Things to Do in Humboldt: My Guide to Redwoods, Coast and Good Food
Sara Jean shares 28 places in her updated Humboldt guide, grouped into redwood outings, coastal days, food stops, groceries and farther side trips.
By Sara Jean · Reviewed September 24, 2026
When you come to Wilding Retreat, I want you to have choices without feeling that you need to fit everything into one visit. Some days might call for a redwood walk and a meal out. Others might be for an ocean outing, gathering supplies or coming back early with a book.
This is an updated version of my Dark Fairy Farms guidebook, with 28 places gathered into outings you can consider from Miranda. Wilding Retreat welcomes up to two guests, so whether you are arriving alone or with someone, you can choose a pace that suits your stay.
Most of these places are in Humboldt County. I've separated the Mendocino County stops to the south and Trees of Mystery in Del Norte County to the north. They are possibilities for a longer excursion or your journey here, rather than nearby stops to squeeze into a quiet afternoon.
Use this as a menu of possibilities for your #VisitHumboldt plans. Choose one area and one main experience, then add food or another stop if you still feel like it. Admissions, transport, restaurant meals and outside activities are separate from your retreat unless your booking explicitly says otherwise.
Before you go, use the links below for current opening days, menus, admission and access information, and contact a venue if your visit depends on a particular service. Then put the planning away and give yourself some room to enjoy the day.
Begin near Miranda: the Avenue of the Giants
This is a natural place to start if you want redwoods without building the whole day around a longer drive. Visit Humboldt's Avenue of the Giants guide introduces the scenic route through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Decide which stops interest you before leaving, and give yourself enough time to enjoy one of them properly.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center
Photo: Sarah Stierch · CC0 1.0
Begin with a little context for the forest around you. The visitor center has exhibits, educational materials and a gift shop, with information about the redwoods and the work of protecting them. It gives you something to carry into the forest besides your camera.
For a solo outing, you might start here, ask about a walk that fits your energy and then take your time along the Avenue. State Parks' visitor information is the place to begin planning.
Founders Grove
Founders Grove offers a self-guided nature loop that State Parks lists as 0.6 miles and level. Along the route are the Founders Tree and the fallen Dyerville Giant, a reminder that a forest's life continues even after a great tree comes down.
This can be the main event of a quiet morning: a short walk with plenty of time to look closely. Read the official trail description, choose footwear for the conditions and let your pace be your own.
Shrine Drive Thru Tree
Photo: Jan Kronsell · Public domain
The Shrine tree in Myers Flat brings a little roadside playfulness to an Avenue outing. The county tourism guide also lists tree houses and a walk-through stump, so there is more to the stop than the familiar car-in-a-tree photograph.
It is listed as a seasonal attraction with winter closure. Follow the operator's guidance about whether your vehicle fits; enjoying the tree does not require squeezing through it. Pair it with a grove walk if you would like two very different redwood experiences.
Redwood Palace
Redwood Palace is a dinner option right in Miranda, with a menu that includes dishes such as pasta, burgers and its featured ribeye, alongside wine and craft beer. You can browse the restaurant's own menu and decide what kind of evening you feel like having.
After a day on the Avenue, keeping dinner in the same area leaves more room to sit and enjoy your meal. Take a book if you like eating with one, or let dinner be a little time away from your screen.
Chimney Tree Grill
Photo source: Chimney Tree Grill
Chimney Tree Grill pairs a meal stop in Phillipsville with the Living Chimney Tree. The local Avenue guide lists burgers, fish and chips, vegetarian options and milkshakes, giving this redwood stop a different feel from a packed picnic.
Consider it when you want food and a roadside attraction in the same outing. You can keep the rest of the afternoon light rather than following lunch with another long drive. The grill's service is seasonal, so check ahead when planning a visit around it.
Redway and Garberville: food, coffee and a park stop
These are useful places to consider for a town outing or alongside practical errands. You do not need to turn breakfast, coffee and lunch into three separate commitments. Pick what sounds good, allow time to enjoy it and leave the rest for another day.
The Lost Frenchman
Photo source: The Lost Frenchman
The Lost Frenchman in Redway offers wood-fired pizza, a juice bar and a broader menu of meals, with a dining room and outdoor patio described on its own website.
