The Azalea State Natural Reserve is an area protecting Azalea plant species…read more.. From their web site: "A reserve for western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale). Each spring, a profusion of pink and white blossoms scents the air. There is a picnic area available. Plan to visit in April and May when azaleas are in bloom." http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=420 So you want to plan your visit in the April/May time frame - if you want to have a chance of experiencing the Azaleas when they are in bloom. Other times, of the year, it's a nice, peaceful place for a hike! #AzaleaStateNaturalReserve

This small state reserve in northern Humboldt county, off the 101, just below McKinleyville. Off…read moreNorth Bank Road, just about a mile or so down on the left hand side(north) of the blacktop. Is one of the top flower watching destinations in California. This state maintained reserve is loaded with western azaleas, and in the springtime it becomes alive with color and fragrance. Because of the temperate climate, blooms can be found year around. Walking trails are literally covered with pink and white blossoms from late April to June (depending on the weather) and the scent of these beautiful trees flowers can be smelled from yards away, lofting through the air - you find yourself lost in a maze of trails with millions of blooms all around. This unassuming little park is really a very amazing place to walk, look, relax and enjoy nature. There are picnic areas, and a couple different maintained low to medium grade walking trails - also a paved parking area. There is also a trail that crosses the roadway and leads into the far side of this cool place. The reserve is open from sunrise to sunset, year around. There are no dogs allowed in this fragile natural reserve, so please leave your fur friend at home or in the car. This natural state reserve, is one of the best places for blooms in the springtime in the entire state - and well worth the effort. A true 5 star gem on the north coast. 00154

I don't think there's a city park that could ever amount to anything more than a reminder of this…read moreone. The scenery is reminiscent of scenes from the movie Excalibur (1981) in that it captures this sense of the ethereal and divine. Thick, lush foliage covers every inch of the hilly trails and you're surrounded on all sides by towering redwoods. Throughout the trail you hear a babbling brook and bird song unlike any I've heard in my life. The experience then ends nearby one of the most beautiful parks I've ever seen in my whole life that sits upon a well tended field that's also surrounded by redwoods and ferns.

Wow, absolute breathtaking. I had to check out of my hotel and had 2 hours to kill before heading…read moreto the airport. I am so glad I stopped here for a short hike! The tall redwoods were mesmerizing, lots of friendly folks on the trail. Some parts were a bit muddy so be careful where you are stepping.

This is a great park for kids, teens, and adults! They have great bocce ball court and tennis…read morecourts!

Such an amazing experience! Loved taking visitors here--unbelievable views You walk through the…read moreRedwoods

While we were passing through Eureka we decided to stop by the Sequoia Zoo, which included the…read moreRedwood Skywalk. We are AZA members so when showing our membership we got in for half price. The Redwood Sky walk is located in the back left side of the zoo, it is a self guided tour. The skywalk slowly increases over 100 ft above the beautiful forest floor below and is about a 1/4 mile walk. I am afraid of heights, but felt safe walking along the trail. Most of the walk is over the park nextdoor to the zoo, as you are looking down from high above and you can see tiny people & dogs walking the trails below it was so cool. We could also see the bears in the zoo from high up in the trees, we had a better view of them than could see them below on the zoo trail. Be sure to look up at the majestic redwood trees along the trail, and when on the platforms you can touch the redwoods, and learn alittle about them with the information boards. It was an amazing experience, being so high up in the Redwood trees. It was Breathtaking and beautiful. I felt safe walking the trail as they had guardrails that go along the trail and was pretty good width across for people to walk by. People who are nervous of the wooden suspension bridges that move when others walking on them can walk about half way through trail before reaching these bridges and walk back the way they came. We will always remember this trip to Eureka, and cannot wait to bring our granddaughter here next time. Enjoy your adventure!

Perfect beach day spot, especially with dogs. Lots of little coves and shallow water areas that…read moremake it easy for them to play safely.

This is an amazing beach in Trinidad. It is dog friendly so you can bring your four legged friends…read morehere as well. You will see dogs running around and having the time of their lives The parking area can fill up at certain times of the year (the busier season), although usually has room for everyone. It's a very short walk from the parking lot to the beach. It's better to come during low tide. It has beautiful views and is very peaceful. Moonstone Grill, a restaurant just up the hill, opens for dinner. They have amazing food and incredible sunset views overlooking the ocean!

wow...a literal redwood forest on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt! we were visiting my kid and he…read morewas showing us around campus. adjacent to the baseball field we saw multiple paths that led into the forest. we dove in and explored..wow just wow!!! first of all we stumbled upon a disk golf course....no real path at this point. some people arrived who were playing so we got out of the way and found a body of water. green but gorgeous! there was a pathway at this point and we followed it ....eventually after so much Beauty we ended up at a grass clearing surrounded by giant trees. it was a park with so many people picnicking and playing lawn sports. then found another forest pathway back to campus. I'm not sure if we actually left campus or not but having this as a backyard is astonishing!

Absolutely magical. Old growth redwoods, tons of banana slugs, and really great hiking trails.read more

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 ;-)

It's an amazing beach if you want wide open, few people, want to let your well behaved dog off…read moreleash because no one is around. People ride horses, you can have fires, cool stuff, but it's windy. Like it can get really windy, no where to really chill and hide from the wind. However, if you want to find sand dollars that aren't broken, this beach is the place.

Clam beach is great if you have dogs, it's wide open, quiet, and you can see sand dollars. It does…read moreget windy sometimes , but it's fun if you make the best of it. My 2 dogs love it there