It's a cloistered beach in Trinidad well worth the climb down the rickety wooden steps and yes, a…read morebit of a ladder, below what's left of the lighthouse memorial. Sure, they don't make it easy to get to, but most things worth seeing are, don't you think? Waiting for the marine laboratory to open down the street, I was alone exploring the rocky terrain on the silky sand amid the early morning mist. I believe they're changing the name to Old Home Beach to be more politically correct. Regardless the calming location provided meditative pleasures. RELATED - Lost on the Lost Coast? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2A1YVjy

Hike to a Sea Stack Sheltered Cove…read more This is a hidden beauty but worth the hike to experience. Take the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse stairs down to the beach or via Parker Creek Trail (off of the end of Parker Creek Drive). There is no parking lot or facilities so be prepared to hike a ways from your car and pack your trash out with you. Spectacular views (see pictures) of Trinidad Head, Trinidad harbor, the sea stacks and rugged cliffs surround you. At low tide you can wonder out on some of the rocks and see tiny marine creatures in their home. Driftwood and smaller rocks are plentiful, making decent wind shelters to relax and ponder the sea. Once the site of the ancient Tsurai Indian village the surrounding lands are still considered sacred and should be respected as such.

Access to Old Home Beach from Memorial Lighthouse. Good family beach walking, protected from the…read morewind with generally small waves. Great views of Camel rock, oyster-catchers, pelicans and harbor seals. Counted the steps on the way up. Totalled to about 220. Nice burn on the way up. A good place to go after a good hefty lunch. Right across from the Trinidad Bay Bed and Breakfast. What a deal!!

A lovely little trail right on the coast. We are so blessed to have so many places like this in…read moreHumboldt County. You could spend all weekend walking around here. The perfect way to relax.

So. Many. SAND DOLLARS!! It's mind blowing - every few feet there's another one, and another one,…read moreand another one!! And this is probably the first California beach I've ever had all to myself! I think I saw 1-2 other people and that was it...fantastic!! I visited in March as part of my Redwoods trip...it's easy to get to along the Redwoods Coast - highly recommend if you're in the area. It was cloudy, cold, and windy - but that made it even more gorgeous! Very cozy...I loved it! The colors were dramatic and waves were angry - such a mood!! To get to the beach, you have to walk over a stretch of sand dunes dotted with clumps of beach grass. And then it's wide open beach after that. Lots of shorebirds, sand dollars, and shells to keep you occupied. There are looming mountains off in the distance. So photogenic! There's a small-ish parking lot (I didn't see any bathrooms) with a gate that indicates the entrance to the beach walk. Before you get to the parking lot, there's a yellow sort of gate area that they close at a certain time every evening - there are plenty of signs to tell you what time it closes and don't get caught behind it after hours or you'll have to call the cops and get towed! Apparently, down the other road to the right of the gate takes you to a boat ramp and horse staging area. Be sure to make a stop at the nearby Mad River Bridge too - you can miss it!! Totally worth it - especially since you're already in the area (see my bridge review - it has a cool history and views)!

This beach hold many memories of bon fire nights with friends along with star gazing nights…read more Beware this beach is open sunrise to sunset so make sure to park outside the fenced area if you want to stay after closing. Also be careful when waking in the areas where folks have bon fires by the beach, there are many sharp objects such as construction nails and such especially since people prefer to use wood pallets for bon fires. Back in the day there way no fenced area so it was fairly easy to stumble on rocks or sharp grass back to the car especially if a friend had too much to drink. Once in awhile you will see dark objects bobbing their heads in the water. Don't be too alarmed it might be a seal. I wasn't sure at first but I made sure to zoom in on my camera ;-)

In far northern Humboldt county, is some of the best closed water lagoon kayaking around. Usually…read morecalm waters that make for great kayaking, this lagoon offers easy access for loading and unloading literally right off the 101. This is NOT an RV park, this is only a visitor center with vehicle parking. The visitor center at this lagoon has a nice parking lot area, rest rooms inside (when open) and direct access to the water. There are usually a few people either on the water or hiking/biking at this lagoon, even in the off season locals come here regularly. Some great closed water that makes for some easy kayaking. A cool place to visit and well worth a pull off the next time you're in the area. 5 Star usually calm water. 00347

Easy to find, as it is right off the 101. We parked next to the visitor center for free and were…read moreable to get some breathtaking photos. Looks like an anglers paradise. There is an area where you can back your boat straight into the water.

It's beautiful BUT choppy. Not a straight trail, some paved, some not and it doesn't connect the…read moretrail from the Interpretive trail over to Clam Beach. You have to drive to vista point to pick it up again or walk down side streets.

