Houda Point Beach(Camel Rock Beach, Houda Beach)

Located a few miles south of Trinidad, Houda Point Beach - also known as Houda Beach and Camel Rock Beach - is a scenic beach with brown sand. The beach is situated below the northern end of a blufftop headland named Houda Point. There are many interesting offshore rock formations near this beach including the Camel Rock (officially known as Little River Rock) which sometimes looks like a two-humped camel and another larger unnamed rock formation which is covered in vegetation. In addition, another distant rock formation named Pilot Rock is also visible from this beach. While Houda Point Beach does not have lifeguards, the area around this beach has hiking trails and picnic tables. Dogs are allowed on Houda Point Beach without a leash. 

Houda Point Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, hiking, biking, tidepooling, surfing, and picnicking. The water near this beach is generally unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including bodyboarding and swimming as it has dangerous currents and extremely cold temperatures. However, despite the unsafe water conditions, surfers frequently go into the water here as it offers fun and thrilling surfing waves. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including sea lions, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can watch many kinds of birds here including common murres, western gulls, pelagic cormorants, and brown pelicans. In addition, the Camel Rock present near Houda Point Beach is also home to one of the largest breeding grounds of Leach’s petrel in Northern California. You can also explore the unnamed vegetation-covered rock formation present near Houda Point Beach during extremely low tides, which offers some great Instagram-worthy photographs. You can explore the vibrant coastal blufftop landscape above Houda Point Beach via the hiking trails present here. In addition, the blufftop area above Houda Point Beach also has an observation area which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt County shoreline.

Getting to Houda Point Beach is easy - the free parking lot beach is situated a couple of miles south from the city of Trinidad along Scenic Drive. The parking lot for Houda Point Beach is present near another separate beach named Luffenholtz Beach (also known as Luffenholtz Beach Park). From the parking lot you can access the steep stairway leading down to Houda Point Beach via the hiking trails present around Houda Point. However, we recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear as it is known to have driftwood. In addition, we also recommend visiting this beach during low tide as during high tide this beach can become significantly submerged and inaccessible.

There are many attractions near Houda Point 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. Hiller Park is a 36-acre recreational park which has children’s playgrounds, hiking and biking trails, an off-leash dog area, and a botanical garden. In addition, the park also has picnic areas, barbecue spots, and restrooms. If you are looking for another attraction near Houda Point Beach, Trinidad Museum offers interesting exhibitions that offer a unique insight into Trinidad’s vibrant history. The museum also has a wide collection of Native American artifacts. In addition, the museum premises also have a native plant garden and a seasonal pond. The museum also hosts many interesting events throughout the year including lectures and discussions.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Houda Point Beach. Moonstone Grill is an upscale restaurant that offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience and serves excellent gourmet dishes. Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery offers amazing breakfast dishes, seafood, salad, burgers, sandwiches, and steaks. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Houda Point Beach, the modestly priced Murphy’s Market offers many delicious sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages.

If you are looking for a hotel near Houda Point Beach, there are many great nearby options. Trinidad Bay Bed & Breakfast Hotel offers a homely ambiance. In addition, the hotel offers many amenities including a complimentary breakfast and a shuttle facility from a nearby airport. A more affordable hotel is the Turtle Rocks Oceanfront Inn which has communal decks for guests including a two-tier whale watching area with seats. In addition, the hotel also offers complimentary breakfast, desserts during afternoons, and coffee/tea and snacks throughout the day. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Houda Point Beach, the 2-Star Red Roof Inn Arcata offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, and complimentary breakfast.