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 ;-)

This place is such a beautiful place to go hiking, to take your four legged friend, or to go…read morehorseback riding. There are the Ma-le'l Dunes North and the Me-le'l Dunes South, both of which have lots of different trails. We hiked around in the the sand dunes on a trail that led to the beach and it was a beautiful hike. It was nice to hang out on the beach and watch the waves. You can walk along the beach and it's nice that there isn't many people around. We also hiked up the dunes to where the spruce trees met the forest. It was fascinating to see trees in the sand and where the dunes and the forest meet up close. This was such a fun place to explore! There is plenty of parking. There is a bathroom near where you park and doggy bags. Please bring your own doggy bags and leave no trace! This is a beautiful place worth exploring!

We went to the South dunes. North dunes was closed…read more It was pretty nice where my kids rolled around the sand. Unable to sled down with a cardboard box though.

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.

Just finished my second weeklong stay here and everything was absolutely perfect! The cottage is…read morebeautiful, wonderfully decorated (I wish my own place looked so nice) and in such a great location in Arcata. It's just up the street from Wildberries (a gourmet grocery store) and so easy to get to from any location in Arcata/Eureka/McKinleyville. The kitchen has everything you need, and it was so nice to be able to make my own breakfasts every morning. Elly always makes renting the place so easy and I'm delighted to be able to stay there instead of renting a nondescript hotel room. So happy that this lovely cottage exists!

From the owner: We provide a beautiful, clean, comfortable vacation home located in the heart of Arcata.read more

Had a wonderful time. Big Foot made sure we had fun while maintaining high safety standards. If you…read moreare a first timer in kayaking would recommend Big Foot .

I am a total beginner and just starting target shooting two months ago. I took the Beginner to…read moreFirearms class and I loved this course! I can't begin to list all of the things I learned. My instructor was very well versed and accredited to teach the course. He was also extremely patient with us newbies and took into account that we each had different body types and physical abilities. I especially appreciated the philosophy of the importance of safety at every moment. There were certainly little nuances I would not have thought of on my own. Best of all, it was REALLY FUN! I got to shoot 21 different firearms and it facilitated my understanding of what works for me and what I'd like to explore more. I recommend this course for anyone who is new to the sport or even the old dogs with rusty skills. I'm now an old dog with new skills and appreciation.

Rare and wild dunes north west of Arcata. Lanphere Dunes are accessible only by permit or guided…read moretours. To obtain a permit visitors must first attended a guided tour. Lanphere Dunes on the Samoa Peninsula near Arcata is the northernmost dunes unit that is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The beach at Lanphere is open during daylight hours for those who are walking north from Ma-le'i Dunes. The beach here runs continuously in both directions so once on the beach it is hard to tell where separate dunes unit boundaries are. Pets are not allowed. Contact Friends of the Dunes for a guided tour schedule (707) 444-1397 or visit www.friendsofthedunes.org.

Another hidden gem on the dunes thats rarely accessed or used, this was true on the afternoon of my…read morevisit. Literally unoccupied the whole area was mine unto myself. Permits required for access, the Friends of the Dunes are the caretakers of this natural refuge that is maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Servuce aa a part of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The solitude, sernenity, the sandy dunes rolling towards the ocean, the brisk winds blowing off the Pacific Ocean made for a moment where you realize how immense, beautiful and powerful mother nature truly is. This pristine area spans several miles in both directions, and there are no boundaries from one dune area to the next so make a note as to where you enter or you may exit a substantial distance from where you began. A guided tour is available through the FotD if you prefer can be schduled as well. Another great hidden gem far behind the Redwood Curtain and one more reason this place is the unique place it is on the far north coast in northern California. 4.5 Stars - rounded up for the sheer beauty this area holds on the Pacific Ocean 00715

This campground absolutely does its job as somewhere to stop, rest, go to the bathroom, take a…read moreshower, and keep on moving. If you keep that in mind, then this place works great. If you expect more, then pay more and go somewhere else. If you are a regular KOA Kampground user, you will see that this facility is now privately owned, and doesn't hit the same benchmarks of quality throughout the facility that other KOA's strive to maintain. We arrived after 5 PM after a long drive from San Francisco. The office was closed by 5 PM (which if you are a place for travelers, especially during summer months, maybe consider staying open until 7 PM? ) We were fortunate to catch a very friendly and helpful front office person on her way out. The tent site we were assigned had a flooded waterhose basin, and we wanted to move one site over, to which she graciously told us how to do that, and so we did. The bathrooms could definitely use regular attention. They are absolutely cleaner than most gas station bathrooms, so they're not terrible, and you can see that there isn't a consistent cleaning crew to qualify for five out of five stars consistently. Even though this location is coastal, a lot of the grass in the area is dead and yellow. Again, not a bad thing, but visually, does not give you a "attended to/curated landscape importance" experience. Shower was with hot water, functional shower stalls, and clean countertops to put your toiletries on once getting out. So again, if you have good camping tolerance, this absolutely works. But if you are a needy or judgey "Glamper" you will probably find something wrong with this location. Last part about safety, 2 sites over from us was a single woman traveling the coast who was very friendly and occurred as feeling safe enough to stay in this campground on her own. Enjoy the redwoods easily from this location. We went to the groves and back with no problems with our site, and brought food back from the Thai restaurant in town. Chris & Trisha www.christrammellcoaching.com

