WHEN YOU GO
Humboldt County and |
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Getting There: Eureka, the county seat of Humboldt County, is 284 miles north of San Francisco along Highway 101 and 466 miles south of Portland, Oregon. Horizon Air, Sierra Expressway, and United Express offer flights to the Arcata-Eureka Airport about 20 miles north of Eureka. Bus service is also offered by Greyhound (800-231-2222). Car rental companies in and near Eureka include Avis, Budget and Enterprise. The 1-800 telephone numbers and Web links for airlines and autos are listed on this magazine’s Travel Info section.
If you drive, travel from either San Francisco or Portland is wonderfully scenic. From the south, Highway 101 and Highway 1 offer ocean and forest vistas, passing through small hamlets and art communities. A highlight along this route is the huge redwood stands of Avenue of the Giants. From the north, the Oregon Coast is visually spectacular with numerous state campgrounds and picnic areas. Crossing south into California, travelers go through Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks while often following the coastline.
Starting this year, visitors can enjoy the new Headwaters Forest Reserve, created when the federal government and state of California purchased a five-square mile grove of virgin growth from Pacific Lumber Company. There are no trails into the Headwaters, but access is available from the northern entrance six miles south of Eureka. Another public access is planned along its southern boundary.
Staying There: We stayed at a variety of accommodations, from the fancy, exquisite Hotel Carter in Eureka, (707) 444-8062, to a very comfortable B&B, the Southport Landing in Loleta on south Humboldt Bay, (707) 733-5915, to the functional, Wyatts Motel in Willow Creek, (530) 629-2142. Humboldt County offers more than 3,000 rooms in a variety of resorts, hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts. A myriad of economical family motels, RV camps, campgrounds, ranches and cabins are also available. For information contact: Eureka! Humboldt County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1034 Second Street, Eureka, CA 95501, telephone (707) 443-5097 or (800) 346-3482, email at redwoodvis@aol.com ; Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 325, Ferndale, CA 95536, telephone (707) 786-4477; North Coast Redwoods State Park, 600 A West Clark Street, Eureka, CA 95501, telephone (707) 445-6547.
Useful guidebooks include, Eureka! More Than Gold, a brochure available from the convention and visitor bureau, and Lonely Planet California & Nevada with recommendations on itineraries, and details on sites, lodging, and restaurants.
Useful WWW links: