Humboldt & Del Norte Trip Planning

I help you plan a visit to Humboldt and Del Norte that fits how you like to travel: where to stay, how to pace each day around drive times and weather, which tables and tours to book, and which locals you’d love to meet. If you’d like, I can also be on call during your stay.

The first consultation is free. A 90-minute planning session is $99, weekend planning for up to three days is $299, and custom planning for longer or more involved trips starts at $599. During-trip support starts at $150 per day. Lodging, meals and tours are separate from my fee.

Email me as soon as you can. Each service has its own simple rule: the $99 Planning Session is fully refundable with 48 hours’ notice. Weekend Planning is fully refundable before your first call, and partly refundable until itinerary work begins. Custom planning follows the stages in your proposal, and reserved concierge days need 30 days’ notice for a full refund.

Hotels, guides and venues have their own policies, and I’ll always share those with you before committing to anything. Read the full service terms.

You absolutely can, and the $99 planning session is designed for people who’d like to plan their own trip with a little local guidance.

The Redwoods region is bigger than most people expect. It spans four counties, and getting here takes some effort, so your time here matters. Life moves at a slower pace, and some of the best experiences live in locals’ heads or on websites without a clear way to book.

That’s where I come in. I know the people behind the places I recommend, and when something is hard to figure out, I’ll go there in person and sort it out. I help bring the pieces together so you can experience what you came for, leave room for discoveries along the way, and head home feeling connected to the places and people you’ve met.

Often, yes. I’ll recommend where to stay based on your location, preferences and budget. Depending on the property, I can book or hold rooms for you, or you can book directly if you prefer. Every place here does it a little differently, which is exactly why it helps to have a local sort it out. Either way, we’ll settle the details and payment together before anything is confirmed.

Yes. Groups, reunions and celebrations are some of my favorite trips to plan. They fall under custom planning, from $599, and are quoted based on the work involved: lodging for several households, group dinners, coordinated activities and everyone’s needs. Start as early as you can, since a group needs more rooms and bigger tables.

Ideally three to six months ahead, and earlier for summer, holidays or a large group. Some of our favorite places book up a year in advance: small inns with only a few rooms, private experiences, and big weekends like graduation and the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival.

But don’t let a short timeline stop you. Our local hosts are often happy to step up and make something memorable happen on short notice. The sooner you reach out, the more I can say yes to.

More than most people plan for. Many visitors expect to drive through the redwoods and see them in an afternoon. They miss so much of what makes this place special, and our communities miss the chance to welcome them.

For a first visit, I recommend at least three full days from one home base. That gives you time for the groves, the coast and our towns without spending your whole visit in the car. To enjoy both Humboldt and Del Norte, give yourself five to seven days, ideally with two places to stay.

And if you ask a local, chances are they’ll tell you they’ve lived here a lifetime and still have more to see.

Every season has its own magic, and fall is my personal favorite. Foggy mornings can give way to sunny afternoons made for exploring. Early fall often brings lovely weather, with rain becoming more frequent as the season goes on.

Spring is green. So, so green. April and May bring beautiful blooms, and fields of lupine are a highlight as spring turns toward summer. The trails can be muddy, and with fewer visitors than summer, there’s more room to slow down and enjoy the forest.

Summer is our busiest season, and for visitors from warmer climates, our cool coastal air can be a welcome escape from the heat and often the smoky conditions inland. Fog is part of the experience here, so bring layers, even in July. When much of California is looking for air conditioning, you might be reaching for a sweater.

Winter is for storms. We love watching the ocean roar from a safe overlook, and some surprisingly warm, sunny days arrive between the rains. January is especially fun because you never quite know what the day will bring. Some seasonal footbridges in the parks are removed for winter, so certain routes may be unavailable until they’re reinstalled.

Tell me what you’re hoping for, and I’ll help you choose your timing.

The redwoods grow in a temperate rainforest. Winter rain and summer fog are what keep these giants so green and so tall. Life doesn’t stop for the weather here: Eureka averages about 40 inches of rain a year, and enjoying it is part of living here. When it rains, we slow down and soak it in, and we also get out in it. A misty walk through the redwoods is unforgettable. You just need to be able to warm up after!

That’s where a rainy-day Plan B comes in: an indoor wine tasting, a long meal with an ocean view, or time at a local sauna or spa. Every outdoor plan I make comes with one, and if you’ve booked concierge support, I’ll adjust the plan with you in the moment.

And if bigger events like wildfire smoke, a major storm or a Highway 101 closure change your plans, I’ll do my best to help you rework your itinerary as my availability allows, whether or not you’ve booked concierge support. Those same events can affect me and my family too, so I can’t guarantee help in every situation. Provider refunds follow their own policies.

Yes. Even with mobility concerns, you can visit the redwoods! Tell me what’s comfortable, whether that’s walking distance, stairs or a wheelchair, and I’ll plan around it.

There are more options than most people realize. Gould Grove, near the Humboldt Redwoods visitor center, has a level, wheelchair-accessible trail. Some of our beaches have wheelchair-friendly paths, and you can even rent a beach-ready wheelchair. E-bikes and e-trikes, ATV tours through the redwoods, and local tour operators who can drive you through interesting places all make it easier to see more with less walking. Where it matters, I’ll confirm the details with places directly.

My recommendations aren’t for sale. I only recommend places I believe in, and if I ever have a business relationship with a place I suggest, I’ll tell you up front. My fee comes from you, so my advice stays yours.

Yes, and you don’t need to know where one county ends and the next begins. I plan across both Humboldt and Del Norte, so we choose based on what you want to see, not where the county line falls. If Mendocino turns out to be a better fit for your trip, I can connect you with people I trust there.

This matters more than you might think. Two of the four parks that make up Redwood National and State Parks, Jedediah Smith Redwoods and Del Norte Coast Redwoods, are in Del Norte. And Klamath, just across the county line, can be a convenient base for exploring Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, even though the park itself is in Humboldt. Knowing that can save you hours in the car, and it’s exactly the kind of thing I sort out for you.

One note: during-trip concierge support is currently available in Humboldt County only. Planning covers both counties.