Big Lagoon

Big Lagoon is roughly 1,600 acres of shallow water held back from the Pacific by a narrow sand spit, seven miles north of Trinidad. In Yurok it is O'Ket'-toh. It's the southernmost of the four lagoons that make up Humboldt Lagoons State Park, which at 2,256 acres protects the largest lagoon system in the United States.

Two agencies operate here and their rules differ, which is the single most useful thing to know before you arrive. The county park on the south shore has the campground, the boat ramp and the flush toilets, and charges a day-use fee. The surrounding state park land is free, with no fee and no parking charge — but dogs are banned from its campsites, trails and dune areas entirely, while the county park only requires a leash.

Paddling is the main draw. Kayaks work on Big, Stone and Freshwater lagoons, and the Chah-pekw O' Ket'-toh visitor center at Stone Lagoon rents kayaks and paddleboards. That center is worth a stop on its own: it's the first tribally operated visitor center in the California State Park system, run by the Yurok Tribe. Go in the morning. State Parks specifically warns about afternoon winds creating treacherous conditions.

Over 200 bird species use this stretch of the Pacific Flyway, including bald eagles and threatened western snowy plovers. Roosevelt elk, black bears, river otters and bobcats all use the surrounding land.

County camping is first-come, first-served — no reservations, ever. Bring quarters for the showers.

The National Weather Service singles out Big Lagoon as one of the steep beaches on this coast where sneaker waves strike without warning. Three to five people drown on the North Coast each year.