Samoa Dunes Recreation Area
Verification pending
- Nearest town
- Samoa
- Map status
- Directions withheld
- Visit conditions
- 1 update
- Research reviewed
- Aug 17, 2026
Conditions
Check before visiting
Closed area: The northeastern 40 acres, permanently, for endangered plant protection. Wetland Protection Area is closed to vehicles
Field guide
Know before you go
- Size
- 300 acres, including 140 acres of open OHV terrain and a 75-acre Eureka Dunes area
- Hours
- Daylight hours only. The boat ramp gate opens an hour before sunrise and closes an hour after sunset
- Fee
- Not published by BLM — call the Arcata Field Office, 707-825-2300
- Dogs
- Allowed, on leash or under voice control at all times
- OHV riding
- Open. Green or red sticker or licence plate must be displayed; spark arrester and muffler required
- OHV flags
- Required on all OHVs and on passenger vehicles operating off-highway
- Speed limit
- 15 mph within 50 feet of people and gathering areas
- Hiking
- Wetlands Trail loop, 1 mile. BLM publishes no total trail mileage
- Camping
- Not allowed. The adjacent Samoa Boat Ramp and Campground is a separate facility
- Facilities
- Restroom, Cypress Grove picnic area with tables and grills, scenic overlook, OHV staging area with unloading ramp, beach access
- Prohibited
- Firearms, bows and arrows, fireworks. Carrying passengers on an OHV not designed for them
- Getting there
- Highway 255 over the Samoa Bridge, then south on New Navy Base Road roughly four miles. Paved
- Accessibility
- BLM flags the site as an accessible facility but publishes no specifics. No beach wheelchair here; the free loan is at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center in Manila
- The jetty
- Not safe for recreational use and not managed by BLM
The place
About Samoa Dunes Recreation Area
Three hundred acres sit at the mouth of Humboldt Bay, and 140 of them are open terrain for off-highway vehicles, alongside a separate 75-acre Eureka Dunes area, a 4x4 rock crawl course and a one-way track. California State Parks' OHV division calls this one of only two legal beach-side OHV riding areas in the state. All riding trails here are open to every OHV type.
It's also the one federal site in the local dunes complex where dogs come along. BLM asks for leash or voice control at all times. Friends of the Dunes records dogs as prohibited at the wildlife refuge dune units nearby, including Lanphere and Ma-le'l North, so this is the corner of the peninsula where a dog and a quad can share a morning.
The northeastern 40 acres are not part of that. BLM has set aside and closed that block to all public access as an Endangered Plant Protection Area for Menzies' wallflower, a federally endangered dune plant, and the closure was still in force in the agency's February 2025 brochure. Wetlands here are posted no-vehicle, as is the adjoining City of Eureka ground.
Access runs from Eureka across the Samoa Bridge on Highway 255, then south on New Navy Base Road about four miles to the main lot. Riders stage separately off Bunker Road, where there's an unloading ramp. Cypress Grove has picnic tables and cooking grills. During past Army Corps jetty work that shut Jetty Road and the main parking area, both of those stayed open.
Daylight hours only, and no camping inside the recreation area. BLM is blunt about the water: never turn your back on the ocean, and never go in after a dog — dogs are better swimmers than we are and almost always get themselves out.
Flags are required on every OHV and on any passenger vehicle running off-highway.
Local planning questions
Frequently asked
Are dogs allowed at Samoa Dunes?
Yes, on leash or under voice control at all times. That makes it unusual among the federal dune sites around Humboldt Bay — the wildlife refuge units at Lanphere and Ma-le'l North don't permit dogs at all. BLM's own advice is to never attempt an ocean rescue of a dog.
Can you ride ATVs and dirt bikes at Samoa Dunes?
Yes. There are 140 acres of open terrain plus a 75-acre Eureka Dunes area, a rock crawl course and a one-way track, all open to every OHV type. Vehicles need current California registration with a green or red sticker or a licence plate, an approved spark arrester and muffler, and a flag. Keep to 15 mph within 50 feet of people.
How much does Samoa Dunes cost?
BLM doesn't publish a day-use or entry fee for Samoa Dunes on its website or in the February 2025 brochure. That isn't the same as a stated free-entry policy, so call the Arcata Field Office on 707-825-2300 if you need it confirmed.
Can you camp at Samoa Dunes?
No. BLM states plainly that there's no camping at Samoa Dunes Recreation Area. The Samoa Boat Ramp and Campground next door is a separate, non-BLM facility.
What part of Samoa Dunes is closed?
The northeastern 40 acres, fenced and signed as an Endangered Plant Protection Area for Menzies' wallflower. The closure is permanent rather than seasonal and applies to all public access, not just vehicles. Wetlands within the site are also posted against vehicle use.
Official and supporting sources
- Official site
- BLM Samoa Dunes brochure (24 February 2025)
- BLM recreation site listing
- California State Parks OHV Division grant page
- Friends of the Dunes area map & guide
- Ma-le'l Dunes Trail Map
- Exploring Wild Places with Your Dog (dog-friendly locations map)
- Humboldt Bay Beaches, Dunes and Wetlands Map
- Research source — blm.gov
- Research source — blm.gov
Research reconciled 2026-08-17. Closures, fees, permits and hours can change.