California Coastal Access Guide, Seventh Edition. California Coastal Commission
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35-mile-long “Lost Coast” in the southern part of Humboldt County is California’s largest coastal roadless area, without a shoreline road of any kind. Much of the area lies within the King Range National Conservation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Hiking and camping are possible along the Lost Coast Trail as well as on numerous inland trails and at road-accessible campgrounds that include Horse Mountain Creek Campground and Tolkan Campground.
Explore the redwood forest
Majestic coast redwood trees, the tallest living things on the planet, are protected at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The park, along with Redwood National Park and redwood parks in neighboring Del Norte County, has been designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. The groves in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park have never been logged, and the redwoods that tower over visitors are up to 2,000 years old.
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Also growing in the park’s moist climate are stands of huge Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce, along with colorful rhododendrons and azaleas. Fern Canyon’s walls are draped with five-finger, deer, lady, sword, and chain ferns.
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has some 75 miles of trails, rated in difficulty from “very easy” to “strenuous.” Several trails are accessible to those with limited mobility, including the Big Tree Trail and Prairie Creek Trail; the Revelation Trail has guide ropes and Braille signs for use by visually impaired visitors. Some trails are accessible to bicyclists and equestrians. Horseback tours through old-growth forest in Redwood National Park are offered by Redwood Creek Buckarettes at Orick; call: 707-499-2943. Scenic drives through redwood forest include three-mile-long unpaved Cal-Barrel Rd. and eight-mile-long unpaved Davison Rd., which leads to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon (trailers prohibited; observe posted vehicle size limitations). In the southern part of Humboldt County, Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Richardson Grove State Park also contain ancient redwood groves and offer hiking and camping opportunities.
Roosevelt elk in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Go fishing
Shore fishing is possible all along the beaches of the North and South Spits bordering Humboldt Bay, and pier fishing is possible at the bay’s Del Norte Street Pier. At Hookton Slough in the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, game fish include sharks, rays, jack smelt, greenling, starry flounder, English sole, and halibut. Party and charter boats for sportfishing trips depart Woodley Island Marina and King Salmon in pursuit of salmon, halibut, tuna, and rockfish. Trailered boats can be launched at the Samoa Bridge Launching Facility, Eureka Public Marina, and Fields Landing County Park.
Go boating or hunting
Stone Lagoon and Big Lagoon provide sheltered waters that are ideal for paddling a kayak or canoe. Launch a small boat at Big Lagoon County Park or at the visitor center at Stone Lagoon. At both locations Zak’s Kayaks rents equipment and provides guided tours; call: 707-498-1130.
Along the shore of Arcata Bay is the Mad River Slough Wildlife Area, reached off Samoa Blvd. west of Hwy. 101. The Fay Slough Wildlife Area is on the southeast edge of Arcata Bay; turn off northbound Hwy. 101 at Harper Motors, then turn left. Both areas offer hunting and wildlife observation, with day use only, managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; call: 707-445-6493.
Visit a historic town
Ferndale is notable for its 19th-century Victorian character. Along Main Street are antique stores, gift shops, art galleries, and eating establishments. The Ferndale Museum at 3rd and Shaw streets exhibits historic farming and logging equipment, along with a fully functional blacksmith shop. Open Wed.–Sat., 11 AM–4 PM and Sun., 1 PM–4 PM, plus Tues., 11 AM–4 PM from June 1–Sept. 30; closed during Jan. Call: 707-786-4466.
Arcata is home to Humboldt State University’s Natural History Museum at 1315 G St., which displays fossils of prehistoric animals, sea-shells, California butterflies and other insects, and much more, with hands-on exhibits for kids. The museum is open Tues.-Sat., 10 AM–5 PM; fee for entry. Call: 707-826-4479. Arcata also hosts the Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival, held annually in April to celebrate the marbled godwit and other birds of the redwoods, bays, and mudflats. The festival offers field trips, workshops, and boat excursions, with opportunities for visitors to see rare bird species such as the marbled murrelet and spotted owl. See: www.godwitdays.org.
In the town of Trinidad is Humboldt State University’s Marine Laboratory, which has a wheelchair-accessible visitor area with an aquarium and touch tanks. The laboratory is at 570 Ewing St.; open Mon.–Fri., 9 AM–4:30 PM, and also on weekends except during the summer, noon–4 PM; call: 707-826-3671.
Old Town Eureka, extending from C to M streets, between the bay and 3rd St., includes many fine Victorian buildings. The most-photographed of all is probably the Carson Mansion at 2nd and M streets; the massive redwood building features ironwork, stained glass, turrets, and out-sized ornamentation in a variety of styles. Now a private club, the mansion is not open to the public.
Eureka’s attractions include the Clarke Historical Museum at 240 E St., with an excellent collection of baskets and implements from the Wiyot, Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, and other California Native American tribes; call: 707-443-1947. The Morris Graves Museum of Art is located at 636 F St.; call: 707-442-0278. Free Thursday night concerts are held on summer evenings at the foot of C St., and a farmers market is held in Old Town on Tues., 10 AM–1 PM, June–October. The Sequoia Park and Zoo at 3414 W St. is a pleasant small zoo in a forest of redwood trees, with a visitor center, gift shop, paved paths, and picnic tables; call: 707-442-6552.
Woodley Island Marina, viewed from Eureka Boardwalk
Humboldt County
Northern Humboldt County
PRAIRIE CREEK REDWOODS STATE PARK: W. of Hwy. 101, 5.5 mi. N. of Orick. Magnificent old-growth redwood groves and numerous visitor facilities. Campgrounds are at Elk Prairie and Gold Bluffs Beach; hike-in campsites also available. Visitor center with interpretive displays, bookshop, and self-guided nature trail. For park information, call: 707-465-7335.
▪ Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway has roadside pull-outs and paths into the forest
▪ Over 70 miles of trails, some open to bicyclists
▪ Roosevelt elk browse in Elk Prairie
FERN CANYON: End of Davison Rd., 8 mi. from Hwy. 101. Narrow canyon with 50-foot sheer walls covered with ferns. Gravel parking lot; flat quarter-mile-long trail into the canyon. Davison Rd. is unpaved and bumpy. Trailers prohibited; observe posted vehicle size limitations.
▪ A 4.5-mile-long trail to Fern Canyon starts at Elk Prairie and leads through the forested Murrelet State Wilderness area
GOLD BLUFFS BEACH: On Davison Rd., 6 mi. W. of Hwy. 101. Broad beach, uninterrupted by rocks or seastacks. The campground is exposed to sea breezes but is backed by forest and meadows where Roosevelt elk graze. There are 25 tent or RV campsites among low sandy dunes; RVs up to 24 feet long and 8 feet wide can be accommodated. No trailers allowed on Davison Road. There are rest-rooms, firepits, showers, and wheelchair-accessible