Dry Lagoon Beach(Dry Lagoon State Park)

Located to the north of Trinidad, Dry Lagoon Beach is a wide beach with light brown sand. This beach is a part of a state park known as Humboldt Lagoons State Park. Dry Lagoon Beach has a fantastic backdrop of the rugged and mountainous Humboldt County shoreline. It is important to note that the Dry Lagoon present near this beach is not a proper water body but rather a wetland - much of the water from this lagoon was drained by farmers in order to grow crops here, which eventually proved to be unsuccessful. Dry Lagoon does not have lifeguards, but the area near this beach has picnic tables and walking trails. Dogs on leash are allowed in Dry Lagoon Beach. 

Dry Lagoon Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, and hiking. The Pacific Ocean water near this beach is unsafe for aquatic recreational activities as it has dangerous waves, extremely strong currents, and cold temperatures. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, dolphins, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds around the wetlands in Dry Lagoon near Dry Lagoon Beach. You can explore a beautiful promontory near the beach named Sharp Point. In addition, you can also explore the inland coastal sand-dune fields around Dry Lagoon Beach which have a rich biodiversity - many kinds of plants can be seen here including beach carrots (which are inedible), beach strawberries, and sand verbena. In addition, you can also occasionally see black bears and elk in the area around Dry Lagoon Beach.

Apart from Dry Lagoon, Humboldt Lagoons State Park has three other lagoons - Big Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, and Freshwater Lagoon. These lagoons allow aquatic recreational activities and you can visit these lagoons for a fun swimming, kayaking, and boating session. In addition, out of the three lagoons, Freshwater Lagoon is sheltered from winds and is usually calm, making it the most suitable among the four lagoons for water activities. You can also fish in Big Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, and Freshwater Lagoon. However, if you are planning to fish in Humboldt Lagoons State Park, please make sure that you comply with the local fishing regulations. Humboldt Lagoons State Park also has a vibrant landscape which consists of many habitats including forests, grasslands, and coastal scrub. You can explore this beautiful landscape via hiking trails. The state park is also located along a major inter-continental migratory bird route called the Pacific Flyway and hosts around 200 species of migratory and resident birds. The state park also has a campground. If you are planning to camp in Humboldt Lagoons State Park, you can visit the state park’s webpage on California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more information.

Getting to Dry Lagoon Beach is easy - to access the beach, you need to turn from Redwood Highway/United States Highway 101 towards McDonald Creek Road. McDonald Creek Road will lead you to Park Road, which will end at the free parking lot for Dry Lagoon Beach.

There are many attractions near Dry Lagoon Beach within a 20-minute drive. 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. 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. 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 Dry Lagoon Beach, Humboldt State University’s Telonicher Marine Lab is open to the public for tours throughout the week. Visitors can explore many interesting exhibits in the lab along with a unique touch tank. You can visit Telonicher Marine Lab’s webpage at Humboldt State University’s website for more information regarding the visiting hours.  

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Dry Lagoon Beach within a 20-minute drive. 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 Dry Lagoon 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 Dry Lagoon Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 20-minute drive. 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 Dry Lagoon Beach, the 2-Star Trinidad Inn offers many amenities including horseshoe pits, half-basketball courts, fire pits, barbecue grills, and seasonal complimentary continental breakfast.