Luffenholtz Beach County Park sits just two miles south of Trinidad on Scenic Drive, offering rocky coves, tidepools, and dramatic ocean views that make it worth the drive up the Humboldt County coast. The parking area opens onto a breathtaking overlook of the Pacific, and there’s a picnic area if you want to bring lunch and eat while watching the waves.

The trail down to the beach is narrow and steep enough that you’ll want to keep your dog on leash until you reach the sand. Once there, dogs can run off-leash as long as they stay under voice control—the general rule along this stretch, though it’s worth checking current regulations before you go since rules can shift. The beach itself is a mix of sand and rocky sections, with plenty of room for a dog to sprint and splash in the shallow water.

This is genuinely good territory for spotting wildlife. You’ll likely see seals hauled out on the rocks and various seabirds overhead, which makes the place exciting but also means you need to keep an eye on your dog so they don’t chase wildlife into dangerous situations. The tidepools are another draw, packed with starfish and anemones, though you’ll need to watch the tide carefully—it comes in faster than you’d expect, and the beach narrows considerably at high tide.

Bring fresh water for your dog since there aren’t facilities at the beach itself. There are no parking fees, which is a genuine bonus for a coastal spot this scenic. The overlook parking area gives you a sense of the landscape before you commit to the walk down, so you can gauge whether conditions look right for your dog that day. On a clear afternoon, this place delivers everything you’d want from a California coast visit without the crowds you’d find further south.