Trinidad, California Beach Directory

With more beaches than most cities, Trinidad, California, offers a variety of stunning beaches. Each beach offers unique charm and activities. All Trinidad beaches provide a wonderful destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Some of the beaches require deep descents down steep stairs while others allow wave watching from a car. Only 320 residents live in this wonderful seaside community.

Activities in Trinidad’s Beaches Include:

Bird watching, beach walks, hiking trails, picnics, wine tasting, celebrations, weddings, kayaking, fishing, deep-sea fishing charters, surfing, tide pools, unbelievable sunsets, redwood forests, rugged rock formations, smooth sand, bathing suit optional, camping at some beaches, and more! 

In the beaches listed below, the activities added are what the particular beach is noted for. All beaches enjoy scenic beauty and spectacular sunsets.

Big Lagoon County Park

Big Lagoon County Park includes a beautiful lagoon and a sandy beach. The lagoon’s calm waters encourage kayaking and paddle boarding, making it a great destination for water enthusiasts. Free Parking and restrooms. (Park here, hike uphill to the state park next door, play at the park, and then it’s downhill back to your car. This beach makes it easy for folks who don’t want to hike back uphill at day’s end.)
Activities: Kayaking, paddle boarding, sightseeing, birdwatching

Sue-meg State Park, formerly Patrick’s Point State Park

There is a fee depending on age and activity.
This 640-acre state park contains over 100 campsites for tents and RVs. Summer reservations are suggested and RVs have a length restriction. Enjoy waves and tide pools homes to seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. Find a visitor center, a native plant garden, and a must-see reconstructed Yurok redwood plank-house village. You can picnic or wake up to birdsong at one of three campgrounds. In summer, you can witness a traditional ceremony at Sumêg Village or take a hike led by a docent or professional naturalist. Trails, campgrounds, a historic Native American village, viewpoints, tidepools, a long sandy beach, and the following five beaches that stand alone as an attraction: 

Agate Beach

As the name suggests, Agate Beach is known for its abundance of agates and other colorful stones. The beach is easily accessible and provides a great opportunity for rock hounding. Activities: Rock collecting, beach walks.

Agate Beach Hiking Trail

A separate entrance to Agate Beach is cliffside. Hikers park here and hike the scenic route down to the sand beach below.Activities: Hiking, picnicking, sightseeing.

Wedding Rock

A popular wedding destination site, Wedding Rock holds adventure, excitement, and magnificent vistas. Explore trails, ocean overlooks, rock climbing areas, and a rocky shoreline. It’s located in the center of the park near Patrick’s Point and Rocky Point. Hike up to Lookout Rock and Centennial Rock for different vantages from these high points.

Cannonball Beach at Palmer’s Point Tide Pools

Huge boulders scattered about make this beach interesting but not easy to navigate. You’ll find all sorts of interesting rocks and shells. Dogs on leash
Picnicking, beachcombing. naturalist sunbathing

College Cove Beach & Falls

You get a workout hiking down & back to this Trinidad beach.
Some say College Cove is California’s most beautiful beach. Surrounded by mature redwood trees, the circularredwood forest parking lot sets the stage for exploration. Trails wind in tempting directions, leading adventurers to discover the wonders of the coastline. Sheltered by a crescent-shaped cliffside hiking trail, the sandy beach stays out of the wind. Without cold winds, the sun heats the sand. College Cove between cliffs offers shelter from the wind and a more private and intimate setting. The beach is surrounded by a lush forested area, providing a peaceful escape. Little waterfalls complete the magical setting. Bathing suits optional. There is s simple way to get to this beach from the parking lot at the Lighthouse and pier. You just have to swim around big rocks or walk through the water at low tide.

Trinidad State Beach

Trinidad State Beach is a wide sandy stretch with panoramic views of Trinidad Head. It features sea caves, tide pools, and easy access to Trinidad Harbor. 

Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse Beach

There’s a beach parking lot at Trinidad Head (a beautiful rounded hill) the historic Lighthouse, and Seascape Restaurant. It’s a panoramic hike up Trinidad Head head. The beach on the ocean side gets magnificent sunsets. Early risers see the sunrise over the bay from the same vantage point. This is where we like to go for a walk at sunset after an early dinner at the best place for Clam Chowder and fresh Fish & Chips—Seascape Restaurant. The little pier is great for fishing.. 