It is an option for turning a practical Redway trip into a proper pause. Have your errands in mind, then give the meal its own space rather than eating between stops. You might choose a pizza and settle in, or see what else on the menu suits the day.
Woodrose Cafe
Woodrose Cafe in Garberville focuses on natural and organic ingredients, with breakfast and lunch menus on the cafe's website. It offers a starting point for a town morning before you pick up supplies or head toward an afternoon outing.
If breakfast is usually something you rush through, you could give it more time here. Bring your journal, make a small plan for the day and leave enough room to change your mind. The whole morning does not need to be an itinerary.
Signature Organic Coffee
Photo source: Signature Organic Coffee
Signature's Redway roastery and coffee bar invite visitors to see coffee being roasted. For someone who enjoys the ritual as much as the drink, that gives a short coffee stop something extra to notice. The roastery's visitor page introduces the location.
Make it the beginning of a Redway outing or a reason for a small trip of its own. If you are buying beans for your stay, check your accommodation's brewing setup first; you may also enjoy taking some home.
Tooby Memorial Park
Photo source: Tooby Memorial Park
In my original guidebook, I noted Tooby as a place to take your dogs, with community gardens and walking trails across the road. It is part of the larger Southern Humboldt Community Park, with a sunny picnic area, a fenced playground and a redwood grove.
You might bring lunch and leave time for a walk through the broader park. Dogs must stay on leash and out of the children's play area. The park's visitor page will help you find your way around.
Grocery stops: make the rest of the stay easier
Buying the few things you actually need can be part of an unhurried day out. Check your booking's meal arrangements first, make a short list and think about how you will keep any perishable food cool on the way back. Product selection can change, particularly for specific dietary requirements.
Ray's Food Place
Photo source: Ray's Food Place · Official online-store banner
Ray's is the supermarket option in my guidebook. Its Garberville store page identifies the Redwood Drive branch, a useful choice to consider for a fuller grocery shop while you are already in town.
Think about the meals you will be arranging yourself and buy for those, rather than for an imaginary week of elaborate cooking. A few breakfast essentials, something for an outing and food you enjoy coming back to can make the rest of your stay feel simpler.
Chautauqua Natural Foods
Photo source: Chautauqua Natural Foods
Chautauqua Natural Foods is an organic grocery on Locust Street in Garberville. If natural-food staples are on your list, it is another place to consider during a town outing. The store's own website has its location and contact information.
Make a little room to browse while keeping your actual needs in mind. You could combine the stop with a meal in Garberville, then return with the supplies for a quieter day at the retreat. Ask the store about any specific dietary requirements.
Miranda Market
Photo source: Miranda Market · Archive photo, 2015
Miranda Market, also listed as Miranda Market & Deli, offers groceries and a deli along the Avenue. It gives you an option for gathering a few essentials while you are in Miranda, without making every supply run a trip to Garberville.
The local Avenue directory includes the market among its food stops. Consider it when planning a simple picnic or topping up the items you need for your stay. Combining supplies with an outing can leave the next morning free.
Choose a Lost Coast outing with room for the drive
Shelter Cove and Mattole are coastal destinations that deserve deliberate planning from Miranda. Choose between them for a relaxed outing rather than treating the coastline as a quick connection between stops. Look at the full road route, conditions and return journey before committing to the day.
Shelter Cove
Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shelter Cove is a southern Humboldt community on the Lost Coast, where the ocean can become the focus of the day. Let the outing have enough space for the journey and time at the coast, rather than immediately moving on to another beach.
The local district's introduction and local tourism guide offer a starting point. Choose a place to enjoy the view, have a meal if you wish and plan the return before you are tired. Coastal viewpoints and beaches are not a promise of safe swimming.
Gyppo Ale Mill
Gyppo Ale Mill is a restaurant and brewery in Shelter Cove, with a beer garden, its own beers and a kitchen described as making food from scratch. Its food and event pages can help you decide whether to make it part of your coastal day.
The appeal of pairing it with Shelter Cove is simple: you can sit down for a meal without adding another town to your route. Look at the event calendar if you would enjoy music or company, and choose a nonalcoholic drink if you are driving.