Beautiful coastal trail! I hiked a tiny portion of it while on my vacation…read more The path is well marked, and is accessible from multiple access points in the McKinleyville area! #HammondTrail

My son brought us here since it's one of the places the college kids hang out at…read moreThere was a small lot which led to a gorgeous trail covered in trees When we emerge from the trees, it was the ocean with the most insane view ever It's a walk, not a hike so very easy I could see why the kids like to hang out here When we went, it was mostly families, but I imagine it changes later in the day Definitely check this place out. It was gorgeous. A completely different view of the previous hike I had done in Trinidad

We go up to Eureka about once a month, especially in the summer, and are always trying to find new…read moreplaces to explore. Everyone kept saying that Trinidad has some very nice scenic beaches to explore. So we did an eeny meeny miney more and ended up picking College Cove. People definitely were not lying about the steep downhill trek to get to the beach. Some parts at least had stairs, others I pretty much had to crab crawl down to avoid slipping and falling. However as said it is definitely doable, just a bit of a pain. Once you reach the beach you stand in awe and amazement at all of the rock formations. We went on a Wednesday morning around 11 a.m. and there were other people there as well. By the time we decided to head out an hour later there were more and more people showing up. It's no fun BTW trying to stand to the side on your trek back up while people are trying to come down at the same time. There were a ton of starfish on the far left of the beach. Not much for seashell finding or small beach rocks. The beach was pretty clean, nice to not see litter on the beach like some other beaches. It's not that terribly big of a beach either, my guess is it's likely more quiet earlier in the morning vs mid morning and afternoon. With so many different beaches in Humboldt, there really is no need to go back to this one. Despite the beautiful rock formations (which you can find at a lot of northern west coast beaches), and the starfish, I feel what you get for the trek down isn't all that worth it.

Absolutely stunning county park encompassing a truly large lagoon, beaches, and a peat bog. Yes, a…read morepeat bog, which is home to native California orchids and carnivorous plants. The park is right next to the Big Lagoon Rancheria, a federally recognized Native American tribe since 1918. While I did not visit the Rancheria, there were signs advertising "Firewood for Sale" on the road to the reservation. There are so many signs all over the park about the dangers of swimming in the water that I would assume there have been multiple drownings at this location. Most of the recreation I saw was kayaking and paddle boarding rather than swimming. You can also launch your own boat here. The lagoon itself is calm and stunning; but once you venture out to open sea, the currents, rough surf and steep drop off lead to very dangerous situations. It's also in a tsunami zone, so there's that. Day use fee applies (cash or... check, remember those?). Clean restrooms and parking available. A concession was renting out kayaks the day I visited; not sure if that's always avaliable, though. The peat bog is to the east of the lagoon and worth a visit. Stunning location!

This Recreation Area is owned and managed by the California State Parks system…read more Here you can rent kayaks, launch small water craft. The lagoon has little to no water current and has long areas of shallow water, making it perfect for small children and family fun without needing to be worried about losing a loved one in a traumatic mistake. Eek. The lagoon is gorgeous, just watch out for lightning storms in the winter. Aside from the lagoon and renting kayaks, many people travel to Agate Beach (just a quarter mile walk) to collect, you guessed it Agates. But because of rough surf and currents, it's not safe to take toddlers or people who are candidates for hip replacement surgery. If you include Patrick's Point to this Recreation area, there are 3 awesome camp grounds. You can choose camping under redwood trees, camping in meadows, on the beach, or overlooking the lagoon. Side note: Patrick's Point has day use sites that have unique fire pits and bbq's! Large stone sculptures with grills. The Big Lagoon/Patrick's Point Recreation Area is also 15 minutes away from Trinidad. This city has a great independent grocery store and is resplendent with eateries that have breathtaking views. The area is remote and for that reason not a lot of people hang out here. If it was in SF or LA there be a year's waiting list to get reservations. But I so Far (knock on wood), there's always empty sites.

How the heck did I forget to review this glorious beach considering I was the one that put this bad…read moreboy on the map!? Have you ever been to Thailand? If not, this is that kind of beach that reminds me of something you would see in Thailand. It's just one of those beauties that is all natural and untouched. It always takes my breath away as I pass through the entry trail. Cool Things: - Parking isn't difficult to find if you just drive along the coast - You may see horseback riding here - It is such a peaceful place to take a long walk that seems to never end My hubby and I would come here almost everyday when we first moved out here. I must say, this was one of those places that gave us the kind of self-reflecting we needed to provide us self-healing. Truly, I am grateful to live so close to this dreamland.

Quick little drive from Eureka and plenty of space to share a beach front. Love to go there for a…read morequiet day at the beach.