Redwood Park
40.8698, -124.0727
- Nearest town
- Arcata
- Map status
- Verified pin
- Visit conditions
- Check before travel
- Research reviewed
- Aug 17, 2026
Field guide
Know before you go
- Entry fee
- Free. Rentals cost extra
- Forest access
- East ends of 11th and 14th Streets
- Hours
- No park-specific hours published. The adjoining Arcata Community Forest is closed sunset to sunrise
- Redwood Lodge
- Rentable indoor venue, capacity 99, seating 50; $300 deposit
- Lodge contents
- Twelve 30" × 72" tables, eight 60" rounds, 45 folding chairs, small kitchen with stove, refrigerator and microwave — no dishes
- Picnic area
- Nine picnic tables, reservable, $50 deposit, includes use of exterior restrooms
- Non-profit discount
- 20% off rentals with ID verification
- Playground
- New in 2023, accessible equipment with pour-in-place surfacing
- Bike pump track
- Yes, added in the 2023 renovation
- Restrooms
- Exterior restrooms on site
- Barbecuing
- Listed by the City at Redwood Park
- Parking
- ADA parking added in 2023. Total stall count not published
- Dogs
- No park-specific rule published. On Community Forest trails, dogs are allowed but must be leashed at all times
- Bikes
- Pump track in the park; mountain biking permitted in the Community Forest
- Horses
- No park rule published. Equestrians should ask Environmental Services about the best forest access points
- Camping
- Prohibited in all Arcata parks and community forest lands
- Booking address note
- Rental pages list 736 F Street — that's the Recreation Division office, not the park
The place
About Redwood Park
Two streets dead-end into this park: the east ends of 11th and 14th. Both put you at the front door of the Arcata Community Forest, which is what Redwood Park is really for. It's a neighborhood park that happens to be the main trailhead for a 2,350-acre city forest.
A renovation that began in May 2023 rebuilt the family side of it. The park got an entirely new playground with accessible equipment and pour-in-place surfacing, a bike pump track, ADA parking and parking updates.
Redwood Lodge sits here too, and it's rentable. Total capacity is 99, seating capacity 50. Inside are twelve 30-by-72-inch tables, eight 60-inch rounds and 45 folding chairs, plus a small kitchen with stove, refrigerator and microwave. No dishes. Deposit is $300. The Redwood Park Picnic Area rents separately with nine picnic tables, use of the exterior restrooms and a $50 deposit. Non-profits get a 20% discount with ID verification. Rental rates themselves live on the City's Venue Fees Chart.
One booking gotcha: the reservation pages list 736 F Street, which is the Recreation Division office, not the park. Don't navigate to it. The City doesn't publish a street address for Redwood Park itself.
Forest rules start where the park ends. The Arcata Community Forest closes sunset to sunrise, dogs are allowed but must be leashed at all times on forest trails, and mountain biking is permitted. Camping is prohibited in every Arcata park and community forest. After rain, the City asks people to stay off very wet trails.
Other ways into the forest exist if this lot is full: Fickle Hill Road on the south side, and the east end of California Street where it meets L.K. Wood Boulevard. The Arcata Ridge Trail crosses the forest, which was established in 1955.
Same area
Explore nearby
Local planning questions
Frequently asked
Is Redwood Park in Arcata free?
Yes, for general park use and forest access. Fees apply only to renting the Redwood Lodge or the Redwood Park Picnic Area, and those rates are published on the City's Venue Fees Chart. Non-profits receive a 20% discount with ID verification.
How do you get into the Arcata Community Forest from Redwood Park?
Trails leave straight from the park, which the City names as the principal access point, reached from the east ends of 11th and 14th Streets. The forest is also reachable from Fickle Hill Road on the south side and from the east end of California Street where it connects with L.K. Wood Boulevard.
Are dogs allowed at Redwood Park?
The City publishes no dog rule for the park itself. For the adjoining Community Forest trails the rule is clear: dogs are allowed but must be kept on leash at all times. Assume the same standard applies as you walk out of the park.
What does it cost to rent Redwood Lodge?
Rental rates are on the City's Venue Fees Chart rather than the lodge page, so call the Recreation Division for a current figure. What is published is the $300 deposit, a signed Facility Use Permit requirement, capacity of 99 with seating for 50, and a small kitchen with no dishes.
Is there a playground at Redwood Park?
Yes. The 2023 renovation delivered an entirely new playground with accessible equipment and pour-in-place surfacing, alongside a bike pump track and ADA parking. Work began in May 2023 with completion anticipated in late fall of that year.
Official and supporting sources
Research reconciled 2026-08-17. Closures, fees, permits and hours can change.