Trinidad Head
Humboldt Coast · near Trinidad · North Coast
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Apr for gray whales; seabird nesting spring–summer
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- whales · seals-otters · birds
- Species
- Gray whales, California sea lions, harbor seals, common murres, cormorants, tufted puffins (rare)
- Amenities
- Headland whale-watching loop · Seabird rocks (national refuge) · Picturesque fishing harbor · Tidepools nearby
- Best for
- Headland whale & seabird watching
- Features
- Gray whale overlook · Nesting seabird rocks · Classic fishing harbor · Coastal loop trail
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Steep headland trail · Wind, fog & slick rocks · Unfenced cliff viewpoints · Rough offshore boating conditions
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- moderate
- Habitat
- coast
- Sighting
- 3
- Viewing notes
- A rocky headland above a picturesque harbor — a fine perch for spotting gray whales, sea lions, and nesting seabirds on the offshore rocks of a national wildlife refuge
- Intl tip
- A bold rocky headland above a picturesque fishing harbor on the Humboldt coast — a classic wildlife perch. A moderate loop trail reaches breezy overlooks: migrating gray whales in winter and spring, sea lions and harbor seals on the rocks, and offshore refuge rocks full of nesting murres, cormorants, and gulls (puffins are a rare treat). Tidepools on nearby beaches. Scenic but windy/foggy/slick with unfenced viewpoints — good shoes, stay back from the edge.
The guide
Trinidad Head, a bold rocky promontory guarding one of the prettiest little harbors on the California coast, is a classic North…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Trinidad Head — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.06, -124.15