arcata community forest

Earth_Pal

Really enjoyed having a forest so close to hotels. Trails are many tho can be confusing but locals are good at directing you back to the parking lot. Many are UP hill tho, and bit slick in spots after rain, so recommend good shoes for those days. Dogs are welcome ON leash and most dog owners followed that which was nice.

zeppgirl

beautiful and amazing place that everyone should check out! Free and easy parking. Give it 1-2 hours.

njlatonal

Visit the big trees. Hard to believe the trees are second growth. They are enormous! Lots of hiking trails. Tons of banana slugs and lush ferns.

KarenA368

This is a local treasure. How many towns have a Community Forest? Here you can meander through the Ancient Ones and feel their deep magic. You will come upon tree stumps that look like hobbit-homes -- and it is rumored that more than one human being has lived in this forest until discovered and made to leave. You may want to move in, too, after spending time here.

416michellek

There is a path that leads from the west side of the park down to the road, which is one of the prettiest, but shortest, paths in the park. Many of the paths right near the park are very trampled down, with almost no undergrowth left. Still, the park is beautiful and you can hike back a bit on the longer trails where there are not quite so many monkey trails (paths blazed by intrepid explorers). The playground is a good one for kids. In the summer there are plays in the park.

Flofrommo

We traveled through Redwood forests to get to Arcata. Red Roof Inn was a great place to stay after we viewed such majestic grandeur.

HumboldtMike

Lots of nice trails that you can literally hike for hours - and it's a nice mix of single track and larger trails. Good for hiking, mountain biking, or just going to the big field and throwing the frisbee! Disc golf course too

Anne_CA47

This place is nestled in the hillside behind HSU. It is a beautiful redwood forest. Peaceful and quiet. Great place to hike anytime of the day. I happened to go after dinner when the sun was setting. Even though this forest was logged well over 100 years ago, it's had a lot of time to recover. There are stills lots of huge old redwoods and large second growth trees. It's definitely worth a visit.

ishieh

In a short walking distance into the woods we found ourselves immersed in perfect quiet. Very scenic. Trails are great. Bring a camera because the backdrop of all photos is scenic and 'foresty'.

RichT529

Almost immediately adjacent to Humboldt State University, the community forest is a gem. Although visitors to the area are most likely to visit the state or national parks with redwood trees, the community forest offers a serene and pleasant to enjoy nature at its finest. The park has multiple, well-marked trails among its several hundred acres. The forest lacks toilet facilities (and those at the adjacent city park are not available to the public).

MtDana

I never get tired of the superb hiking trails there! Not many community forests practicing community based forestry in the US.

orangeflood

The park has very nice trails that are easily accessible and well maintained. The redwoods in this area are amazing.

Kay932

A beautiful and peaceful park located next to Humboldt University. Definitely worth checking out! Very pretty scenery with a convenient location!

sandybeach818

My daughter and I love walking thru this forest...so peaceful and beautiful. The forest is located next to HSU and close to downtown Arcata. Great photo ops and fairly extensive trails throughout. A definite must see if you're visiting the Arcata area and a nice hangout for the locals. The grassy picnic area near the trail head has tables and public restrooms.

terrapinproud

This place blew us away...and within walking distance from the town square, immediately adjacent to the Humboldt State campus (and I mean immediate...as in step up on the curb from a campus road and you are in the park!) The Redwoods are pretty amazing in and of themselves. There is something majestic about their size and age...and the filtered sunlight that shines through onto their reddish brown trunks makes the entire forest glow. There are miles of trails back up in here and you can walk for hours, or you can just take a 15 minute stroll to get away for a short while. Either way it is worth the visit and is definitely part of what makes Arcata special. (If you want even more of these giants, head up the road to Redwood National Park and hike down to the tall trees grove. Nice, relatively easy hike.)