Things to Do in Eureka, CA - Eureka Attractions
Things to Do in Eureka
Check out must-see sights and activities:
Redwood Highway, Sequoia Park Zoo, Hiking Trails, Breweries. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
Redwood Highway, Sequoia Park Zoo, Hiking Trails, Breweries. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Small zoo with a unique Sky Walk among majestic trees, a new bear exhibit, and a home for orphaned wildlife. Enjoy up-close encounters with red pandas and otters in a natural setting.
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Architectural Buildings
Victorian mansion with original interiors and panoramic views, flanked by historic homes. While the property remains private, the exterior and grounds captivate from the street.
This attraction description was created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for this description. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in this AI-generated description is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
Bodies of Water
Points of Interest & Landmarks
History Museums
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Other Top Attractions around Eureka
What travelers are saying
- Sid CFairfax, VA4 contributionsTraveled from Bodega Bay Cresent city and did stops to see redwoods. The Avenue of the Giants is a must do , and you have to go the out and back of the Roosevelt woods. Stout Grove in the national PARK was amazing. gotta stop on Yurok indian reservation for the cheapest gas. Capt Pauls smoked Samlmon is great stop kfor lexcellent snakWritten October 3, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tommy MRoseville, CA2,891 contributionsThe zoo was opened in 1907. It is the oldest zoo in California and the smallest accredited zoo in the nation. At first it primarily housed native species such as elk and deer. But soon an aviary and more exotic species were added including bear, lion, camel and, most famously, chimpanzees. Bill the Chimp came in 1957 when school children collected coins to buy him from a circus. Bill lived in the zoo as a beloved character and finger painted until age 60. Admission for the little zoo seemed a bit high. It is $25 a person. A two dollar discount was given to seniors. That was almost an insult to old people. However, the ticket is good for the skywalk too. We did the skywalk, and as old-timers it was much exercise. We did spend some time with the Bears. It is a beautiful area.Written September 11, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- 63impalaStoneham, MA1,428 contributionsThis is a very cool mansion to check out, from outside that is. You cannot enter as it is a private club.Written October 1, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Kathy LPrior Lake, MN490 contributionsThis is a great little park to walk among the Sequoia's. Located right next to the zoo, it has picnic tables, and fabulous play ground where kids can climb through trees, and an easy walk amoung the trees.Written May 17, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Thomas VOakland, CA17,731 contributionsWe were in the area for just 2 days, and we made a special effort to spend some time by the Bay because we knew that the seascape would be very dramatic. Hopefully you will be here on a sunny day, like we were. Very dramatic.Written April 7, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- kimw8tooGlenwood, IA36 contributionsThe park starts with a playground then group areas under the trees. The kid day campers sounded like they were having a great time. We got off the paved path and took to the unpaved trails. It was astounding that this great park is in the midst of the town. A wonderful afternoon.Written August 2, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Caryn NRedwood City, CA26 contributionsIf you like winding your way to the beach, this is a fun car trip. The hills are beautiful and the prize of the water at the end is great. We traveled from Ferndale and then out the other side through Petrolia. Going back to 101 through Petrolia is quite long.Written September 12, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tommy MRoseville, CA2,891 contributionsThis section of downtown Eureka is a well preserved look at an earlier time;
Eureka has done a remarkable job of preserving what is now known as the old town. It's a clean area. There are lots of restaurants and specialty stores. The Eureka Main Street District covers A to I Streets and the Waterfront to Eighth Streets. Special events are hosted here, including the weekly farmers market. It's perfect for strolling and window shopping. There are several interesting buildings, and one is the Carson mansion.Written September 7, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Kim R16 contributionsOur visit was made even better by a friendly lady named "Jo" who greeted us at the gate and told us about the highlights at the gardens. The gardens are well-maintained. It was a nice experience overall. We spent about 90 minutes, but you could take some side trails and spend 2 to 3 hours if you have more time available. Recommend wearing sneakers.Written July 22, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tommy MRoseville, CA2,891 contributionsWe were off to a bad start at the museum. A directional sign s indicated handicap entry was around the corner. When we got there, it was closed, but we rang a bell, and no one answered. We went back to the main entry and I managed to get up the stairs, holding onto the handrail. Finally we were in. Gretchen gave a $20 donation. And we rambled about the interior. There were no obstacles inside the museum. Local history was covered effectively with fine displays. I was most interested in some old beer trays from the Humboldt Brewery. I used used to collect these things. This is a fine city museum. There is good coverage of native American life in the area. Recommended.Written September 7, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- ericgoldmanMountain View, CA223 contributionsNote: Not everyone shares my passion for redwood forests. A common sentiment: if you’ve seen one redwood grove, you’ve seen them all. If you agree, then the Headwaters Forest Reserve probably isn’t for you.