Mattole Beach
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0
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At Mattole, the river estuary, dunes and beach give you a different view of the Lost Coast. Beach access is through the BLM campground area near Petrolia. Make this a deliberate coastal excursion with your supplies and return route arranged, rather than a quick detour.
The BLM visitor guide notes no potable water and limited or absent cell service, and warns against ocean swimming. Enjoy the shore from a safe distance. Continuing onto the Lost Coast Trail requires separate preparation for its tide-dependent sections.
Ferndale and the bay: give a northern outing a focus
If you want a day away from the Avenue, consider a town visit, a coastal stop or time looking for wildlife. These places can shape a longer outing north from Miranda, but you do not need to combine all of them. Let the weather, current access and your energy decide what belongs together.
Ferndale
Photo: Ellin Beltz · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ferndale's historic Main Street, Victorian architecture and independent shops offer a different kind of day from a forest walk. The Chamber's visitor guide introduces the town's shopping, dining and current events.
You could choose one shop or meal as your starting point and allow time to wander from there. Look up at the buildings as well as into the windows. For a solo retreat, a town outing can offer a little conversation and browsing without needing a full schedule.
Centerville Beach County Park
Photo: Ellin Beltz · Public domain
Centerville Beach is west of Ferndale along Centerville Road, making it a possible coastal addition to a town outing. If you would like some ocean time after browsing Main Street, leave room for the extra drive and a change into warmer layers.
The county park information notes limited parking and no restroom, so plan those practical needs in town. At the beach, keep well back from the surf and let the view come to you rather than chasing it to the water's edge.
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain
The refuge gives you a reason to be still and look: coastal habitats, wildlife and the small movements you notice when you stop hurrying. Bring binoculars if you enjoy them, and let sightings be a possibility rather than a requirement for a good day.
There is a specific access issue to check. On September 24, 2026, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed Hookton Slough's parking area, trail and boat launch as closed through October 2 for resurfacing. Read the current notice before choosing your visitor area; reopening is not guaranteed by the listed date.
Eureka: choose an attraction and a meal
Eureka is a longer town outing from Miranda. If one of these places appeals to you, let it be the reason for the drive. A main attraction and a meal can make a full day without adding every other northern stop in this guide.
Sequoia Park Zoo
Photo source: Redwood Sky Walk / Sequoia Park Zoo
Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka offers a structured outing with animals and the Redwood Sky Walk, whose entrance is inside the zoo. If you want a day with a clear destination, this can be your main activity rather than one stop among many.
Explore the zoo's official visitor information to choose what interests you and review access needs. Leave time to pause between exhibits and enjoy the forest setting. You can make a day of the zoo and a meal without travelling farther north.
Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe
Photo by Alan LeClair: Courtesy VisitRedwoods.com · VisitRedwoods.com stock-photo permission for online travel stories
The guidebook's Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe is the restaurant on Fourth Street in Eureka, distinct from the company's production brewery address. The restaurant page links its menu and introduces its beers.
Consider it as a meal stop around a Eureka outing, with time to sit down before your drive back. Confirm restaurant service directly before planning around it. If you want to try a beer, arrange a sober driver; a solo road day calls for a nonalcoholic choice.
Trinidad and the northern Humboldt coast
This is another longer outing from Miranda. Moonstone Beach, Larrupin’ Cafe, Trinidad Head and Sue-meg offer different ways to spend time near the ocean. Choose the experiences that fit your day instead of turning all four into an obligatory circuit.
Moonstone Beach
This is Humboldt County's Moonstone Beach near Little River and Trinidad, with sand and coastal scenery that can be the focus of a northern outing. It is a different place from the Moonstone Beach in Cambria.
Use the county park page to orient yourself, bring a layer for the wind and find a comfortable place well away from the surf. You might spend time watching the changing light or simply looking out to sea before continuing to a meal nearby.
Larrupin' Cafe
Photo source: The Larrupin Cafe
For dinner after a day around Trinidad, consider Larrupin' Cafe at 1658 Patrick's Point Drive. The restaurant works with local ingredients, and its menu includes seafood, mesquite barbecue and vegetarian choices. That gives you a few different directions to take when you sit down to eat.
