Luffenholtz Beach(Luffenholtz Beach County Park)

Located to the south of Trinidad, Luffenholtz Beach - also known as Luffenholtz Beach Park and Luffenholtz Beach County Park - is a beautiful rock-and-sand beach. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and is managed by Humboldt County. Luffenholtz Creek sometimes flows through the beach into the Pacific Ocean. Interesting rock formations are also present on this beach and offshore. Luffenholtz Beach does not have lifeguards. However, the blufftop area above this beach has picnic tables and an observation point. Dogs in Luffenholtz Beach are allowed to be off leash when present on the wave slope. However, they are required to be on leash when present on portions of the beach having dry sand. 

Luffenholtz Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, and hiking. The water near Luffenholtz Beach is unsafe for aquatic recreational activities including swimming and surfing as the water here has dangerous waves, strong currents, and extremely cold temperatures. 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. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of seabirds around Luffenholtz Beach. Luffenholtz Beach is also a popular fishing spot - depending on the time of the year, you can catch many kinds of fish in the water near this beach. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Luffenholtz Beach, please make sure that you comply with the local fishing regulations. During low tide, you can explore the interesting rock formations present around Luffenholtz Beach. The blufftop area above the beach has an observation point which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt County shoreline.

Getting to Luffenholtz Beach is easy - the free parking lot for Luffenholtz Beach is situated a couple of miles south of Trinidad along Scenic Drive. The access stairs to the beach are approximately 100 yards north of the parking lot. We recommend visiting this beach early as the small parking lot near Luffenholtz Beach gets filled up easily. In addition, we also recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear as it is significantly rocky.

There are many attractions near Luffenholtz 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. Trinidad Head is a 350-feet tall oceanfront headland which 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 also 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 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. Westhaven Center for the Arts is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the visual and performing arts. The center offers interesting exhibitions dedicated to visual arts. In addition, it also hosts interesting musical performances and also organizes art classes. Hiller Park is a 36-acre recreational park that 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 Luffenholtz Beach, the McKinleyville Totem Pole is around 160 feet tall and is reputedly one of the largest totem poles in the world to be carved from a single tree. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Luffenholtz Beach. Moonstone Grill is an upscale restaurant that 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 Luffenholtz Beach, the modestly priced Murphy’s Market offers many delicious sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages.

If you are looking for another hotel near Luffenholtz 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 shuttle facility from a nearby airport. A more affordable hotel is the 2-Star Trinidad Inn which offers many amenities including fire pits, barbecue grills, and a complimentary continental breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Luffenholtz Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Super 8 by Wyndham Arcata offers complimentary breakfast and is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Humboldt County.