# 🏕️ HUMBOLDT / REDWOODS “Once seen, Redwoods leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always.” - John Steinbeck ## Redwoods/Humboldt Best Times to Visit * Best - May to mid-October * Worse - December to March Never bad, Pacific Northwest style — just extra wet and rainy The Humboldt Bay area averages 38 inches of rain, mostly falling from November through March ## Stats * Humboldt county produces over 70% of oysters eaten in California * Humboldt County has the most artists per capita in California * Humboldt makes up 2.5% of the state but 0.4% of the population ## Redwoods Spanish Californians called "redwoods", Palo Colorado which means "reddish stick" Colorado is spanish for "ruddy, reddish," literally "colored"; palo meaning stick Coast redwoods can live to about 2,000 years old; they average 500 to 700 years old. They have no known killing diseases and do not suffer significant insect damage. ## Logging / Timber History The logging of California’s globally singular forest was a free-for-all and 95 percent of the old growth was cut. The coast redwood forest had been publicly owned, but was transferred to private ownership with the Timber and Stone Act of 1878. Individuals could claim 160 acre blocks of ancient redwoods for $2.50 per acre; companies paid individuals to claim them and transferred the acres for a small sum. Timber and Stone Act of 1874 Humboldt County “timber wars” Redwood Summer was a three-month movement in 1990 of environmental activism aimed at protecting old-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees from logging by northern California timber companies and was part of the Timber Wars of the 1990s. As settlers swarmed into California in the 1800s, they encountered a seemingly boundless treasure: forests filled with the world’s biggest trees. That set off a period of unbridled logging. And within a century, 90 percent of the old-growth redwoods that once stood were gone. The plundering created the context for the timber wars of the 1990s in Humboldt County. ## Tribal 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by BIA. 229 are located in Alaska (40%) and 109 are located in California (19%). Yurok called redwood trees "keehl" Traditional Yurok stories teach that the redwood trees are sacred living being. Redwood trees, called k’vsh-chn, have a multitude of traditional and practical applications in the Tolowa culture, Tolowa, Yurok, Chilula The other Algic languages are the Yurok and Wiyot of northwestern California, which, despite their geographic proximity, are not closely related to each other. The Yurok are an Indigenous people in Northern California, primarily along the Klamath River, known for their fishing, basket weaving, and canoe making traditions. They are the largest tribe in California, with nearly 6,500 enrolled members. On March 20, 2024, the Yurok began a first-of-its-kind land deal to manage tribal lands with the National Park Service under a memorandum of understanding between the tribe, Save the Redwoods League and Redwood National and State Parks. Yurok are known for basketry and regalia-making Yurok, Tolowa, and Wiyot A Ranchería is a small rural settlement ## Gold California's northern coast was largely ignored by non-Indians until gold was discovered on Gold Bluffs Beach in 1850. ## Humboldt Crabs Founded in 1945, the **Humboldt** **Crabs** are the oldest, continuously-operated summer collegiate baseball team in the country. You can listen to every game, home or away, live on Humboldt's ESPN 1340 AM, 107.3 FM, streaming at kata1340.com and of course every game is streamed on the Humboldt Crabs YouTube channel Headwaters Forest Reserve https://www.pbs.org/video/river-restoration-vntatm/ Should I Move to Humboldt https://www.reddit.com/r/Humboldt/comments/1jooq00/preempting_all_future_should_i_move_to_humboldt/ [Major Employers in Humboldt County](https://labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/majorer/countymajorer.asp?CountyCode=000023) ## Bigfoot Patterson-Gimlin film was filmed on Bluff Creek near Orleans, California ## Personal Favorites * Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate * All Under Heaven * Cafe Mokka / Finnish Country Sauna and Tubs * Picky Picky Picky Friends of Sound Eureka Humboldt County - Acutely low: $12,550 - Extremely low: $30,000 - Very low income: $41,250 - Low income: $65,950 - Median income: $83,800 - Moderate