Humboldt Bay Trail

Overview

The Humboldt Bay Trail is a network of paved, multi-use paths connecting the communities around Humboldt Bay and providing excellent opportunities for recreation and active transportation.

The City of Arcata provides four miles of trail along the northern portion of Humboldt Bay and through the city to Larson Park at Foster Avenue. The Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary is a popular access point.

The City of Eureka provides nearly seven miles of trail along its Eureka Waterfront Trail, including a recent extension along the Elk River estuary. Popular access points include:

Elk River Park & Ride (west end of Herrick Avenue)
Hilfiker Lane parking area
Truesdale Street parking area
Del Norte Street parking area
Eureka Boardwalk at the Foot of C Street
Halvorsen Park under the Samoa Bridge
Target Store near the Eureka Slough Bridge
Tydd Street in Myrtletown

The Humboldt Bay Trail is a component of the regional Great Redwood Trail and the state-wide California Coastal Trail. The Humboldt Bay Area Bike Map is an excellent on-line mapping resource for identifying existing segments of the Humboldt Bay Trail and other regional bike facilities and trails.

Scenes from the Trail

Humboldt Bay Trail South

The County of Humboldt is developing the “Humboldt Bay Trail South” project which will connect the existing trail segments and complete the trail facilities between Eureka and Arcata. The majority of the trail will be situated along the Humboldt Bay shoreline between the railroad and Highway 101, while a one-mile portion will be placed on top of the levee around the Brainard mill site. The project will create an alternative to vehicular travel between Eureka and Arcata and will enable tremendous views and up-close experiences of Humboldt Bay. Funding for construction is provided by the California Transportation Commission (Active Transportation Program), State Coastal Conservancy, and Caltrans District 1.

The County is ready to advertise the construction bid package. If the lowest responsive bid is within the available funding, then the construction contract could be awarded in March 2023 and construction could begin on or around May 1. Construction would proceed through the 2023 construction season, slow down or pause during the winter, and reach completion sometime in 2024. The California Conservation Corps are scheduled to begin vegetation removal within the project area in February, prior to the start of work by the construction contractor.

Timeline

January 30, 2023: The Humboldt County Public Works Department issued an Invitation to Bid for the construction contract.

January 24, 2023: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors accepted the construction plans and approved putting the project out for bids from construction contractors.

Public Works Staff Report

December 2, 2022: The Great Redwood Trail Agency (successor to the North Coast Railroad Authority) issued a Notice to Proceed letter with respect to the lease agreement for the project.

October 13, 2022: The California Transportation Commission approved construction funding under the Active Transportation Program. The Active Transportation Program is a competitive grant program that funds bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout California.

April 7, 2022: The California Coastal Commission approved the coastal development permit.

September 9, 2020: The Project Description Report discusses how the project proposes to integrate with the railroad and Highway 101 transportation corridor and how the project proposes to address flooding hazards and sea level rise along the Humboldt Bay shoreline. The report discusses the proposed removal of the northern group of eucalyptus trees along Highway 101 due to safety hazards to trail users. The report identifies the mitigation measures and environmental commitment conditions that will be incorporated into the project.

July 31, 2018: Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted the proposed initial study and mitigated negative declaration prepared for the Humboldt Bay Trail South project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Humboldt County Public Works prepared the Initial Study and Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration to analyze potentially significant environmental impacts and identify appropriate mitigation measures.

Getting Involved

Stay Informed

Receive updates on regional trail progress by subscribing to the Humboldt Trails Council e-newsletter.

Volunteer

The Volunteer Trail Stewards program of the Humboldt Trails Council coordinates volunteers to provide support to public agencies and land trusts with building and maintaining trails.

Donate

The Humboldt Bay Trail Fund was established at the Humboldt Area Foundation to provide a mechanism for private donors to assist in the continued development of the Humboldt Bay Trail by focusing on the critical need for trail maintenance funds. Allocations from the fund are made by the Humboldt Bay Trail Fund Committee. Donations can be made through the Humboldt Area Foundation donation page.