channels 16 and 22A
- Small passenger, uninspected passenger and commercial fishing vessels must contact the Coast Guard on VHF 16 before crossing during a restriction
- When crossing during a bar restriction or under Coast Guard escort, everyone in unenclosed areas of a recreational vessel must wear a lifejacket
- California Boater Card required for all operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, since January 1, 2025
Common boat service needs here
Engine and mechanical service
Boats here head straight into the open Pacific through a rocky approach and a regulated entrance, so owners keep engines, steering and cooling systems in top shape.
Find Marine Mechanics & Engine Service providers →Haul-out and bottom paint
Boats kept in the Inner Boat Basin need periodic haul-outs for antifouling, zincs and running gear, and the harbor has haul-out and repair on site.
Find Bottom Painting & Antifouling providers →Electrical and electronics
Shore power at the lighted pedestals, battery systems and the VHF you need to hear entrance broadcasts are common service items.
Find Marine Electrical & Electronics providers →Winter storage and covers
Long, wet winters on the far North Coast make covers, canvas repair and the harbor's wet and dry winter storage worth planning for.
Find Canvas, Covers & Upholstery providers →Guides & FAQs
Nearby providers
No providers listed near this location yet — check back soon.
Sources
Last verified October 6, 2026