Sequoia Park Zoo

       

  Farm animals and birds are the most numerous animals in this small zoo but there are few more exotic types such as red pandas and bush dogs. Tall redwood trees and massive stumps provide a nice backdrop and all of the animals and their surroundings are very well cared for. The displays in the activity center are interesting and informative.

    Most of the paths are paved. Many of the animal enclosures have railings at a height that blocks the view for visitors in wheelchairs. The activity center is accessible.

   The zoo is in the middle of a residential neighborhood and does not have a parking lot but ample parking is available on the street.  Zoo   40.77687, -124.14456

Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center and Trails

  The site of Arcata Marsh, which is located adjacent to the city’s wastewater plant, was used by lumber mills and as a landfill until 1973 when the landfill was closed and capped. In 1974 California passed strict laws on the discharge of wastewater into bays and estuaries. Rather than building a new wastewater plant experiments were conducted on the effectiveness of running the partially treated wastewater through a natural system of marshes. The idea worked well and now the marsh is a popular place for walking, jogging, and bird watching. Five miles of innerconnecting trails that loop around the ponds allow visitors to choose a walking distance.

       The small visitor center is accessible. The hard packed dirt and gravel trails trails are mostly level but wheelchair users may need assistance on the hilly sections.

The parking lot has long RV/bus spaces.  Marsh   40.85936, -124.08975

Wooden Sculpture Garden of Romano Gabriel

  The sculpture garden is the result of 30 years work by Romano Gabriel. The artwork, crafted from vegetable crates, originally filled his 30’ X 60’ front yard, almost blocking the view of his house. When Romano died the art was bought by the Vellutini family and donated to the city. It is now installed behind glass on 2nd Street in Old Town Eureka. Glare on the glass makes it hard to see all of the sculptures. It does not seem like all of the sculptures are on view but there’s no mention of more in storage.

 

   The garden is accessible.

   Parking is available on the street.  Garden  40.80428, -124.16836

Clarke Historical Museum

  Housed in the former Bank of Eureka built in 1911, the museum has donated collections of mounted birds, Victorian furniture, fire arms, a complete pharmacy, quilts, including one made as a gift for General Grant, and a collection of beautiful Native American baskets.

 

 

  

  The accessible entrance is on the north side of the building. Ring the bell for entry.

  Parking is available on the street or three blocks north of the museum in the gravel lot on 1st Street. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition. Museum   40.80381, -124.16767

Humboldt Botanical Garden

   Formal arranged gardens, woodland trails, and meadow paths are featured on this 44.5 acre site.

 

   The ornamental terrace garden and the path to the riparian  viewing platform are marked as accessible on the garden brochure but loose gravel and steep terrain will make assistance necessary for most visitors using wheelchairs. The rest of the garden is not accessible due to steep terrain.

   The entrance road is narrow, steep, and shared with students of the truck driving school so use caution. The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Garden  40.70248, -124.20291 

Ferndale Museum

  The flat and fertile land of the  Eel River flood plan attracted settlers from England, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Portugal. After discovering that crops did not thrive in the cool, foggy coastal climate most of the settlers began raising dairy cattle. Ferndale butter, considered the finest in the state, earned the town the title of “Cream City”. Customers were willing to pay premium prices for the butter leading to the rise of large Victorian houses with elaborate gingerbread trim. The houses are in remarkable condition. The town never grew beyond a square mile of residential area with a peak of 1,371 people so it’s retained a small town charm and a leisurely walk will take you past the most impressive buildings.

 

  The Ferndale Museum has hundreds of donated items grouped together by their common purpose or nicely arranged to form period room settings. We had a personal tour by Lynn Lourenco, the museum director, but I don’t know if that’s standard procedure.

  The museum is accessible. The basement level is accessed by a second exterior door on the left side of the building. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in fairly good condition.

  The bridge that crosses the Eel River on the road to Ferndale is very narrow so the crossing is a little nerve wracking. RVs may be parked on the street.    Museum   40.57817, -124.26341

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

  Historically Salmon Creek delta was a tidal salt marsh with sloughs, ponds and oxbows but in the early 1900s settlers constructed dikes and levees, drained salt marshes, straightened stream channels, and installed tide-gates to create grazing land. The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1971 and restoration efforts began. The refuge supports over 316 species of birds and 40 species of mammals and provides habitat for approximately 100 species of fish and marine invertebrates.

        

  The refuge is a beautiful place! The Salmon Creek Unit has a small visitor center and a 1.7 mile trail that travels through different habitats. A short boardwalk leads to interpretive signs about the 1900s farm buildings that are still standing.

         

  The trail is hard packed dirt and gravel and almost level so rolling is fairly easy.

  Long RV/bus spaces are available. Refuge   40.68607, -124.20612