Ferndale is a small, storybook town on the edge of California’s Lost Coast that feels like stepping back into the Victorian age. Tucked into a broad coastal plain in Humboldt County, the town is famous for its brightly painted Victorian “Painted Ladies,” ornate storefronts, and a deep dairy heritage that once earned it the nickname “Cream City.” A stroll down Main Street—now part of a nationally recognized historic district—reveals the same gingerbread trims and turrets that brought movie crews and curious roadtrippers to town. 
Ferndale sits within easy reach of the Humboldt Redwoods and Grizzly Creek redwood preserves and is minutes from the coast and the Eel River, making it a perfect base for redwood country exploration and quiet village life.
The town’s population is small (about 1,398 at the 2020 census), which helps keep Ferndale peaceful and uncrowded—ideal for lingering over local shops, the Ferndale Museum, or an overnight in a Victorian B&B like the Gingerbread Mansion. If you want to read more, I cover Ferndale and other California Historical Landmarks in my book California Historic Landmarks — Northern California Edition. It’s California Historic Landmark No. 883.