income: $100,550 Ferreira & Son Dairy is the only on-site creamery in Humboldt County Weekend Plans - Go gray whale watching at Trinidad & Patrick's Point (Wedding Rock, Patrick’s Point, and Palmer’s Point) [September-January and March-June] - Humboldt Bay Harbor Cruise via the Madaket (Mid May to the first weeks of October) - 75-Minute Narrated Cruises; Sunday Morning Eco Tours @ 11am; Cocktail Cruises @ 5:30pm - Hike Berry Glen and Lady Bird Grove Trail @ Redwoods National Park(5.9 miles; out & back; 3 hours) - Drive Avenue of the Giants & Go to Confusion Hill + Shrine Drive Thru Tree + Chandler Tree (1h 45 one way; 3.5h total) - See Tide Pools at Trinidad State Beach (College Cove) - See Tide Pools at Sue-Meg/Patrick’s Point State Park Headlands; go to Moonstone Beach - Do Redwood Sky Walk @ Sequoia Park Zoo - Redwood Canopy Trail @ Trees of Mystery; Tour thru Tree in Klamath - Go see Humboldt Crabs Baseball (June - August) ## Regional summary Living and working in Humboldt County provides the opportunity to enjoy exquisite beaches, breathtaking redwood forests, and warm inland valleys. In addition to natural beauty, there are a variety of delicious eateries, a cool art and music scene, and charming, eclectic communities. Humboldt County is a rural county located approximately 250 miles north of the Bay Area and 150 miles west of Redding. Outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant with numerous rivers, beaches, city parks, county parks, Bureau of Land Management public lands, numerous State Parks, and Redwood National Park. Residents enjoy hiking in the majestic redwoods, salmon fishing in the Klamath River, walking/biking on community trails, mountain biking in the hills, and surfing in the Pacific Ocean. Humboldt County has a population of approximately 136,000. There are seven incorporated cities in the county, all within a thirty-minute drive to Eureka (the county seat): Arcata, Blue Lake, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, and Trinidad. Humboldt County is served by U.S. 101, State Route 36 and State Route 299. Humboldt has a commercial airport (Airport code ACV) in McKinleyville with daily flights to San Francisco. The county offices are located in the City of Eureka, the largest incorporated city in Humboldt with a population of approximately 27,000. Eureka has a pleasant year-round coastal/Mediterranean climate with summer temperatures ranging from 52 to 62°F and winter temperatures ranging from 42 to 55°F. Several miles inland the temperature range is significantly warmer. Humboldt has small town living without traffic congestion. The average commute time is about 15 minutes. Arcata, CA is located in the heart of Humboldt County on the Northern California coast and has a mild climate. The summers here are mild and sunny with temperatures ranging from 65°F to 75°F. Winters in Arcata are cool with temperatures between 35°F and 45°F. Rainfall averages about 40 inches per year, but there is rarely snow. The area experiences very little humidity, making it a comfortable place to live year round. Arcata gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 124 days per year. On average, there are 175 sunny days per year in Arcata. The US average is 205 sunny days. Arcata, California gets 46 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Arcata averages 1 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. ## Neighborhoods * **Arcata**: very liberal and college town * **McKinleyville**: a rural suburb with all the conveniences necessary for day-to-day life on the North Coast; a bit more conservative, kind of a bedroom community; a bedroom community is a residential area where large numbers of people live but do not work; very car centric * **Eureka**: the main “city” mixed politically, lots of homeless, but where most of the activities happen, restaurants, music, art, etc. * **Trinidad**: more wealthy beach community * **Fortuna/Ferndale**: more conservative, less homeless. Local haters say — Mc-“klan”ly-ville and “Tweak”-reka McKinleyville, CA Pop 16,262 Arcata, CA Pop 18,857 Eureka, CA Pop 25,781 MAE = 60,900 Humboldt County, CA Pop 135,010 Wayne County, WV Pop 37,209 Cabell County, WV Pop 94,350 Huntington, WV Pop 44,739 Washington DC Pop 689,545 ## Finding a place to live [Humboldt County Property Managers](https://www.humboldt.edu/housing-reslife/off-campus/humboldt-county-property-managers) ## Stuff