You could pair a daylight walk at Trinidad Head with dinner here, leaving room between the two so the afternoon stays easy. Look over the menu and call ahead to reserve, especially if this meal is part of the day you have in mind.
Trinidad Head Trail
Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Make Trinidad Head a coastal stop of its own, with time for the headland walk and ocean views. It gives you a different perspective from the beach and pairs with dinner at Larrupin' Cafe afterward. Choose a daylight walk, bring layers and shoes with grip, and use the BLM route map to decide whether the terrain suits your day.
Leave room to pause where the footing and route allow. Walking the headland does not automatically include lighthouse entry; check the separate lighthouse visitor information if you want to include it.
Sue-Meg State Park
Sue-meg brings forest and ocean-headland scenery together north of Trinidad. It can be the main destination for a northern coastal day, with time to choose a route and enjoy where it takes you. Older maps may use its former name, Patrick's Point.
At the September 24, 2026 check, State Parks listed Palmers Point Trail as closed until further notice because storm damage made beach access unsafe. Follow that closure and ask about open alternatives; choose your route from the current information rather than an old photograph.
Mendocino County side trips: south toward Piercy and Leggett
The next three places are outside Humboldt County. They may fit an arrival or departure journey from the south, or a separate excursion if you want a day of roadside attractions. Allow for the stop itself as well as the drive, and keep your confirmed retreat arrival window in mind.
The Peg House
Photo: Sarah Stierch · CC BY 4.0
The Peg House in Leggett is one place where my original guidebook gets enthusiastic: I called out the food, multiple vegan options and the unusual gift shop. A meal and a browse can make this a satisfying break in a southern road journey.
The business's website describes its grill, deli and store. Ask about today's vegan choices if that is part of the draw for you, then leave a little time for the shop. There is no need to rush straight back to the car.
Confusion Hill
Photo: Pamla J. Eisenberg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Confusion Hill in Piercy offers the Gravity House, a redwood shoe house and a miniature mountain train among its roadside attractions. It brings a playful change of mood if your retreat plans have room for curiosity and a little silliness.
Use the operator's attraction information to see what is available, especially if the train is what interests you. You could make it one stop on a southern journey and enjoy the novelty without turning the rest of the day into a string of attractions.
Drive-Thru Tree Park
Photo: Joshua Ganderson · CC BY 2.0
This guidebook stop is the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree in Leggett, separate from the Shrine tree in Myers Flat. The park's official site describes options to walk or drive through the opening, with a bypass for vehicles that are too large.
Follow the operator's guidance about fit, and remember that opening depends on weather. A photograph on foot can be part of the fun too. If you are already travelling through Leggett, this can be a deliberate break in the journey rather than an extra drive from Miranda.
A farther northern side trip: Del Norte County
Trees of Mystery
Photo: Jeff Hollett (jhvanwa) · CC0 1.0
Trees of Mystery is near Klamath in Del Norte County, beyond Humboldt. Its canopy trail takes visitors up among the trees, while the SkyTrail uses enclosed gondolas to travel through the forest. Browse the operator's visitor guide to see which experiences appeal to you and review access needs.
From Miranda, give this a substantial northern excursion or a place on a longer road trip. If the journey would take over the quiet day you wanted, save it for another visit. The redwoods near your retreat are worth your time too.
Before you head out
Fill up on fuel before heading back up the hill, carry reusable water bottles and bring walking shoes, an extra layer and a headlamp. Save the information you need while you have service. Check Caltrans QuickMap for state-highway conditions and the relevant park or county source for local access.
For coastal outings, read the National Park Service's regional ocean-safety guidance. Sneaker waves, cold water and changing tides deserve attention even on a beautiful day. Stay on open routes, keep wildlife at a distance and do not assume a beach is suitable for swimming.
Bring these ideas back to the kind of stay you want. A grove and lunch might be plenty. A grocery stop followed by an afternoon at the retreat might be exactly right. Leave room for the day to surprise you a little.
Warmly,
Sara Jean
Keep planning your stay
Make Wilding Retreat your Humboldt home base
Spend the day among the redwoods or exploring the coast, then come back to a slower pace at Wilding Retreat. My off-grid retreat in Miranda gives you a place to settle in, enjoy the quiet and make this visit your own. I'd love to welcome you.
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