The Eureka City Trails include the Sequoia Park Trail, the Elk River Trail, the Cooper Gulch Trail and the Waterfront Trail and Promenade.

The Eureka Waterfront has tremendous value to the region’s economy; a diversity of ecological richness; and recreational possibilities galore. For those who know where to look, it is a waterfront of fabulous treasures and many personalities. It is a working waterfront, a wild waterfront, and an historic waterfront of opportunity that is vital to our future as a community.

The City of Eureka Trails Committee has a vision that the many waterfront attributes can be linked together with a Waterfront Trail & Promenade – an uninterrupted, alluring route that invites locals and visitors alike to explore the little known realm of the Eureka Slough, maritime splendor of the Inner Reach, historic charm of Old Town, activity of the working waterfront, and the wildlife sanctuaries and fine sandy beaches of the south waterfront. This pathway would be an important segment of the California Coastal Trail that, when complete, will stretch from Oregon to Mexico.

Waterfront Trail & Promenade Recommendations

The Committee’s recommendation to the City Council regarding the location and development of a contiguous 6.5mile Waterfront Trail & Promenade was made on May3, 2005. We propose a multi-faceted approach to fully realize the range of waterfront access opportunities – urban, commercial and natural settings require different designs and functions.

A combination of proposed facilities will support walking, bicycling, running, wheelchairs, strollers and in-line skates; groups of people or individuals walking their dogs; those who want to view and learn about Humboldt Bay and the natural, historic and working features along it; daytime frolic and relaxation at a number of trailheads; locals and visitors alike who know where to find and use this attractive, safe and welcoming pathway along Eureka’s collective ‘front yard’ that is Humboldt Bay.

Portions of the proposed trail system are in place: the Boardwalk in Old Town, trail near the Adorni Center, trail adjacent to Target Corporation, and trails in the Palco/Eureka Marsh and Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary.

As a community, we need to augment and complete what has been visioned in previous General Plans and what has been started but left incomplete. In the Waterfront Trail & Promenade Recommendations document, we provide recommendations as a first and general description of how to fill the ‘gaps’ between those trail segments to create a unified, vibrant system of trails, promenades and boardwalks along Eureka’s historic, wild and working waterfront.

The complete Waterfront Trail & Promenade Recommendations document (9.1MB PDF file) is available for download HERE.

Drawings and Maps:

Attachment B Figure 1: Eureka Slough Trail Conceptual Renderings (1MB PDF)

Attachment B Figure 2a: Waterfront Drive Promenade Cross Sections (660KB PDF)

Attachment B Figure 2b: Waterfront Drive Promenade Plan View (284KB PDF)

Attachment B Figure 3a: Elk River Access Project Map (1.3MB PDF)

Attachment B Figure 3b: Truesdale Vista Point Conceptual Plan (110KB PDF)

Attachment B Figure 4: Hilfiker Lane Conceptual Renderings (758KB PDF)

Aerial Photos with overlays:

Attachment C Figure 1: Eureka Slough (4.4MB PDF)

Attachment C Figure 2: Inner Reach (4.MB PDF)

Attachment C Figure 3: Old Town (4MB PDF)

Attachment C Figure 4: Working Waterfront (4MB PDF)

Attachment C Figure 5: South Waterfront (3.6MB PDF)


The RCAA also has more information about the Elk River Access Project on their web site:

http://www.nrsrcaa.org/elkriveraccess/

The Humboldt Bay Trails Feasibility Study is a look at the "big picture" of non-motorized access to and around Humboldt Bay in northwestern California. There are currently limited possibilities for people to easily access Humboldt Bay. This Study recommends ways to help the public become more familiar with the bay, with the primary long-term goal of fostering bay stewardship.

The Humboldt Bay Trails Feasibility Study