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.

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.

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.

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.

I don't think I got the best picture of the full beach, but, I promise it's nice. It was a dreary…read moreday too when I got the picture. It was drizzling, but, I've been here a few times before on sunny days. NorCal beaches don't get SoCal scale beach crowds so parking is a breeze. No one really sets up for the day with their cooler either, even on the hottest of days here. It's calm and peaceful. There are small hidden tide pools nearby too. They're hard to find, but, we've located them twice now, so it can't be that hard.

Baker beach was a nice place to visit. It does have a bit of a trek down to the beach with a…read moreslightly steep path that leads down to steps and a makeshift ladder that you have to use to climb down to the beach. I recommend backpacks so you can keep your hands free. You will see many different people here from those taking advantage of the clothing optional experience or those taking a much needed smoke break with their bong (as it is Humboldt after all) or those attempting body boarding. You can also observe tide pools with beautiful sea creatures in them. Overall it is a nice place to come and relax just take your time on the trek back up to the mini parking lot.

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.

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.

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 !