to do in the area - See the Giants at Redwood National and State Parks - Experience the Breathtaking Scenery of Sue-meg State Park - Hike the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary - Check Out the Tide Pools at Trinidad State Beach - Take a Walk Amongst Giants at Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail - Go Camping at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - Take a Scenic Drive Down the Avenue of the Giants - Go fishing at Clam Beach County Park - Enjoy the Chain of Freshwater Lagoons at Humboldt Lagoons State Park https://visithumboldt.com/things-to-do/ Cafe Mokka/Finnish Country Saunas - 11 am, (707) 822-2228. Reservations are highly recommended, and are taken up to one day in advance [Telonicher Marine Laboratory in Trinidad](https://www.humboldt.edu/marine-lab/visit-the-lab/visitor-information) - The lab is open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Hours may vary seasonally. [Madaket Cruise @ Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum](https://www.humboldtbaymaritimemuseum.com/madaket-cruises.html) (May - October) The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park offers a breathtaking 10-mile ride through towering redwoods on a paved road open to cyclists year-round. From October to May, on the first Saturday of each month, the Parkway is closed to motorized vehicles, creating a peaceful and safe experience for cyclists and walkers alike. Breweries * Humboldt Regeneration Brewery & Farm * Pale Moon Brewery * Redwood Curtain Brewing Company * Six Rivers Brewery * Lost Coast Brewery * Eel River Brewing * Mad River Brewing Company Bars/Brewpubs * Bigfoot Tap Room * Papa Wheelies * Dead Reckoning Tavern Events/Festivals * Arcata Bay Oyster Festival (June) * Humboldt State Center Arts (May - August) * Kinetic Sculpture Race (memorial day weekend) * Hops in Humboldt (August 24) * Humboldt County Fair (Aug 21 - Sept 2) * Bigfoot Festival (labor day weekend) * Redwood Coast Music Festival (Oct 3-6) * Annual Candlelight Walk Through the Ancient Redwoods (Dec) Tours * Lost Coast Brewery Tour * Redwood Curtain Brewing Company * Humboldt Bay Oyster Tours * Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Farmer's Markets * Arcata Farmers’ Market (April – November: 9am – 2pm; December – March: 10am – 2pm) Samoa Cookhouse near Eureka is the West's last surviving lumber camp cookhouse, The cost of living in Arcata, California is 28.2% cheaper than Washington, District of Columbia. [Mckinleyville Study](https://sites.google.com/humboldt.edu/mckinleyville-study/our-research?authuser=) Wiyot Council [Bike map]( http://www.naturalresourcesservices.org/projects/bike-map) Humboldt Redwoods State Park + Avenue of the Giants Redwood Coast Music Festival - This Dixieland celebration (http://www.rcmfest.org) held each April in Eureka has long focused on hot jazz, but over the years has expanded to other musical genres and a great many venues.” Kinetic Grand Championship - Over Memorial Day weekend, this ‘triathlon of the art world’ is a three-day, 38-mile race, from Arcata to Ferndale, of human-powered, self-propelled contraptions that defy definition. Competitors – all tinkerers and inventors – are hell-bent on outdoing one another.” https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kinetic-grand-championship Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Redwood National and State Parks Lassen Volcanic National Park Jedediah Smith State Park Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Humboldt Redwoods State Park Lava Beds National Monument Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Point Reyes National Seashore Muir Woods National Monument Pinnacles National Park Devil’s Postpile National Monument Manzanar National Historic Site Six Rivers National Forest Klamath National Forest Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Umpqua National Forest, OR ## Local Wildlife - Roosevelt elk - Banana slugs - Seals - Sea lions - River otters - Sea anemones - Whales - Black bears - Steller's Jay - ## Airport / Transportation * California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County / Airport Arcata–Eureka Airport (ACV code) * Local Airport only flies to San Fran, LAX, Seattle, Vegas, and Denver; connections elsewhere ## Travel Time by car Arcata -> Seattle 9.5 hours Arcata -> Portland 7 hours Arcata -> Eugene 5 hours