Needle Rock Beach(Sinkyone Wilderness State Park)

Located along the southern Humboldt county shoreline, Needle Rock Beach is a small beach with dark-colored sand. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and is a part of a state park named Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. A tall narrow sea-stack named Needle Rock is also present near this beach. Needle Rock Beach does not have restrooms. However, the area around this beach has many other amenities including restrooms, picnic tables, and hiking trails. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. 

Needle Rock Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, picnicking, and camping. Aquatic recreational activities are unsafe in the water near this beach as it has dangerous waves and extremely strong currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals and migrating whales. During low tide, the southern part of Needle Rock Beach offers an excellent beachcombing experience. A tent campground is also present near this beach which offers a fun oceanfront camping experience. If you are planning to camp in this campground, you can visit Sinkyone Wilderness State Park’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more information regarding the campground rules. The Lost Coast Trail passes near this beach and offers an amazing hiking experience along with beautiful Instagram-worthy views of the Northern California shoreline.

Sinkyone Wilderness State Park has many amazing hiking and equestrian trails which offer a unique way to explore the vibrant coastal landscape of Northern Mendocino County. The park’s landscape has many habitats including woodlands and coastal grasslands. However, we recommend being careful while hiking within this state park as the area around the hiking trails here is known to have ticks. You can also view many kinds of animals and birds in this state park including bears, elk, ospreys, owls, falcons, and eagles. The state park’s Needle Rock Visitor Center was initially built as a ranch-house in the 1920s and now has interesting interpretive exhibits. In addition, there are many campgrounds for pedestrians and equestrians in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park which offer a fun camping experience. If you want to camp in these campgrounds, you can visit Sinkyone Wilderness State Park’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more helpful information about camping here.

Getting to Needle Rock Beach is slightly difficult from the nearby town of Garberville – you need to first drive on a road named Redwood Drive and then turn towards another road named Briceland Road. You then need to undertake a long and winding drive along Briceland Road to reach the Needle Rock Visitor Center of Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, which has a paid parking lot. Once you park here, you need to walk north along Briceland Road until you reach an old wooden building. There is a trail starting near this building which will lead you to the blufftop area above Needle Rock Beach. You can scramble down along the bluffsides to Needle Rock Beach from this blufftop area. It is important to note that portions of Briceland Road are closed during winters. In addition, this road is not recommended for large vehicles and RVs as parts of it are also narrow and rugged. We also recommend visiting this beach during low tide as during high tide this beach is almost completely submerged.

There are many attractions near Needle Rock Beach within an hour-and-10 minute drive. Benbow State Recreation Area is a state park that has hiking trails that offer a unique way to explore the vibrant redwood forests of Northern California. This state park also offers a picnicking area and a campground. In addition, portions of the South Fork of the Eel River also pass through this state park, which offers an amazing seasonal fishing experience. If you are planning to camp in Benbow State Recreation Area, you can visit the state park’s webpage on the California Departments of Parks and Recreation’s website for more useful information on the camping rules and amenities. Richardson Grove State Park was established in 1922. This state park is mainly composed of beautiful redwood forests and offers many fun activities including camping, wildlife watching, picnicking, and hiking. In addition, the South Fork of the Eel River also flows within the state park’s premises - the water in this portion of the river offers a fun swimming experience during summers. The portions of the Eel River within the state park also offer an amazing catch-and-release fishing experience during winters. The state park’s visitor center was originally built in the 1930s and currently has informative interpretive exhibits.  If you are looking for another attraction near Needle Rock Beach, the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse is a locally famous lighthouse that was originally constructed in the 19th century. While this 43-feet tall lighthouse was originally situated in Shelter Cove (which is California’s westernmost point), it was moved in 1998 to Shelter Cove.  

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Needle Rock Beach within an hour-and-10 minute drive. The Lost French Man offers excellent burgers, breakfast dishes, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, steaks, and pork chops. Delgada Pizza And Bakery serves amazing pizzas and pastas. In addition, the restaurant also serves burgers, tacos, and fantastic baked desserts. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Needle Rock Beach, Avenue Cafe offers an outdoor dining area. In addition, this restaurant serves delicious soups, salads, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, calzones, and pizzas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Needle Rock Beach, there are many great nearby options within an hour-and-5 minute drive. The 4-Star Benbow Historic Inn was built in the 1920s and offers many amenities including a restaurant, a nine-hole golf course, a cocktail lounge, and access to a nearby seasonal pool.  The hotel also offers a complimentary bicycle loaner facility and afternoon tea. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Miranda Gardens Resort which offers many amenities including a seasonal pool, a convenience store, and a children’s playground. In addition, the hotel premises also have ping pong tables and basketball hoops. The hotel also seasonally offers complimentary breakfast and nightly campfires. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Needle Rock Beach, the modestly priced The Northern Inn is located conveniently close to some of the major attractions and restaurants in southern Humboldt County.