Arcata

Arcata is a city in the North Coast of California. Arcata is a small university town on the north end of Humboldt Bay. It is well known for its hippie counter culture, progressive politics, and vegetarian restaurants. Arcata is the perfect place to relax while enjoying fresh air, the ocean, and the tallest trees on Earth. The pace of things is quite calm here, with usually as many bicyclists or people on foot as cars go by.

Understand
Sometimes referred to as being "behind the Redwood Curtain", Arcata has a unique culture that prides itself on all things alternative, and on localism and self-reliance above most everything else.

Due to its tolerant residents, Arcata attracts a large transient population. Most of these people are harmless "dharma bums". Expect to be asked for change every so often, but don't feel pressured to give any.

By car

 * US 101.svg & California 299.svg: There are two highway to Arcata: the 101, which runs north and south. Arcata is 7 hours south of Portland and 5 hours north of San Francisco. Highway 299 runs to Redding, 3 hours east, where it connects to Interstate 5.
 * Check to see if there are road closures before traveling in and out of the area. In the winter months heavy rains can cause flooding and mudslides on the 101.

By bus
, is Arcata's central bus station for the local city buses (A&MRTS) and other bus lines. The station is located at 925 'E' St, a couple of blocks east of the central plaza along 9th St. It is served by:

By plane

 * is a regional airport located north in the town of McKinleyville serving McKinleyville, Arcata, Eureka and other cities and towns in Humboldt County. The airport is served by Skywest Airlines as United Express to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver, and by Avelo to Burbank and Las Vegas.

Get around

 * Arcata is the perfect walking town. Park near the Arcata Plaza and walk to numerous book stores, shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and banks, all within a few blocks of each other. Walk a little further to visit Cal Poly Humboldt, the Arcata Community Forest, or the Arcata Marsh. A remarkable walking experience would be walking in the Community Forest alongside The Jolly Giant stream. Remember respecting Nature, it's precious here!
 * Bike lanes abound. Drivers are generally used to and tolerant of bicyclists sharing the road, but as always, ride safely.  If your bike breaks down, then Revolution Bicycle Repair is probably your best bet to get it fixed.
 * The Arcata and Mad River Transit System (A&MRTS) operates the Red, Gold, and Orange bus routes in Arcata. The Red and Gold routes operate on Monday-Friday, and the Orange route operates on Saturday.  There is no bus service on the A&MRTS on Sunday.

See

 * Every Saturday morning in the spring, summer, and fall there is a farmers market on the central plaza.
 * People-watching on the Plaza is always a popular choice. Feel free to kick back on the grass and view a cross-section of the people who make Arcata Arcata!
 * Arcata is filled with vintage Victorian homes that are well cared for. Drive through the streets of Arcata for a tour.
 * Right behind the university is the Arcata Community Forest. If you see one thing in Arcata, this should be it.  The transition from the university housing to a rainforest filled with ferns, rare birds and other animals, and crisscrossing footpaths along and over wooded streams coursing around older-than-ancient redwood trees, is truly awe-inspiring.

Do
Arcata is less than 10 minutes from several scenic beaches, which are perfect for family outings, surfing, skimboarding, and all other beach activities.

You can go on a stroll of Downtown and take a tour of the public sculptures.



Night life
Arcata's nightlife is condensed into a few square blocks, which is great because you can bar hop without ever having to drive your car; the police like this as well.

There are a couple local venues to catch live music in town some nights, including a couple of the bars on the plaza and Humboldt Brewery (10th & I).



Listen

 * KSLG. Humboldts New Rock - Tune into stream
 * KHUM. Radio Without the Rules - Tune into stream
 * KHSU. Diverse Public Radio - Tune into stream
 * KMUD. Redwood Community Radio - Tune into stream

Go next

 * Redwood National and State Parks is only a 45-minute drive to the north, with the southern boundary near Orick. Arcata is a great jumping-off point for visiting the ancient ecosystems that are protected inside the park boundary.