Founded in 1850, the small town of Trinidad holds an official designation as the oldest town on the Northern California coast, having served as a vital link during the California Gold Rush.
While Trinidad is often overlooked as a coastal destination in NorCal, the rugged town is a gateway to nearly a dozen scenic protected beaches.
Here’s how to make the most of this historical coastal town in California.
History of Trinidad
The Indigenous Tsurai (Yurok) people originally inhabited today’s Trinidad, living in a small village of 10 to 12 houses where they held ceremonial events and maintained burial grounds.
Spanish expeditions arrived in 1775, claiming the port for Spain before Russian and other seafaring fur traders settled there in the early 1800s.
The settlement began its transformation into a Gold Rush boomtown in 1849, serving as a supply port for the region and earning its official designation on April 8, 1850. However, Trinidad’s significance faded as nearby Eureka and other port cities grew.
The white settlers claimed the site of the Tsurai village early on, but it continued to be inhabited by Yurok descendants until 1916, making it one of the oldest continually inhabited Native villages on the Redwood Coast. While the continuous residence has since come to an end, the Tsurai people still work to honor and protect their ancestral land here. Today, you can still see a stone marker and plaque honoring the original Tsurai village.
Beaches and things to do in Trinidad
About 300 residents live in the small, bluff-top community of Trinidad. You can explore a collection of galleries and small shops in the compact downtown or take a walk down the pier.
Many visitors take advantage of Trinidad’s proximity to about a dozen rugged public beaches and coastal getaways, most of which are part of the protected California Coastal National Monument:
- Trinidad State Beach
- College Cove
- Moonstone Beach
- Trinidad Head Beach
- Baker Beach
- Luffenholtz Beach
- Houda Point
- Agate Beach
- Little River State Beach
- Old Home Beach (Indian Beach)
- Freshwater Lagoon
- Stone Lagoon
- Big Lagoon
- Dry Lagoon
Other nearby destinations include Sue-meg State Park, known for its ancient redwood forest and reconstructed Native American villages; and Trinidad Head, a scenic coastal headland with a historic lighthouse.
