Covering around 53,000 acres, Humboldt Redwoods State Park protects one of the world’s largest remaining contiguous stands of old-growth coastal redwoods. The park has 50 miles of roads and 60 miles of trails open to the public. These figures give a sense of the forest’s scale—and of how hiking and driving offer different ways to explore it.
Forest Landscapes and Trails
The scenic Avenue of the Giants provides access to numerous trailheads, picnic areas, rivers, and groves of trees in Humboldt County. For a different kind of forest experience, the 1.5-mile Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail is a family-friendly loop through a mixed forest of redwoods and other tall conifers.
The Hammond Trail is a more than five-mile section of the California Coastal Trail, used for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. It runs from the Arcata Bottoms north to Clam Beach County Park in McKinleyville. Its stated length and endpoints give you a concrete reference when choosing a route for any of these activities.
Wetlands and Wildlife Viewing
The 587-acre Mad River Slough Wildlife Area was once part of the extensive tidal salt marshes and mudflats of Arcata Bay. Herons, egrets, various birds of prey, and several species of shorebirds can be seen there. The area is also suitable for wildlife and birdwatching, as well as nature photography.
One designated wetland trail is the Shorebird Loop Trail in the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The 1.7-mile loop is flat and gravel-surfaced. Its facilities include an observation pavilion, a wetland deck, a raised platform, benches, and informational signs. The Humboldt Bay Trail also has a section in Arcata that passes through the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cultural Sites and Craftsmanship
Humboldt Lagoons State Park is located on the land of the Ner'-er-herh, the coastal Yurok. The Chah-pekw O' Ket'-toh Visitor Center is the first tribally operated visitor center in California’s state park system.
In Eureka’s historic Old Town district, the Clarke Museum houses historical and cultural artifacts from Humboldt County. These include one of the largest collections on Indigenous cultures in Northern California, Victorian-style rooms with authentic furnishings, and Gold Rush memorabilia. At Blue Ox Millworks, visitors can watch antique woodworking machinery in operation, tour a logging camp, and learn about traditional boatbuilding methods. Check visitor arrangements in advance.
Humboldt Bay from the Trail and the Water
The 6.5-mile paved Eureka Waterfront Trail, also called the Hikshari’ Trail, runs along Humboldt Bay and welcomes cyclists, walkers, inline skaters, and paddlers. For a different view of the Eureka waterfront, take the Madaket: the passenger ferry offers a guided, one-hour, 8.5-mile cruise. Since service is seasonal, check before your trip whether the tour is running on your dates.
You can also explore Humboldt Bay on a tour focused on oyster aquaculture. Depending on your preferred departure point, the Humboldt Bay Oyster Tour can be booked as a motorboat tour from Woodley Island or a kayak tour departing from Arcata Marsh. On the boat tour, participants learn about aquaculture and its methods; at the end, they receive twelve prepared oysters from Humboldt Bay Provisions to sample. Check current booking options before your trip.
Getting to and Around Humboldt County
At the Eureka stop, the Amtrak Thruway Bus connects Humboldt County with train service at the nearest station on the route; Amtrak trains do not travel directly to Humboldt County. Since connections and schedules can change, check them before your trip. The Humboldt Transit Authority provides fixed-route transit and on-demand service throughout the county. Routes run from Trinidad south along Highway 101 to Benbow and Ukiah, and east on Highway 299 from Arcata to Blue Lake and Willow Creek. The service area also includes the Arcata–Eureka Airport, as well as McKinleyville, Eureka, and Fortuna.
Explore more destinations: Eureka, Arcata, Garberville, Fortuna, Mckinleyville, Ferndale, Carlotta, Whitethorn, Redcrest, Loleta, Redway, Orick, Fields Landing, Samoa, Trinidad, Myrtletown and Blue Lake.
For the overview of the wider region: California.
