Humboldt County is in the North Coast of California. It is a special area of Northern California which is well known for its massive redwood trees, microbrews, herbal refreshments, and diverse culture. One hour from the Oregon border and sitting on the Pacific coast, opportunity for outdoor adventures is endless. Humboldt is a unique place.
Humboldt County is the southern gateway to the Pacific Northwest. The county is bound on the north by Del Norte County, on the east by Siskiyou County and Trinity County, on the south by Mendocino County, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The county encompasses 2.3 million acres, 80 percent of which is forest lands, protected redwoods and recreation areas.
The southern part of the county includes Alton, Carlotta, Hydesville, Rio Dell and Scotia; the Avenue of the Giants communities; Garberville and Redway; the Eel, Mattole and Van Duzen River communities; Humboldt Redwoods, Richardson Grove and Grizzly Creek State Parks; and the King Range National Conservation Area.
The northern part of the county includes the City of Trinidad, Orick; Redwood National Park; Prairie Creek and Humboldt Lagoons State Parks; and several State Beaches.
The eastern part of the county includes Willow Creek, Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, Orleans, and a great deal of Six Rivers National Forest land.
The southern border of the county is north of San Francisco, the closest major metropolitan city.
The coastal towns are generally quite cool in climate, while just a few miles inland the fog and overcast are less prevalent. For example, Blue Lake could be quite sunny, while Arcata could be drizzly, or Fortuna warm and pleasant, while Ferndale is socked in. If after several days of mist you seek sun, it is possible at times to walk a few miles east to find it.
There are only 3 roads in. The county is linked by Coastal Highway 101 to the rest of California to the south and the Oregon Coast to the north. Highway 299 links the county to Interstate 5 to the east, offering access from Redding. Finally, California 36 provides access to Humboldt from Red Bluff through the Siskiyou Mountains. Route 36 is a particularly winding road that should be used with caution in the winter.
The Arcata/Eureka Airport, also called the Humboldt County Airport, is a regional airport 20 minutes north of Eureka. It is served by United to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, by American to Phoenix, by Avelo to Burbank and Las Vegas and by AHA! to Reno. Ground transportation includes HTA bus service, taxi, on-call shuttle, and car rental.
Greyhound has service from Arcata south to the Bay Area, with stops in Eureka, Fortuna, Garberville and beyond.
Amtrak has bus service to Martinez in the Bay Area, with train connections. An train ticket must be purchased to ride the bus.
Trinity Transit runs service from Willow Creek to Redding, with additional Greyhound and Amtrak departures. A change of bus is required in Weaverville.
Redwood Coast Transit runs service to Crescent City.
Humboldt Transit Authority runs bus service in most of the county, as far as Trinidad, Willow Creek and Garberville. Eureka and Arcata have their own local bus systems.
KT-NET runs service between Orleans, Hoopa, and Willow Creek.
Car rentals are available at the airport and downtown Eureka. Zipcar is available at Humboldt State University.
Taxi, Uber and Lyft are available, but service can be spotty, especially off-peak hours.
If staying in the urban part of the county, the bus (and Uber) can get you around fine. Otherwise you will want a car.
Northwest California is the epicentre of the USA's marijuana growing industry, and there are many large operations hidden in the greenhouses and hills of Humboldt. Some of these operations are well-guarded (think attack dogs, snipers and automatic weapons), and while you are unlikely to stumble on one it is best to avoid anything that looks suspicious.
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