Baker Beach

Located to the south of the city of Trinidad, Baker Beach - also known as Baker’s - is a remote yet beautiful beach with dark brown sand and some rock formations.  This beach is located below forested oceanfront bluffs, and there are also some offshore sea-stacks near this beach.  Please note that this beach should not be confused with another separate beach named Baker Beach – this beach is located in San Francisco.

Baker Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so please plan your trip accordingly.  Dogs are allowed on Baker Beach.  Getting to Baker Beach is easy - from the city of Trinidad, you need to drive south along Scenic Drive until you pass the exit for Baker Ranch Road towards your left.  Once you pass the Baker Ranch Road exit, you need to look for a small free shoulder-parking area along Scenic Drive.  After parking in this area, you can walk on a steep and plant-covered access trail leading to Baker Beach.  It is important to note that the sign at the beginning of this access trail does not bear the name of the beach, and simply says that this access trail was established by the Humboldt North Coast Land Trust and the California State Coastal Conservancy.  We recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear because it is known to have driftwood. 

Baker Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, hiking, tidepooling, and fishing.  The water near Baker Beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including surfing and swimming because it has dangerous currents and extremely cold temperatures.  Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near the beach including seals and migrating whales.  Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and harming them can result in a civil penalty up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment. During low tide, you can explore the interesting rock formations and tidepools around the beach.  If you are planning to fish near Baker Beach, please follow the local fishing regulations that can be found on the website of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Baker Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Humboldt County shoreline and the Pacific Ocean.  The beach is also popular among clothing optional visitors due to its remote location – however, if you are planning a clothing optional visit to Baker Beach, please note that public indecency is punishable under the local laws.

There are many attractions near Baker Beach.  Sue-meg State Park- previously named Patrick’s Point State Park - is a state park that has hiking and biking trails that offer a unique insight into the vibrant coastal biodiversity of Humboldt County - in addition, the state park also has a visitor center, a campground (which accommodates both tents and RVs), a native plant garden, and a reconstructed Native American Yurok village (known as the Sumêg Village).  The Sumêg Village also organizes interesting Native American cultural ceremonies which offer an intriguing insight into the culture and beliefs of the local indigenous people - as an interesting fact, portions of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park were filmed in Sue-meg State Park.  If you are planning to camp in this state park, you can visit the state park’s webpage in the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more helpful information regarding the camp rules and amenities.  

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse was built in the late 1940s and is a replica of another nearby lighthouse named Trinidad Head Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1871.  The Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse also has an original Fresnel lens dating back to the 19th century, which was previously installed in the Trinidad Head Lighthouse.  The Trinidad Civic Club organizes an annual ceremony on the lighthouse premises on Memorial Day to commemorate the lives of people who have died or have been buried at sea.  The Heights Casino is a casino that offers a variety of excellent and fun games including slot machines, blackjack, and bingo.  If you are looking for another attraction near Baker Beach, Westhaven Center for the Arts is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the visual and the performing arts.  The center offers interesting exhibitions dedicated to visual arts.  In addition, it also hosts interesting musical performances and also organizes art classes. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Baker Beach.  Moonstone Grill is an upscale restaurant which offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience and serves excellent gourmet dishes.  Sunset Restaurant serves amazing steaks, salads, seafood, pastas, and soups.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Baker Beach, Headies Pizza and Pour offers a delicious variety of pizzas.  Another modestly priced hotel near Baker Beach is Aztec Grill that serves amazing Mexican dishes including tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Baker Beach, there are many great nearby options.  Trinidad Bay Bed & Breakfast Hotel offers a home ambiance.  In addition, the hotel offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and shuttle facility from a nearby airport.  A more affordable hotel is the 2.5-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Arcata that is 20 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a pool, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast.  Another moderately priced hotel is Emerald Forest Cabins & RV that offers accommodation in exquisite cabins. The hotel also offers many amenities including a playground and horseshoe pits, a gazebo, a video arcade, a store, and laundry service.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Baker Beach, the 2-Star Trinidad Inn offers many amenities including a garden, a gazebo, horseshoe pits, half-basketball courts, fire pits, barbecue grills, and seasonal complimentary continental breakfast.