Area Guide
Arcata: A Gem in the Northern California Redwood Region
For a tour of the area in photos, click here.
Local Highlights
The city of Arcata is located on the California coast in Humboldt County, just 7 miles from the city of Eureka, 278 driving miles north of San Francisco, and 90 miles south of the Oregon border. It is home to Humboldt State University, one of the oldest and most beautiful colleges in the California State University system.
Travelers to Arcata can explore and experience outdoor adventure, art and artisan crafts and manufacturing, culture, music, theater, shopping, community events, locavore fine food and drink, being “green” before it was groovy, heritage shopping districts, architecture, history, Humboldt State University , and a friendly embracing community.
Within the city limits of our progressive little town, visitors can hike through 600 acres of redwood groves within Arcata’s Community Forest, beach comb along pristine coastline, paddle on Humboldt Bay or the Mad River, enjoy birding in a famous wildlife sanctuary, watch the Humboldt Crabs baseball team, or attend University functions or the popular events held on our lively town square. Within a 15-45 minute drive from Arcata, folks can visit Redwood National and State Parks, Avenue of the Giants and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Old Town Eureka’s Victorian Waterfront Heritage District, the Victorian Village of Ferndale, or the quaint fishing village of Trinidad, Trinidad Head, lighthouse, beaches, and Patrick’s Point State Park.
Unspoiled Scenic Beauty Abounds on the Redwood Coast
The redwood region boasts millions of acres of wondrous unspoiled scenery: protected ancient redwood groves (the tallest trees in the world), 160 miles of pristine coastline with miles of sandy and rocky beaches, sea stacks and dunes, Humboldt Bay, lagoons, wild and scenic rivers, wetlands, recreation areas, hundreds of species of birds on our Pacific Flyway, County, State, and National Parks, wildlife refuges, lighthouses, harbors and waterfronts, and small town charm.
Area Recognition
- Humboldt County has been ranked the “second most beautiful county in the U.S”
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has called Humboldt County “America’s Most Scenic Rural County.”
- National Geographic Adventure magazine described our hometown of Arcata as one of its “50 Next Great Adventure Towns.”
- California AAA May/June 2014 Via Magazine listed Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Humboldt County’s Redwood National Park as “1 of 8 high points not to miss within the US system of 58 National Parks.” Also included in the incredible sights were Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, to name a few.
- The City of Eureka, Humboldt’s County seat, has been designated “The #1 Best Small Art Town” in John Villani’s book “The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America.”
For more information please: Click here for links of Special Interest or Click here for a Map of Humboldt County.
Arcata Activities
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Redwood Coast Activities
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Outdoor Sports |
River & Ocean Activities |
In-Town Activities |
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Visit Our Sister Site arcatastay.com