The online photos for this place deserve an award for fiction writing…read more What's advertised as a relaxing redwood retreat is actually more of a "choose your own survival adventure" with permanent RVs, random clutter, and a bathroom/shower building that looked like it should probably be condemned by daylight. The whole campground had a very unsettling "people live here and know things you shouldn't ask about" energy. As a woman traveling with a teenage daughter, it definitely did not feel like the family camping atmosphere we expected. Also, genuine question: why do only the women's restrooms have locks on them? That does not exactly increase confidence. It raises several other questions instead. At one point I half expected someone to emerge from the trees and warn us not to go near "the old laundry shed after dark." We are not fancy campers and totally understand rustic. Rustic is charming. This was more "backwoods horror movie side setting" energy. If the website had shown the actual condition of the property, we absolutely would have booked somewhere else. Honestly, if Scooby-Doo and the gang had pulled up in the Mystery Machine, nobody would have questioned it. The only thing missing was a banjo soundtrack and a handwritten sign saying "YOU TURNED AROUND TOO LATE."

My cousin is a river guide for Redwoods and Rivers and when we wanted to do a multi-family,…read moremulti-day trip he hooked us up! We all had such a good time with them. Their site and cabins are comfortable, clean, and cozy. It's such a treat to have delicious breakfasts and dinners al fresco, under a canopy of tall trees. There are a variety of options for ingredients for your sandwiches on the river and delicious, homemade salsa. Michael and Wanda are great hosts making sure you have everything you need. The rafting equipment is well maintained. Our evenings were topped off sitting around a campfire. Anyone would be fortunate to spend time a couple of days with Redwoods and Rivers.

**** Ask for driving directions. Address does not show up appropriately on apple maps. ****…read more GREAT EXPERIENCE.... Even for beginners. Our group was age 10 - 64 and everyone survived :-) *** request Chris *** I guess I didn't realize how potentially dangerous it was until a couple of our teenagers fell out of the raft during a rapid.... But they were ok... Only bruises and some scrapes. They would do it all over again.... Falls and all. We went on a Class III tour which included Class I - III rapids. It's sort of "medium adventurous". If you have a lot of younger or older people in your group, you are probably good sticking with a Class I - II tour. But you will be safe during a Class III if you tell your guide that you can't swim, don't want to be thrown from the raft, etc. TIPS: DRINK A LOT OF WATER, show up early, expect to be exhausted the next day, expect to do a little hiking / climbing during lunch, Bring sunscreen, get one of those things that help your sunglasses stay around your neck because you will lose them, wear a visor or a cap under your helmet, bring cash to tip your guide because they do a hell of a job and they only make $100/day. IT'S A LOT OF FUN and the owners are really nice people.

My husband and I stayed at the Carriage House in Arcata for three months. We really felt…read morecomfortable and enjoyed the community a lot. The studio is bright, cozy and has everything we needed. I gave a four-star rating because we did have a few internet issues during our stay. Also, a couch and updated TV would make it that much better. Mary was easy to contact and responsive. I recommend using Humboldt Vacation Rentals.

From the owner: $140/nt +tax/cleaning…read more This bright and sunny new studio is at the top of a hill overlooking Arcata, and it has beautiful views of the bay through the big front windows. It is a short walk to Humboldt State University and the Community Redwood Forest, or to downtown Arcata for local shops, restaurants, grocery stores. Our studio is newly redone with white carpets in the living area, oriental rugs, and a fully equipped kitchen with lots of counter space. There is comfortable queen-sized bed with cotton sheets and down comforter. There is a folding futon pad and bedding for an additional guest. All of our vacation rental homes are meticulously cleaned with non-toxic environmentally friendly products and left sparkling clean for your arrival. Our places are regularly maintained by a outgoing team of family and friends who perform all the maintenance themselves, and strive to provide the best experience possible for your stay, with helpful recommendations on the areas activities and dining options. We also have 2 studios, a 2 bedroom Craftsman Home, the Redwood Bungalow, and a 4 bedroom Victorian available. Contact us for more information.