About the Headwaters Forest Reserve
Redwood forests thrive in central and northern California’s coastal area. Loggers have logged old-growth redwood trees for 150+ years. The logging leads to second-growth groves, which are degraded both biologically and scenery-wise.
By the 1980s, few large areas of old-growth redwood groves hadn’t been logged and remained unprotected by the government. Headwaters Forest was the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest in private hands. Pacific Lumber owned it. Although all logging of old-growth redwoods hurts the ecosystem, Pacific Lumber was regarded as a relatively gentle land steward. That made them a juicy target for a corporate raider. Charles Hurwitz of Maxxam did a hostile takeover of Pacific Lumber and initiated more old-growth clear-cutting. Activists pushed back and turned Headwaters Forest into a cause celebre. This spurred Congress and California to purchase 7,472 acres of the Headwaters Forest for $380M.
There are two public access points. On the north side is the Elk River Trail, which the public can access without restriction. On the south side is the Salmon Pass Trail, which can be accessed only via a ranger-led tour. The reserve’s heart, about 2,500 acres of unbroken old-growth redwoods, has no public access.
The Elk River Trail
Access to the Elk River Trailhead is via the paved Elk River Road, about 15 minutes from Eureka. Along the way, check out the covered bridges at Zane’s Ranch and Bertas Ranch. The road ends at a paved parking lot.
The trail is 11 miles roundtrip. The trail has landmarks every mile:
* Mile 1: the paved trail ends at the site of Falk, an abandoned company town. There are few artifacts remaining. Check out this video on Falk. There are some picnic tables around here if you want to lunch with the mosquitos. The first mile had educational signage and two bypass trails on the southside. A short bypass is marked on the map; the longer bypass isn’t.
* Mile 2 bridge. More buggy picnic tables near here.
* Mile 3 bridge. The trail’s steepest and most overgrown parts start here.
* Mile 4 bridge (actually a small boarded crossing over a creek, and the map doesn’t depict a second boarded crossing soon after). We think the mile 4 bridge is more like 4.25 miles from the start.
* Mile 5: the beginning of the old-growth loop.
The mile-apart spacing of the landmarks made it easy to track our progress. At our hiking speed, each landmark was roughly 30 minutes apart. The trail is nicely graded, well-maintained, and well-signed, making navigation a breeze. Everything about the trail is in great condition.
The scenery is standard for the area. The first three miles follow the riverbed. We enjoyed snacking on trailside vine-ripened blackberries and other edible berries. We saw plenty of flowers in early August. Until the old-growth loop, the forests are clearly second-growth–nice but unremarkable. The trail’s big payoff is the old-growth loop. Still, per my introductory remarks, it looks like other old-growth redwood groves.
The bottom line: this is a lovely 5 hour hike through typical North California terrain. But if your goal is to see old-growth redwoods, you can find just-as-nice groves that are quicker to reach.
The Salmon Pass Trail
The Salmon Pass Trail requires advance reservations. The gathering point is at Newburg Park in Fortuna. A sign near the parking lot entrance lets you know you’re at the right place. Ranger Julie led our tour. She offered to give us a ride, but we followed her in our own car. The road to the trailhead passes over private property, so it is restricted by a gate. The road is mostly dirt/gravel and has a few steep parts that strained the Prius, but the Prius had enough ground clearance to handle the road.
Like the Elk River Trail, the Salmon Pass Trail hikes through logged areas to reach an old-growth redwood grove. The contrast between the logged and old-growth areas was stark. Some of the areas were clearcut within the last 40 years. Those areas are dominated by red alder trees that, over the centuries, will give way to the redwoods. As with the Elk River Trail, the old-growth grove is great but looks like other old-growth groves. Many redwoods were marked with blue paint, indicating that they had been scheduled for cutting. I’m so glad they survived. The trail runs about 4 miles, and our group spent about 3 hours on the trail (plus the drive time to/from Newburg Park to the trailhead).
If you have to pick between the Elk River and Salmon Pass trails, I’d recommend the Salmon Pass hike. Both trails are beautiful, but Salmon Pass is shorter and benefits from expert narration. However, if your schedule doesn’t sync with the Salmon Pass reservation options, you’ll still enjoy the Elk River trail a lot. If your goal is to experience an old-growth redwood grove with as little time investment as possible, then skip both hikes and go to the Avenue of the Giants, which has multiple awesome old-growth grove options right along the road.Written August 14, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Rex P AGilbert, AZ1 contributionI was born in Eureka and love the atmosphere. I have relatives in Eureka who have lived there for over 100 years. My family is from there and we have been living in the area since 1915.
Rex AltreeWritten January 16, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above hotel descriptions. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in one of these AI-generated descriptions is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
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