The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that target shooting on the Eel River bar near Fernbridge is illegal under county code after fielding a rash of reports about shooting activity in the area with the potential to harm people and livestock. Back in July of 2018, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors passed […]
Eel River
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Over the Rainbow: A North Coast Fantasy
I’ve been tripping around in the night light of California’s far North Coast for some time now. A lot of nighttime visions have piled up from many late outings, cold nights and wee early mornings. Yet for all of that, this week I had nothing brand new. So the other night I found myself shuffling […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Eel River Jockey Club
In my last column I mentioned Rohnerville was once a hub of Southern Humboldt. I did not mean to imply that it still was in the 1960s but certainly it was 100 years earlier. Rohnerville is currently an unincorporated area about 2 miles southwest of Fortuna. The town was originally called Eel River. The Eel […]
Posted inNews
August Complex Still Out of Humboldt
Firefighters are continuing to hold the August Complex out of Humboldt County and will continue working today on keeping the fire east of the Eel River. According to today’s Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services update, evacuations orders and evacuation warnings remain in effect for portions of Southern Humboldt. However, licensed farmers can receive day-passes […]
Posted inNews
Hopkins Fire Holding East of Main Eel River with Chance of Rain Forecast
UPDATE: The U.S. Forest Service just announced that the fires known as the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, Vinegar and August Complex have all burned together and will be known going forward as the August Complex. For clarity, the large fire complex will be split into three zones: North, South and West. The complex’s West zone is […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bridges of Humboldt County
Between Loleta and Ferndale, and a little to the west, the Eel River broadens and wraps itself around Cock Robin Island before depositing its fresh water into the Pacific Ocean. The island itself contains private property but connecting it to the mainland on the north side is one of Humboldt’s unique bridges, the publicly accessible […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Humboldt Geographic Facebook Group Offers Risk-Free Adventures, Beauty
Aspiring photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and science nerds: Please allow us to introduce Humboldt Geographic. No, not the new HSU geography department magazine. This Humboldt Geographic is a new-ish Facebook group where you can post your jaw-dropping photos and videos, learn interesting things about the county’s geography, connect with people who have similar interests and get […]
Posted inNews
From the Journal Archives: When the Waters Rose in 1964
Editor’s Note: Five years ago, the North Coast Journal told the stories of heroism, hope, tragedy, strength and survival that took place during the Flood of 1964 to mark its 50th anniversary. Here’s a look back at those accounts as Humboldt County commemorates 55 years since the water rose, forever changing lives and the region’s […]
Posted inNews
Lone Swan Graces Benbow
A lone swan is swimming on the Eel River at Benbow. Though swans are not unknown in the area, it is somewhat rare to see one in Southern Humboldt. The swans breed and raise their young in Arctic areas at the tip of the North American continent. Then they migrate south to winter on estuaries […]
Posted inNews
North Coast Night Lights: A Handful of Night Light
I was in a situation not long ago with a handful of nights with which I knew not what to do. How many nights are there in a handful? You might wonder, though I never had, but it turns out that it depends on how big they are. The nights, not the hands … well, […]
Posted inNews
North Coast Night Lights: Eel River Stargazer
Not far from anywhere on the North Coast the dark skies and solitude of nature quietly await. People travel great distances to come here to camp and hike in it, enjoying the beauty of our forests, beaches, rivers, and amazing night skies. It’s a wonderland to them, and here we are living right in it. […]
Posted inNews
Coasties Save Two From Eel River Island
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two men from a small island near Crab County Park this weekend after they became stranded when their watercraft became disabled on the ocean side of the Eel River. According to a release, a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted one of the men around 8:30 p.m. Sunday […]