Luffenholtz Beach County Park

The name says county park. The owner is the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust, which states it has been landowner and steward since 2019. Eight acres came across from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that year — Wildlife Conservation Board approval in March, deed recorded in May, transfer completed in June, conveyed at no cost with conditions to keep state-mandated priorities in place. Humboldt County's own parks page lists 16 sites and names A.W. Way, Big Lagoon, Clam Beach, Samoa, Swimmers Delight, Van Duzen and Freshwater. Luffenholtz isn't among them. If you need to know what role the county still plays, ask them on (707) 445-7651.

It's off Scenic Drive, 2.3 miles outside Trinidad, at the mouth of Luffenholtz Creek. Two trails leave the bluff parking area: a vista point trail, which recently got 99 new steps built with American Hiking Society volunteers, and a separate trail down toward the beach.

Here's the gap you should know about — the land trust doesn't publish whether the beach trail is currently open. Call (707) 677-2501 and ask before counting on getting down to the sand.

Up top, the parking area is one the trust itself describes as needing enhancement. There's a porta-potty kept up by volunteers, replacing an old septic-system restroom that's been discontinued, plus a volunteer-maintained doggy bag waste station. No dog policy is published either way.

Surf fishing, tide pooling and seabird watching are the main draws. Luffenholtz Creek holds coastal cutthroat trout, stickleback, sculpin and lamprey, and the offshore rocks are part of the California Coastal National Monument.

Wolf's evening primrose, rare in California, grows on the sandy bluffs. A driftwood beach sign made by local Girl Scout students marks the property.