NorCalPulse Humboldt
11 Fun Places to Take Visiting Guests in Southern Humboldt County
It's nice to have visitors but sometimes it can be difficult to find things to do to ensure a great time. Luckily, Humboldt County has an incredible amount of destinations and activities that will both entertain and impress your guests. We've put together a list of some fun places you can visit if you're looking to stay south of Eureka. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Photo Above - Big Trees Area in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
When it's Time to Eat!
Humboldt County is blessed with a wide variety of delicious food options and our Eat & Drink section has a comprehensive list of Humboldt County Restaurants for you to choose from.
1 - Rohner Park
Located in downtown Fortuna, Rohner Park boasts a wide variety of family-friendly activities. There's plenty of space to kick around a ball or toss a frisbee, play with your dog, enjoy in a picnic in the sun, shoot some hoops or just relax. Kids will especially love the park's two playgrounds. One of the most popular features of the park are the walking/hiking trails that make their way through and around the park, highlighted by sections that take visitors under second growth redwood trees .
Rohner Park is also home to the Fortuna Depot Museum, located on the right near the entrance of the park. Take some time exploring the area's history through permanent and rotating exhibits.
More info --> Rohner Park
2 - Avenue of the Giants
People come from all over the world to visit Avenue of the Giants to see some of the biggest redwoods on the planet and we have them right here in Southern Humboldt. Enjoy the drive while making stops at unique and interesting places like The Immortal Tree, Founder's Grove and the Living Chimney Tree.
The Avenue also features a number of places to have a picnic and on warmer days, a swim in the Eel River is a nice way to cool down on your adventure.
More info --> Avenue of the Giants
3 - Shop for Local Goods at a Farmers' Market
Southern Humboldt County has some quality Farmers' Markets where visitors can pick up locally grown fruits, vegetables, jams, breads, meats, arts & crafts and more. From Fortuna to Shelter Cove, there are plenty of options that will give your guests the opportunity to see (and taste!) some of the best of what Humboldt County has to offer.
A Complete List --> Humboldt County Farmers' Markets
4 - Humboldt Redwoods State Park
A true gem of Southern Humboldt County, Humboldt Redwoods State Park boasts over 50,000 acres in one of the most beautiful areas of Northern California. The park offers walking, hiking and equestrian trails, swimming in the South Fork of the Eel River, camping, chill spots for a picnic, thousands of acres of giant redwoods to explore and so much more. And because the park is further from the coast than other parks in the county, the weather tends be quite a bit warmer so don't forget the sunblock.
The park is also home to a number of incredible hikes as well. The Bull Creek Flats Trail and the Addie Johnson Trail are two popular hikes right off 101.
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More info --> Humboldt Redwoods State Park
5 - Table Bluff & the South Jetty
Located just outside of Loleta, this is a fantastic place to bring guests for incredible views, miles of beautiful coastline, wildlife spotting, fishing and more. Table Bluff County Park, located on the bluffs above the beach (where the photo was taken), has a short trail that offers sweeping views to both the north and south and the sunsets from here are hard to beat.
As you make your way down the five-mile Jetty Road, there are a number of spots you can pull out and access the beach or bay. The jetty area itself is also a great place to relax, fish, explore for sand dollars and enjoy the views, which include the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area and North Jetty.
More info --> Table Bluff
6 - Ferndale & Centerville Beach
Centerville Beach is pretty incredible. Walk south of the main parking lot and enjoy bluffs which are constantly changing under nature's relentless forces. Head north and take-in expansive views of the Eel River Wildlife Unit. The park is also a popular place for flying a kite, picnics and if you're lucky, spotting migrating whales off in the distance. Dogs are welcome here and a beach fire while watching the sunset is a pretty awesome way to end a day.
Before getting to Centerville Beach, visitors pass through Victorian Ferndale, a mellow place to explore shops, take in the gorgeous architecture and enjoy a meal at one of Ferndale's delicious dining options. If you're looking to spend even more time exploring the beauty of the Ferndale outdoors, Russ Park offers peaceful hiking trails and views of the town. Leave NO trace.
7 - Shelter Cove
It's easy to make a day out of a trip to Shelter Cove and outdoor lovers in your group will especially love the area's options. Mal Coombs Park, a fantastic place to explore tidepools, spot wildlife and visit Cape Mendocino Lighthouse, is also a great place for a picnic and offers never-ending views of the coast. Black Sands Beach (pictured), on the northern side of town, is one of the most beautiful on the North Coast and is southern trailhead to the challenging, yet rewarding, Lost Coast Trail. The area is also home to a very unique golf course, walking trails, camping, world-class mountain biking trails and of course, fishing.
The area also some boasts some wonderful restaurants and California's most remote brewery.
Quick Side Trip Along The Way
Southern Humboldt Community Park is located right outside of Garberville, just a few minutes from where you'd turn to Shelter Cove from Highway 101, and its almost 500 acres are packed with things to do including; walking trails, disc golf, a meditation labyrinth, a playground and plenty of space to spread out, relax and enjoy some of that Southern Humboldt sunshine.
8 - Chapman's Gem Museum
What started over seventy years ago as the Gem Cottage along the Rogue River in Oregon is what locals now call Chapman's Gem Museum in Fortuna. Buzz and Charlotte Chapman have traveled all over the world to put together a wildly unique collection of gems and minerals which you can visit at the Museum just south of Fortuna. Their collections feature pieces from Central America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe as well as from all over the United States. The cool colors and textures are quite a sight and it all comes from the same planet (or does it?).
4 More info --> Chapman's Gem Museum
9 - Punta Gorda Recreation Area
If you want to give your guests the opportunity to experience a taste of the Lost Coast, the Punta Gorda Recreation Area is a wonderful place to do so. The park, which also serves as the northern trailhead for the Lost Coast Trail and the starting point for the popular Punta Gorda Lighthouse Hike, is a wonderful place to bring some food for a picnic, explore and enjoy the peace and serenity that comes with such a place.
You can usually spot sea life out in the water and whale watching opportunities are abound from April-June and October-December. The drive out there from Ferndale is an adventure in itself and while curvy, is absolutely gorgeous.
More info --> Punta Gorda Recreation Area
10 - Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
At just over 4,000 acres across all of its units, the refuge is a fantastic place to take visitors to show off some of the wildlife that calls Humboldt County home. Located right off Highway 101, the refuge has an interpretive center, restroom facilities and a gift shop as well as information about the refuge and what you can expect to find during your visit.
For the best experience, take the popular Shorebird Loop Trail; an easy 1.75 mile walk that puts visitors right in the middle of the park's beauty. According the the refuge's website, 'these habitats support over 316 species of birds and 40 species of mammals," so there's a lot to see! Don't forget your camera and binoculars.
The interpretive center is open 7 days a week; 8am-5pm. Click HERE for a map of the park.
More info --> Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Area
...and last but certainly not least ...
11 - Road Trip Out Highway 36
Fill up the tank, grab some snacks and get ready for a gorgeous road trip with plenty of fun stops along the way. Connecting from 101, south of Fortuna, Highway 36 takes adventurers through the quaint and quiet towns of Hydesville and Carlotta before disappearing into the woods. It's a beautiful drive with some destinations that are worth checking out including, Van Duzen County Park which is about twenty minutes into the trip and Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park which is about ten minutes east of Van Duzen Park. Both parks offer access to the river, walking trails and bathrooms. If you're really feeling adventurous, Ruth Lake is less than hour east from Grizzly Creek.
Don't forget to tell them about BridgeFest as you make you way through Bridgeville.
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