Eureka, California, is situated on the picturesque Humboldt Bay, the largest bay between San Francisco Bay to the south and Coos Bay, OR, to the north. Its waters and tidelands are a major stopping point on the Pacific Flyway. National, state, and local parks and refugees protect this habitat from further degradation.

In 1996 the concept of an Around-the-Bay trail network was endorsed by the majority of attendees at the Humboldt Bay Symposium. Such a trail network would connect these disparate public lands with a multi-use path.

This Visual Tour seeks to showcase the trail possibilities which, unknown to many, exist in Eureka. The city stretches along nearly 6 miles (9km) of bayshore and several large public natural resource areas already exist along the waterfront.

Reflecting the larger situation around the Bay, these resources are unpublicized and are not easy to continuously access by non-motorized means under enjoyable circumstances. As proposed, these resources would be connected by a multi-use Class One trail, where feasible. An example of such a trail can be found in McKinleyville along the Hammond Coastal Trail.

The Eureka's Local Coastal Program supports providing and preserving views to, "wetlands, Humboldt Bay and its islands, sloughs, agricultural-open space areas, the Samoa Peninsula, and the distant Coastal Range" as "important relief [from] the urban landscape" (IX-1).

Development policies cannot be single faceted. Quality of life must improve along side commercial and industrial development.

As you travel along with us we hope you too fall in love with Eureka's waterfront. Join us in advocating for a true waterfront trail to showcase our wonderful city.

A technical note: This tour is best enjoyed with your monitor set to thousands of colors and the brightness/contrast controls properly adjusted.

Start the tour...