The Humboldt County Landscape

Our county can be thought of as at least four different experiences. The area South of Fortuna is often referred to as SoHum. The city of Eureka is a big town with lots of opportunities for good times. Farther north you find Arcata, McKinleyville (where we are) and the beaches, towns and forests of North County. East from Arcata along highway 299 the coastal cool and moisture gives way to the sunshine and warmth of our rugged Inland area.

North County, where Camp Prairie is located, is home to the incredible beaches, rocky cliffs, and towering redwood forests that most visitors come to Humboldt for.  Highway 101 follows the coast from McKinleyville North bringing folks to the State and County Parks where they can feel that unique silence in an Old Growth Redwood forest, hike along meandering rivers, look out across stunning shorelines and cozy up with a locally crafted Sauvignon Blanc in the little town of Trinidad.  Just up the way from Camp Prairie you can find herds of elk chewing along the road side.  The world famous Fern Canyon is right past Orrick.  Stop at Big Lagoon on your way back and try to spot the otter that live down by the boat ramp.  Each beach has it’s own character; some are vast and open with dunes and miles of walking, others sit like little gems stuck between huge cliffs with pounding waves all around.  Small businesses in Trinidad and farther North can help you get set up for kayaking, fishing, or mountain biking.  At the end of a long day in North County come on back to Camp Prairie and kick up your heels.  Maybe grill up that fresh fish you caught or just head into McKinleyville and get to know the local beers at 6Rivers Brewery or Bigfoot Taproom.

Eureka is more or less in the middle of the county. It’s a big town with all the services and supplies that you might need. There is a Costco and Target and a mall and all of that sort of thing. But we also have a great collection of local restaurants, bars and hotels. Old Town Eureka is a walk-able neighborhood of restored old buildings full of unique shops and buzzing galleries and delicious beer. Every Friday all through the summer the streets are closed off to cars and live music sets up on three or four small stages. Locals and visitors mingle in the evening sipping wine and enjoying all kinds of food. Eureka has a thriving art scene and many of the galleries can be found here in Old Town. The Eureka Waterfront District is right next to Old Town with a harbor full of sail boats and also the hardworking commercial fishing fleet that offers a range of fresh, wild catches that you can often buy straight off the boat.

Eureka is also home to some unique and beautiful architecture. If you spend a little time googling the history of this town you’ll get a glimpse of how the lumber industry grew up and thrived here for generations and how it supported the creation of some incredible Craftsman Style homes and hotels. It’s easy to drive around town and see some amazingly restored and maintained examples of this ornate architectural style.

The 101 corridor has not been kind to Eureka. Although it is a great town with all kinds of opportunities for fun and good times the main road into town takes visitors right past the lumbering jail and through the neighborhoods where folks living pretty hard lives on the streets are most likely to be out and about. Eureka is a town where you’ve gotta get off the main drag to enjoy what it has to offer.

For all the beauty and drama of our coastal region it can be a bit damp and cool.  We go Inland when we are looking for warmth and sunshine.  Heading out the 299 from Arcata you pass through Blue Lake and then climb up into the mountains on your way to Willow Creek.  Now the climate is entirely different.  The Trinity River flows through Willow Creek where travelers can find spots to swim and river raft companies to take them on an afternoon’s adventure.  There are places to stay and eat in Willow Creek or go farther East until you really think you are in the middle of nowhere and you will come upon The Straw House offering up fantastic, organic, local, meals and serving them on the patio overlooking the river.  A well rounded voyage up here might include a few days down along the coast in North County then wrap up with a white water river run and a picnic on a gravel bar as you head back out of the magic of Humboldt County and start your drive down to Redding and the Northern end of California’s central valley.

Lots of folks refer to the area south of Fortuna as SoHum. It’s hot and dry all summer long around here and the traveler would be wise to keep an eye out for a nice river spot to take an afternoon plunge. The small town of Garberville anchors the SoHum region with the beautiful Benbow Inn providing a touch of luxury just south of town. SoHum is a vast and beautiful area laced with dirt roads connecting a handful of tiny towns. There are ancient redwoods, spectacular views, wild rivers, and access out to The Lost Coast with its dramatic beaches and heavy waves that attract a particularly hardy group of surfers. This the original heartland of Humboldt County’s legendary marijuana culture. Many changes are afoot in the weed world but this is the place where the first outlaws planted their seeds and the culture is still everywhere you look. Your phone can find you darling little restaurants and guide you along the narrow roads out to sleepy little villages.