Exploring Trinidad and Patrick’s Point State Park
I had the pleasure the other day to take my wife, Tammi, out for a day trip to somewhere that she had never been. Wanting to just head out and hit the road, I had the idea of visiting a little village on the coast. Just an hour drive north of where we live is a small fishing village called Trinidad. A small village with very few residents and a lot of vacation rentals, it was nice to just sit and listen to the ocean for a bit. Watching the fishing boats come in with their daily catch and the families playing in the sand on the sunny day was a good break from the rat race of life.
Though a smaller coastal town compared to most California towns, this is a good stopping point if you are traveling through the area. With several eateries and gift shops to get out and stretch your legs, give this small town a try. If you’re up for an adventure, try hiking to the top of Trinidad Head.
Trinidad Head is a 1.7 mile loop trail that gives you the ability to breathe in some of the refreshing coastal air while getting a bit of exercise. Accessible year round, but I don’t recommend going during the rainy season, unless that’s your cup of tea. Bring your dog(s) and your camera because you are in for a real adventure. Trinidad Head trail does have a bit of difficulty and is not for everyone. Make sure to wear appropriate footwear and clothing as weather dictates.
Full of rich local history, Trinidad was home to the Yurok tribe when the Spanish Navy anchored and made landfall in 1775. With redwood trees on the hillside behind the small village and a safe harbor for ships and small boats to anchor in, it was only a matter of time before explorers figured out it was a great area to drop anchor and replenish.
Patrick’s Point State Park
I’ve always wanted to call this place St. Patrick’s park, but that’s just the Irish heritage in me trying to escape. Just 30 miles north of Eureka, California sits one of the most underrated state parks in California. I used to work north of Patrick’s Point and had to drive past it every time I went to see family, which was about every weekend. Each time I drove by I always made a mental note that I should stop in and see what’s there. Having lived near the ocean most of my life, I always thought that there wouldn’t be much to entertain me. Boy was I wrong.
When I pulled up to the guard shack with the park staff inside taking your money, I read the sign. $8.00 for a day visit. I thought, ‘Come on. Really? $8.00 to go and park at the ocean to see some waves crashing upon some rocks. Not for me.’ Just off to the right of the guard shack was the visitors center which was closed. I don’t know if that was because of the time of day or because of COVID, but I’m glad I didn’t stop because I have a very bad habit of buying mementoes everywhere I go and I am sure I would have spent more money than I needed to.
We drove into the park, following a big RV camper who I guess was going to one of the many campgrounds available to rent. Once the RV camper split off, we followed everyone else to the main parking lot. Let me tell you, I was stunned. Not only was I wrong about how “normal” it would be I couldn’t wait to get out of the car and get the cameras rolling.
First we headed to what I would consider the main attraction, Wedding Rock. We found the path and off we went. Cameras clicking away we were greeted with many picturesque views of the ocean, cliffs, trees and wildlife.
Down the path we went. As we were walking behind a group of people, we were also passing those returning to the parking lot. Some were out of breath, but all had smiles on their faces. There were a few areas hard to navigate on the path due to rain and water washing out some of the steps put in place by park staff. For the most part it is a fairly manageable path to your destination.
Wedding Rock is aptly named. Once you ascend to the rock you’ll see what I mean. What a perfect spot for a wedding. Providing the weather cooperates, since it was pretty windy when we arrived. I could see a movie being filmed here and I wouldn’t be surprised if there has been one already. I spent a few minutes catching my breath from the hike and admiring the surrounding area. What a magnificent view. I’ve been told certain times of the year you can spot whales migrating off in the distance. Unfortunately for us, this was not the case. After some time taking all the pictures we could, we decided it was time to move on and see what else there was of Patrick’s Point.
Getting back to the car seemed a lot quicker than getting to the Wedding Rock. I may suppose that’s true with any destination. After we reached the car, we grabbed some water and noticed another trailhead that people were going down. I thought, ‘What the hey, let’s get out and walk some more.’ After a few minutes and some very rickety steps all the brush cleared and we were treated to a wide open clearing that would be perfect to watch a sunset.
Once in the car we figured we had enough of our day trip adventure. As we were making our way out we saw a sign that read Sumeg Village. Instead of heading towards the exit, off we went in that direction. It was as if the road sign was telling us we were not finished here yet. This led us to another parking lot. This time right in front of us was a reconstructed Native American village. I’d never seen something like this except in photographs. I was immersed in a bygone era. With the cooperation of the Yurok tribe and staff at Patrick’s Point State Park they have recreated a traditional plank-house village. During the summer months you can witness traditional ceremonies here.
While we walked around the village, ducking in and out of the tiny holes used as doorways, we came upon some very tame deer. They were kind enough to let us get close enough to take some pictures of them, but we were cautious and kept a safe distance not to spook or harass them.
There are many places in the park that we did not get a chance to adventure to and hopefully one day we’ll go back. For now I am happy that we went and were able to experience this magnificent State Park. I hope that one day you will as well. Make sure you wear some comfortable hiking shoes and always be prepared for rain and/or fog.
We ended our day meeting up with a friend for dinner at the Samoa Cookhouse. Hopefully, in the near future, I will be able to write an article on this place. But for now, if you are looking for a good place for dinner for the whole family, look this place up.
