Centerville Beach County Park
Verification pending
- Nearest town
- Ferndale
- Map status
- Directions withheld
- Visit conditions
- Check before travel
- Research reviewed
- Aug 17, 2026
Field guide
Know before you go
- Beach length
- About 9 miles of walkable ocean beach
- Access
- Paved Centerville Road, roughly 5 miles west of Ferndale, ending at the parking area
- Hours
- Posted at the park; the County doesn't publish them online
- Fee
- Fees are set by the Board of Supervisors and posted at each park entry. Whether one is charged here couldn't be verified — call (707) 445-7651
- Vehicles on the beach
- Permitted. Wave slope only; no dunes, no vegetated areas, no vehicle play
- Vehicle hours
- One hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset
- Speed limit
- 15 mph
- Dogs
- Permitted on a leash no longer than 10 feet; waste must be sealed and binned. Off-leash claims on tourism sites contradict county code
- Horses
- Permitted; must be restrained, ridden with care and never left to graze or go unattended
- Bikes
- Permitted
- Bonfires
- Allowed up to 30 inches. Keep 50 ft from driftwood, 500 ft from any known snowy plover nest, 100 ft seaward of vegetated dunes
- Larger fires
- Over 30 inches requires a permit from the Parks Director and the local fire department
- Fireworks
- Permit required from the Parks Director
- Camping
- Not permitted; Centerville isn't one of the county's five campgrounds
- Facilities
- None — unsupervised, no restrooms, no services, no lifeguards
- Historic landmark
- Centerville Beach Cross, California Historical Landmark No. 173, on the bluff
- Best for whales
- April and May, viewed from the bluffs south of the beach
The place
About Centerville Beach County Park
You can legally drive on the sand here. Humboldt County Code names exactly three beaches where vehicles are barred from everything but roads and parking areas: Big Lagoon, Luffenholtz and Moonstone. Centerville isn't one of them. The rules that do apply are firm: wave slope only, nothing above it and nothing in the dunes or vegetation, 15 mph maximum, no vehicle play, and driving allowed only from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Cross creeks at designated routes and stay out of the channels.
Five paved miles west of Ferndale on Centerville Road put you at a nine-mile run of open Pacific beach below windswept bluffs, south of the Eel River mouth. It's unsupervised. No facilities, no services, no lifeguards, and the sandstone formations along the coastal walk are the closest most people get to the roadless Lost Coast.
On the bluff stands the Centerville Beach Cross, California Historical Landmark No. 173, registered in 1935 by Ferndale Parlor No. 93 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. It marks the wreck of the steamship Northerner, which struck a hidden rock two miles off Cape Mendocino on January 6, 1860 and drifted ashore here. Thirty-eight people died. Sixty-five survived.
Gray whales pass in spring and fall, and April and May are the months to come — mothers migrating with calves swim closer to land. Watch from the bluffs south of the beach, not from the sand. Tundra swans are around from November through March, alongside cormorants, gulls, pelicans, sandpipers and harbor seals.
Two things tourism copy gets wrong. Dogs are not off-leash here; county code caps leashes at ten feet. Horses, though, are expressly permitted.
Local planning questions
Frequently asked
Can you drive on Centerville Beach?
Yes. Humboldt County Code restricts beach vehicle use only at Big Lagoon, Luffenholtz and Moonstone, so driving remains legal at Centerville. Stay on the wave slope — dunes and vegetated areas are off limits — keep to 15 mph, and drive only between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. Vehicle play is prohibited outright.
Are dogs allowed off leash at Centerville Beach?
No. Humboldt County Code requires all dogs in county parks to be restrained at all times on a leash no longer than ten feet. Some tourism sites advertise off-leash dog play at Centerville; the ordinance governs and they're wrong. Waste has to go in a sealed container and into a trash receptacle.
Can you have a bonfire at Centerville Beach?
Yes, up to 30 inches. Keep it at least 50 feet from driftwood and other flammable material, 500 feet from any known western snowy plover nest, and 100 feet seaward of the vegetated dunes. Anything larger needs a permit from the Parks Director and the local fire department. Fires must never be left unattended and must be fully out before you go.
Is there a fee at Centerville Beach?
Unclear. Humboldt County sets park fees by Board of Supervisors action and posts them at each park entrance, and the fee applies to drivers and to anyone entering on foot, bike or horse. The county's page for this specific beach isn't publicly retrievable, so call (707) 445-7651 to confirm before you go.
What is the cross on the bluff at Centerville Beach?
It's the Centerville Beach Cross, California Historical Landmark No. 173, registered March 6, 1935. It commemorates the steamship Northerner, which struck a hidden rock two miles off Cape Mendocino on January 6, 1860 and drifted to this beach; 38 people died and 65 survived. Ferndale Parlor No. 93 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West installed it.
Official and supporting sources
- Humboldt County Parks & Facilities
- Humboldt County Parks & Trails
- Humboldt County Code Title II, Div. 7, Ch. 1 — County Park System
- Humboldt County Code § 271-14 (vehicles on beaches)
- Humboldt County Code § 271-8 (dogs, horses)
- Humboldt County Code § 271-7 (fires, fireworks)
- Humboldt County Code § 271-20 (use fees)
- California Office of Historic Preservation — Landmark No. 173
- Visit Redwoods — Centerville Beach County Park
- Visit Ferndale — Lost Coast
- Research source — fortunachamber.com
Research reconciled 2026-08-17. Closures, fees, permits and hours can change.