Big Lagoon County Park Beach(Big Lagoon County Park)

Located to the north of Trinidad, Big Lagoon County Park Beach is a large beach with light brown sand and sparse vegetation. This beach is situated between a three-mile long lagoon called Big Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. Interesting sea stacks are present just offshore in the ocean near Big Lagoon County Park Beach. Big Lagoon County Park Beach is a part of Big Lagoon County Park, Humboldt Lagoons State Park, and Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area. Big Lagoon County Park Beach does not have lifeguards. However, the beach and the area around it have many amenities including restrooms, boat launching facilities, picnic tables, and barbecue spots. While dogs are generally required to be on leash in Big Lagoon County Park Beach, they are allowed off leash in the wave slope in Big Lagoon County Park Beach.

Big Lagoon County Park Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, camping, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and stand-up paddleboarding. The Pacific Ocean near Big Lagoon County Park Beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including surfing and swimming as the water here has dangerous currents, cold temperatures, and strong waves. In addition, multiple drowning-related deaths have been reported in the ocean water near Big Lagoon County Park Beach. However, the generally calm water in Big Lagoon makes it ideal for recreational aquatic activities. If you like boating, there is also a boat launch near the southern end of this lagoon. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many animals in the Pacific Ocean near Big Lagoon County Park Beach including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating whales. In addition, Big Lagoon is also a great fishing spot - while you can catch many kinds of fish here, the lagoon is particularly famous among anglers for catching cut-throat trout. However, if you are planning to fish in Big Lagoon, please ensure that you follow the local fishing regulations. If you like beachcombing, you can comb Big Lagoon County Park Beach for exquisite agate stones, shells, and sea glass pieces during low tide. The offshore sea stacks near Big Lagoon County Park Beach offer amazing Instagram-worthy photos. Big Lagoon County Park also has tent campsites (available on a first-come-first-serve basis) which offer an amazing coastal camping experience. The campsites have many amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, fire-rings, and a pay phone.

In order to access Big Lagoon County Park Beach, you need to divert from United States Highway 101 towards Big Lagoon Park Road. You can easily access the paid parking lot for Big Lagoon County Park Beach from Big Lagoon Park Road.

As an interesting fact, portions of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park were filmed in this state park. If you are planning to camp in Patrick’s Point State Park, you can visit the state park’s webpage in the California Department of Parks and Recreation website for more helpful information regarding the camp rules and amenities. If you are looking for another attraction near Big Lagoon County Park Beach, 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.

There are many attractions near Big Lagoon County Park Beach within a 20-minute drive. Trinidad Head is a 350-feet tall oceanfront headland that is also a California Historical Landmark. This promontory offers an amazing hiking experience along with awesome Instagram-worthy views of Trinidad Bay and the Humboldt County shoreline. You can explore this headland’s vibrant flora and fauna via the hiking trails present here - you can see rabbits and many kinds of seabirds around Trinidad Head. The headland also has many kinds of plants including seaside daisies and blue lupin. In addition, a stone cross is present on this promontory. This cross commemorates an earlier wooden cross planted on the spot by Spanish explorers who sought to claim Trinidad Head for Spain in the 18th century. However, if you are planning to hike in Trinidad Head, we recommend being careful as the headland also has poison oak. In addition, Trinidad Head also has the Trinidad Head Lighthouse. This lighthouse was originally constructed in 1871 and is a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is open for tours on the first Saturday of each month and in June during Trinidad’s annual Fish Festival. Patrick’s Point State Park is spread over one square mile. The park has hiking 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 a unique and memorable insight into the culture and beliefs of the local Indigenous people.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Big Lagoon County Park Beach. The Larrupin’ Cafe is an upscale restaurant which serves outstanding New American cuisine. Headies Pizza and Pour offers a delicious variety of pizzas. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Big Lagoon County Park Beach, The Lighthouse Grill offers delicious burgers, sandwiches, fries, and seafood. In addition, the restaurant is also famous for serving amazing mash-potato cones.

If you are looking for a hotel near Big Lagoon County Park Beach, there are many great nearby options. Lost Whale Inn offers many amenities including beautiful gardens, an outdoor hot tub, a sauna, complimentary breakfast, and afternoon tea and wine. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star View Crest Lodge which offers complimentary breakfast and is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Humboldt County. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Big Lagoon County Park Beach, the 2-Star Trinidad Inn offers many amenities including horseshoe pits, a half-basketball court, fire pits, barbecue grills, and seasonal complimentary continental breakfast.