Arcata -> Crater Lake 5 hours ⭐️ Arcata -> Lassen 3.5 hours ⭐️ Arcata -> Bandon, Oregon 3.5 hours (beach) Arcata -> Medford, Oregon 3.5 hours Arcata - > Crescent City, CA 1.5 hour (beach) Arcata -> Arcata 0 hours Arcata -> Sacramento 5 hours Arcata -> San Fran 5 hours Arcata -> Reno 6 hours Arcata -> Lake Tahoe 6.5 hours Arcata -> Yosemite 7.5 Arcata -> Sequoia 8 hours Arcata -> Death Valley 11.5 hours Arcata -> Channel Islands 10 hours Arcata -> Joshua Tree 12 hours 3 hours from Interstate 5 ## Regional Movies - Humboldt County (2008) - Woodshock (2017) - Valley of the Giants (1938) - Valley of the Redwoods (1960) - The Big Tress (1952) - The Tree of Life (2011) - The Final Terror (1983) - Salem’s Lot (1979) [‎Movies Filmed in Humboldt & Del Norte County , a list of films by Heratk • Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/heratk/list/movies-filmed-in-humboldt-del-norte-county/) [Map of Movies Filmed](https://www.hdnfc.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/map-of-the-movies_0.pdf) https://localadventurer.com/things-to-do-in-redwood-national-park-state-parks/ ## Emerald Triangle Humboldt County is at the heart of the famed Emerald Triangle, a three-county area in northern California that's one of the largest and most renowned cannabis-growing regions in the country. [Why I Love Living On California’s Humboldt County Coast](https://www.travelawaits.com/2892769/best-things-to-do-humboldt-county-california/) Pierson Hardware store in Eureka https://www.thebighammer.com/ Hops in Humboldt Saturday, August 24, 2024 (4th Saturday in August) https://www.hopsinhumboldt.com Humboldt Redwoods Marathon Sunday, October 13, 2024 Radio Stations KHUM 104.7 / 104.3 FM KRFH 105.1 KMUD 88.1 KHSU 90.5 FM 105.1 KRFH Radio Free Humboldt the redwood curtain Fog Belt Humboldt Fog is a goat milk cheese made by Cypress Grove, of Arcata, California, in Humboldt County. Humboldt Annual Events https://visithumboldt.com/annual-events/ ## The name Humboldt The Humboldt name found its way across the region because of the exploits of an explorer and naturalist named Alexander von Humboldt. Born in 1769, Humboldt helped popularize scientific exploration with his book Kosmos. He had a fascination with geology, and he ended up traveling approximately 6,000 miles across Central and South America, exploring the oceans and landscapes. On his travels, Humboldt became the first person to figure out that altitude sickness was caused by lack of oxygen. However, Humboldt never actually set foot in the western U.S. It was fellow explorer John C. Fremont who chose to name many locations after him in honor of his scientific contributions. The Humboldt County Regional Airport in McKinleyville, 25 miles south of Orick, has United, and Avelo Airlines direct flights between San Francisco, Los Angeles, Burbank, Phoenix, Los Vegas and Reno. 2 hours to LAX 1 hour to SFO ## Places of interest - Humboldt Regeneration Brewery & Farm - Redwood Curtain Brewing Company - Arcata Theatre Lounge - La Dolce Video https://ladolce.video/ - cool video store - Humboldt Bay Seaweed Farming - Dandar's Boardgames and Books - The Bigfoot Taproom - Six Rivers Brewery - Mad River Brewing Company - Lost Coast Brewery - Humboldt Cider - Dead Reckoning Tavern - Everett’s Club - The Carson Mansion - Duluwat Island Plaque - Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Tidal Pools @ Patrick’s Point State Park Headlands - Tidal Pools @ Trinidad State Beach Tide Pools - Shadow Gallery * Cafe Brio, Arcata – European-style bistro with casual organic bites & baked goods, plus artisanal coffees & local wines. * Eel River Brewing, Fortuna – the oldest organic brewery in the US. * Derndale Meat Company, Ferndale – Built in 1903, Guy Fieri worked in this building as a teenager. He purchased the building in 2021 but is leaving the current butcher Curt Terribilini to run everything. * Humboldt Bay Provisions, Eureka – Locally-made food and drink, which can be savored at the reclaimed redwood bar * Humboldt Bay Social Club, Eureka – Weren’t able to get in last minute, but we hope to check it out next time. * Lost Coast Brewery, Eureka – Barbara was the first California woman brewer. * Los Bagels, Eureka – They make their own bagels. * Salt Fish House, Arcata * Tuyas Mexican, Ferndale * Richards Goat Tavern & Tea Room, Arcata – Afternoon tea and 20 seat cineplex. * 707 Bar, Eureka – local dive bar