Planning a Trip to Trinidad CA

Trinidad was stop number one on our US 101 road trip. This cute, little fishing town had stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and was a great home base for exploring the Redwoods. Planning a trip to Trinidad? We share nine things to do, six summer events, and where we stayed. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Things To Do

Touching a Giant Green Sea Anemone at Humboldt State University Marine Lab

Go to Kuchel Visitor Center to learn about the area, get park information, Ranger program details, and maps.
- During our February visit, there were Ranger-led forest walks on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm.
Hike Trillium Falls Trail.
- Under three miles and relatively easy.
- Trillium waterfall wasn’t that impressive but the old-growth redwoods were and that’s what we came to see!
- Starts at Elk Meadow Day Use off US 101. Great spot to see Roosevelt Elk. We saw a few around Noon and tons around 5 pm.
- If you are interested in other hikes in the area check out our 5 Tips for Hiking Fern Canyon in the Redwoods article which has links to trail and Redwood National Park maps.
Hike Trinidad Head.
- Beautiful views! Definitely take the spurs off the main trail. Pack a snack and enjoy it on one of the benches at the top.
- We took the stairs from the parking lot and then hiked counterclockwise. The climb is more gradual if you hike clockwise up the road but I prefer the counter-clockwise hike as you get the beautiful ocean views first.
- Check out the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse in its temporary location in the Trinidad Head parking lot. In 2018, due to coastal erosion, this replica of the Trinidad Lighthouse was moved to this location.
Visit Trinidad Head Lighthouse.
- The lighthouse is open on the first Saturday of each month. Grounds are open from sunrise to sunset with free guided tours from 10 am to Noon.
Take a short walk on the Trinidad Pier (aka Fisherman's Wharf).
- People were fishing from the pier. Some kids got bored with fishing and started feeding the seagulls.
- If you time it correctly you might catch one of the fishing boats pulling in.
- Seascape Restaurant and Pier is an option if you are hungry.
Go to the Humboldt State University Marine Lab.
- Admission is free.
- Very small but one aquarium had an octopus, and it was really cool to see it close up.
- Outside in the back, there is the Touch Tank. We touched Giant Green Sea Anemones and Starfish. That was really fun. The sea anemones were kind of sticky which I didn’t expect.
Visit Trinidad Museum.
- Winter hours were Thursday through Sunday from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
Take Scenic Drive to Moonstone Beach.
- Beware this road is narrow and in very rough shape but the views are pretty!
- Trailers\motorhomes should not take this road. A guest at Cher-Ae Heights Casino told us she got her truck with a camper stuck twice.
Go to Katy's Smokehouse and check out their selection of smoked fish.
- We absolutely loved their smoked albacore. Check out our Katy's Smokehouse Smoked Albacore article for the delicious meals we made.

Summer Events

Planning a visit during the Summer? Get more information about these summer events:

Trinidad Art Nights: May - October. First Friday from 6-9 pm. Art and performances. Check out their Facebook page here.
Trinidad Artisans Market: May 28 - mid-September. Sundays from 11 am - 3 pm. Art, crafts, and music. Check out their Facebook page here.
Trinidad Fish Festival: Father’s Day (June). Fish cuisine, live music, and a kid zone. More information here.
Westhaven Blackberry Festival: July. One day. Blackberry pies, jams, and other foods. Get more information here.
Trinidad Bay Art & Music Festival: August. Two weekends. Classical music. Find out more here.
Tastin’ Trinidad: September. One day. Tastes from local restaurants, winemakers, and breweries. More information here.

RV Camping

After a lot of research, we decided to dry camp at Cher-Ae Heights Casino and Bingo and this location turned out great. For $20 you can stay one to three nights and they even have a few water spigots if you need to top off your tanks.

The parking lot is unlevel but we had no issues getting level and being up high had its perks. Through the trees, you could see the ocean and the sunsets were beautiful! The road to the casino (Scenic Drive) is narrow with a few tight turns so take it slow and make you sure you approach from the north (exit 728) and not the south as Scenic Drive south of the casino is not appropriate for trailers\motorhomes.