Launcher Beach at the Base of Trinidad Head

Near the boat launch, there are tide pools with abundant starfish in unusual colors. They look fake until they move! Great place to launch a kayak.  Easy walk to the beach which may get covered by high tide. The tide pools fascinate children. You can take a kayak out and catch crabs. Or charter a deep-sea fishing yacht and catch the best rockfish.

Old Home Beach, Trinidad

Old Home Beach is a cozy cove with a sheltered atmosphere, ideal for a quiet day by the sea. It provides stunning views of Trinidad Harbor and the surrounding cliffs. Activities: Relaxing, beach walks

Baker Beach

Baker Beach is a small cove with a sandy shoreline, surrounded by cliffs and natural beauty. It’s a serene spot, often less crowded than other beaches in Trinidad. Activities: Beach picnics, sunbathing.

 Luffenholtz Beach Humboldt County Park

Luffenholtz Beach is known for its rugged beauty, with offshore rocks and a scenic overlook. Surrounded by lush greenery, Luffenholtz Beach provides an excellent vantage point for whale watching during migration seasons.
Activities: Photography, whale watching.

Parking is limited along the cliffs. Beach access is down steep steps. Hiking poles help people who might have difficulties navigating the trail.

Houda Point Beach & Camel Rock

Houda Point Beach is a secluded spot known for its scenic cliffs and rocky coastline. It’s a favorite among surfers for its consistent waves. Activities: Surfing, photography.

Osurg Sea Cave & Osurg Blow Hole

Osurg, a Yurok word meaning blow hole fascinates adventurers. Toward the back of the cave, a natural ventilation opening blasts showers of spray during storms.  In geology, a blowhole or marine geyser is formed as sea caves grow landward and upward into vertical shafts and expose themselves toward the surface, … places where the wave energy gets compressed into one long, fiery shot upwards. You have to walk at low tide north of Moonstone Beach to access Osurg Sea Cave. Don’t enter the cave when the tide is coming in. It’s not safe.

Moonstone Beach

Moonstone Beach is famous for its unique moonstones scattered along the shoreline. The beach offers stunning views of sea stacks and is a popular spot for tidepooling. Easy access with no cliff hike. Free parking fills up for weddings.
Activities: Tidepool exploration, beachcombing.

Get off the 101 at Westven and turn towards the ocean. Go south on Scenic Dr until the first sharp right. Moonstone Grill Restaurant is on your left. Keep heading to the beach and find the parking lot on your left. You can sit in your car and watch the gorgeous sunset. It’s a perfect Beach to take those who can’t hike.

Moonstone Beach County Park

100 Moonstone Beach Rd, Trinidad, CA 95570 Caves, River, Tide Pools
At the north side of the Little River mouth near Trinidad, you’ll find Moonstone Beach County Park. Moonstone Beach features Surfers and families love playing in the warm summer water which moves slowly in the river’s current. Photographers find sea stacks and the two-humped Camel Rock in the distance.
Free parking. Dogs allowed off-leash.
Activities: Surfing, Beachcombing, Equestrian Use, Sea Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Tidepooling
Conveniences: Toilets, Restaurant hours vary

Little River State Park

Little River State Beach contains a long wide sandy beach and sand dunes. The county park lies just south of Little River and you can usually wade across the river. hidden caves at low tides.
Free parking.
Activities: Hiking, Beachcombing, Clam Digging

Clam Beach County Park

Clam Beach County Park is a pristine coastal destination located in Humboldt County, California, renowned for its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. Miles of sandy beach with wildlife viewing. Enjoy sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, and building sandcastles. Gentle waves are perfect for bodyboarding and learning how to ride a surfboard. Designated picnic areas with tables, benches, and barbecue pits make it the perfect spot for a seaside picnic with family and friends.

Are you looking for something a little more adventurous?

Ossagon Creek Beach, formerly Butler Creek Beach

One of the northernmost beaches in the Gold Bluffs area near Orick. California, Ossagon Creek Beach requires hiking 1.7 miles. You may hike or bike from the Fern Canyon Beach parking lot. Or, hike the trail from Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park through old-growth redwoods and wade through a creek to the beach. Free parking at the trailhead.
Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Beach Exploration, Camping. AThis beach is 32 Miles North from Trinidad State Beach North of Trinidad Head,

You could say it’s off the beaten path, but actually, it’s on a beaten path.