Humboldt Lagoons State Park

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General Information

The Humboldt Lagoons State Park is located in Northern California, at one of its west-most points, along the Pacific Ocean. It is precisely its proximity to the ocean that gives it much of its unique habitats, terrain, and needless to say, beautiful views of the oceans and the lagoons.

The park is made up of three lagoon areas: the long, sandy Big Lagoon Beach, Dry Lagoon and the Stone Lagoon.

Trailheads

We currently do not have any record of trailheads in this park.

Routes and Trails You Can Travel

We currently do not have any record of good routes in this park.

Hiking

Hiking is a very popular activity at the park among people who enjoy scenic hiking. The lagoons offer a pretty unique experience and views when compared to other parks in Northern California.

Since the lagoons are separated from the ocean by just a few hundred feet, low and high tide hiking themed trips can be really exciting as the place looks vastly different during low and high tides. It is very interesting to observe the lagoon at low tides to see what was once under the ocean floor. Check local tide schedules for the precise times you may be visiting the area to see if you will catch the low tide.

Dry Lagoon offers a popular pleasant stroll along its mile-long beach. After the beach ends, there is also a mile long loop around various environmental campsites.

From the parking lot, just walk along the beach south. About a half mile along, the mixed black-and-white sand beach becomes wider. The north end of Big Lagoon about 0.75 miles from the trailhead.

After you have reached the north end of the beach, walk the crest of the barrier beach, dotted with sea rocket, dune tansy and sand verbena. Two miles out, you'll notice a couple of low spots in the sandspit.

The driftwood logs scattered on the beach provide a nice sitting spot if you want to take a break there for lunch. Further along the hike, you can see views of Agate Beach and the scenic, wooded bluffs of Patrick's Point State Park which is two more miles away.

No matter how far you travel, to get back, you just retrace your steps from the way you came.

Trails

One amazing trail at the park is the Big Lagoon Beach Trail. It is about a 5-mile trail one way, so a round trip is a cool 10 miles. Of course, hikers can turn around at any earlier time along the trail, thus controlling the distance they have to travel.

At the end of the trail is a beautiful lagoon that is separated from the Pacific Ocean by just under a 1000 feet of sand.

Climate and Weather

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The climate here is very tricky. On one hand you have the beautiful lagoons and lots of sun. On the other hand, since the area is so close to the Pacific Ocean, the area can get quite windy and cold. Make sure the weather is just right when you visit this park. There are no trees which can provide you with natural cover from the shade. So don't come here when it is really hot or you will bake. On the other hand, if the weather is kind of cold, this place might get very windy and you will be freezing. So pay very careful attention to weather conditions and bring along layers of clothing so you can adjust to the weather.

History

The area was once a home to the native people that used to live near the land that is now Humboldt Lagoons State Park. During the gold rush, people migrated to this area looking to find gold along the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

There was some mining along the lagoons, but none of the mining here in particular was of any significant success.

As people were coming here for gold, they were also settling here to live and many communities in the area were established. People needed places for recreation and the government was pressured to protect some of the natural habitat of the area. At about the turn of the century, many state and national parks and preserves were beginning to be established, and Humboldt Lagoons State Park joined them in 1931.

Over the years, the park added plots of land here and there. Now it spans over 1,000 acres.

Wildlife

Birds

The type of marsh habitat that is present at the lagoons is a very good area for migrating birds. A number of species of birds stop here during their migrations and savvy bird-spotters can see some very unique birds if they know when to come looking.

Trees

Some common trees at the park are Sitka spruce. These trees thrive on the north and southwest shores. Park visitors will also be delightfully surprised to discover there there are even some old-growth redwood trees that can be spotted along the east shore.

Flowers

Other Plants

Camping Possibilities

Other Information

Fishing is a very popular activity at the park since the lagoons and the ocean provide plenty of variety for people who like to fish.

Parking

Driving Directions

There are a few different trailheads at the park so the driving directions are a little different for getting to each of them. General directions are to take Highway 101, some seven miles south of Orick, turn west onto the signed state park road and travel a mile to road's end at a beach parking lot.

Park Map