If you’re not already hooked on Humboldt or haven’t stumbled across Big Foot by the time you get to Eureka, just wait: you’ll be hopelessly addicted in a day or two.
In many ways, this waterfront town is worlds removed from the rest of California. Redwood logging was the main industry until just a few decades ago, and a flannel-shirt ambience persists alongside a layer of laid-back sophistication. The town makes an ideal base for DogTrekkers exploring redwood country and stretches of the wild and beautiful Redwood Coast.
A wealth of beaches where canines are allowed to run free within the wave slope makes the Humboldt shore – one of the most dog-friendly coastal areas in California. (But watch out for blue-green algae, which can be fatal for dogs). A local favorite is Clam Beach in McKinleyville, the perfect end point for a hike along the five-mile Hammond Coastal Trail connecting the beach with the college town of Arcata. The trail, voted in a newspaper poll as the “best place to walk, hike or jog in Humboldt County,” treats users to a changing panorama of ocean views and shade-flickered† redwood forests.
