Our party of three (my wife, her mom, and me) visited the famous Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and…read moredecided to continue down Bald Hills Road (deeper into the Park) to visit this spot. It was definitively worth going to. The second stop (07:18) on our first day visiting Redwood National Park, the Redwood Creek Overlook has an elevation of 600 meters, so it was a bit of a climb by car over paved road to get here. There is a very small paved parking lot here (under 10 spots) and another outdoor bathroom. Because it was still early in the morning, there was a thick cloud cover obscuring the view of the valley. But we also had the whole area all to ourselves, and the air was so clean and crisp. It was nice to be above the clouds. The nice circular paved path had info signs explaining how much of the valley had been logged before it was stopped and the area becoming a national park. To continue to visit other spots further up north, we had to turn around and head back towards the 101, passing by the Johnson Grove again.

If you go at low tide you can see starfish and all kinds of things, not for me because i hate sea…read morecreatures but others will like it! There is also a hiking trail that goes up on a cliff by the water and is very pretty but also quite steep. Be sure to check the wind!!! It was so windy that i got sand all in my eyes and everything and I genuinely felt like i could blow over it was so windy. Pretty beach to look at scenery, but not a ton of walking space.

When I was staying in Trinidad, I got up early, grabbed a coffee and went for a stroll on the…read moresouthern portion of this beach. You can get gorgeous panoramic views of the ocean from the parking lot. Trinidad State Beach is a long stretch of sandy beach just north of the Trinidad Harbor and pier. It has lots of sea stacks everywhere that make it picturesque. I found a little trail that took me down to Old Home Beach (also known as Indian Beach). Nearby points of interests include a memorial dedicated to those lost at sea and a trail to Trinidad Head Lighthouse.

A recent addition to the numerous outdoor destinations on the North Coast, McKinleyville Community…read moreForest has well marked hiking trails, posted maps, and a MtnBike park that boasts a variety of features. The primary parking is through a gate off Murray Rd, although there are several other entrances/trailheads. Beautiful views of McKinleyville and the coast (weather permitting), quiet forest lots of wildlife, and a few stream crossings make McKinleyville Community Forest a great choice for a ride, or hike, for the beginner to advanced. Be sure to make note of your entry point and reference the maps to ensure you can easily find your way back - the locals, especially the Bigfoot, are very nice and will help you find your way if needed.

The "Skunk Cabbage section" of COASTAL TRAIL starts at the edge of Route 101, and follows along…read morenear Skunk Cabbage Creek, and brings you to the beach at the Pacific Ocean. This trail is also called, "Skunk Cabbage Trail." The one way distance from Route 101 to the beach is about two and a half miles. According to Google maps, Skunk Cabbage Creek disappears at the half-way point to the Pacific Ocean. The trail keeps a distance of about 50 feet from the creek. It is possible to walk from the trail to the creek to get closer to the huge number of colorful skunk cabbages growing near the creek, but you might need to push yourself through a blanket of small plants and small bushes. Only a few skunk cabbages grow next to the trail (we saw about 20 of them), and some of these have big holes in the leaves and look deteriorated. MAGICAL THINGS TO SEE. As shown by my photographs, the magical things to see along the Skunk Cabbage Trail include the abundant ferns blanketing the landscape, green-colored lichens hanging from branches of nearby trees and, of course, the redwood trees. One of the redwood trees by the trail has a monsterously huge bizarre-looking burl. I decided to post only one photo of this burl because it is ugly looking. Another magical thing are the shelf fungi. We saw two trees with shelf funguses growing from them, and the shelf funguses looked like pancakes with a brown upper side and a white bottom side. Shelf funguses having a brown upper face and a white lower face include, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma sessile, and some species of Trametes versicolor. SKUNK CABBAGE (Symplocarpus foetidus). This plant has large leaves (50-135 centimeters long and 30-80 centimeters wide). The flowers are produced in a spadix. The skunk cabbage produces heat. The goal of the plant is to use the heat to melt snow, and ensure its survival in the winter. The temperature of the flowers can be about 20 degrees centigrade higher than the surrounding air. Skunk cabbages have a stinky odor that attracts insects that help pollinate the plant. Skunk cabbages have a hood, which is a modified leaf called a "spathe." The spathe wraps itself around a space that encloses a sphere of flowers called a "spadix." See, 1-page article on skunk cabbage published by California Native Plant Society (Calscape). See also, Skunk Cabbage by Craig Holdrege (9 pages) published in Fall 2000 in the newsletter, "In Context." MY PHOTOS. My photos show the parking lot where the trailhead is located, a huge sign at the edge of the parking lot, where the sign explains things about Skunk Cabbage Trail. My photos show shelf fungi growing on a tree next to the trail. My photos also show thick bushy lichens hanging from small trees, a few skunk cabbages, and a photo of me wearing a Cal Berkeley hat and a Cal Oski bear T-shirt. Other photos show a view of a huge ugly burl that grows on a redwood tree, and two photos 5 redwood trees growing in a tight bunch. One photo shows the area near the ground, where the 5 trees are bunched together. Another photo shows a higher area, where the 5 trees are separated from each other. ATTRACTIONS TO THE SOUTH ALONG ROUTE 101. We hiked to the half-way point along the Skunk Cabbage section, and then turned back. The town of Orick is a one minute drive south from the trailhead. Bald Hills Road is even closer. Bald Hills Road takes you to the east, and to the trailhead for Lady Bird Grove Trail. Both of these trails include some gentle up-and-down sections, and wooden footbridges crossing over tiny creeks. Trinidad is 17 miles south of Orick (see, my YELP review of Trinidad Head in Trinidad). Holiday Inn at McKinleyville is about six miles south of Trinidad. We stayed at this Holiday Inn. This Holiday Inn is elegant and very clean, and I felt like a king during our stay here.

Found within the Sue-Meg State Park, Agate Beach offers unique opportunities to collect stones and…read moreenjoy the beach. It can be accessed by a steep path down to the beach, starting from the campground parking lot. There is a fee to visit Sue-Meg State Park, however California State Park Library Passes are accepted as well (free if you have one.) The path down to the beach is strenuous; on the day I visited, Cal Fire personnel were conducting training by going up and down the path multiple times. Check the tide tables; better to visit at low tide !

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.

A breathtaking confluence of natural beauty, a striking resemblance to recognizable Grandmotherly…read morefigure and a stimulus to the imagination...all encompassed within the backdrop of a stunningly beautiful beach that is always uncrowded, always clean and effortlessly accessible. It is the sweet dessert for anyone who finds comfort, inspiration and pleasure being along a salty shore.

This is a massive, super cool rock formation on Trinidad Beach…read more "Grandmother Rock" is situated on the north end of Trinidad Beach and a very easy walk from the parking lot. Legend has it that the Tsu-rai Indians once used this beach as part of their summer camp. One day, a young warrior launched his canoe into the cold waters of the beach (Northern California beaches do not have warm water even in summertime!). He never returned and his grandmother waited so patiently for him on the beach that eventually, the gods took pity on her and turned her into a rock. You really can see her - sitting, huddled up, looking out to sea, and even her hair - in a bun on the back of her head. The "bun" even has some succulent plants growing out of it. You really don't have to use much of your imagination to see this striking image. Definitely worth a trip for some cool, northern California local flavor.

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.