A few weeks ago we came across a couple that told us about Trinidad, CA and said we should visit there. So we did! Trinidad is a tiny, historic seaside village that sits on a bluff where massive coastal redwoods meet the rugged Pacific ocean.
Trinidad used to be home to indigenous people called Yurok. The Yurok people established the village of Tsurai on bluffs overlooking Trinidad Bay in prehistoric times and occupied the village for thousands of years. In 1850, the discovery of gold brought an influx of aggressive settlers. Violence, massacres, and introduced diseases decimated the Yurok population, wiping out an estimated 75% of the tribe. As prospectors and timber companies flooded the region, the federal government went back on treaties and forced the Yurok onto distant reservations. The Dawes Act of 1887 further dismantled tribal ownership, resulting in the Yurok losing 90 percent of their aboriginal territory over 130 years. This is story, unfortunately, isn’t new.
A couple other interesting facts: A California Sea Products Company whaling station operated in Trinidad from 1920 to 1926. During its operations, 1,140 whales were killed and processed. On December 31, 1914, the largest recorded ocean wave ever to hit the United States West Coast struck Trinidad Head. Speaking of Trinidad Head, we hiked up it.
The Tinidad Head Trail starts from a large parking lot for Trinidad State Beach. The best part of this hike is the views of the ocean. Amazing! It’s short at under 2 miles so we had plenty of time to walk along the beach and relax in our chairs. We even had enough time to stop at 6 Rivers Brewery for some tasty beverages. Great day!
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