Arcata Community Forest, Protected redwood forest in Arcata, California.

Arcata Community Forest is a city-owned forest on the edge of Arcata in northern California, covered almost entirely in coast redwood trees. Trails wind through steep ravines, past creek beds, and across rolling terrain shaded by tall canopies.

The land was home to the Wiyot people before logging companies cleared much of the redwood forest in the late 1800s. The city purchased the land in 1955 and began managing it as a public forest, allowing the trees to grow back over the following decades.

Locals from Arcata walk, run, and ride through the forest on a daily basis, treating it as an extension of the neighborhood rather than a destination. Dogs are a common sight on the trails, and the forest feels more like a shared backyard than a managed reserve.

The forest has several entry points, including Redwood Park, Fickle Hill Road, and California Street, each with nearby parking. Trails range from flat creek-side paths to steep climbs, so it helps to check a trail map before heading in.

In 1979 Arcata voters passed the Forest Management and Parkland Initiative, and the forest later became the first municipal forest in the US certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Timber harvests bring in $500,000 to $700,000 a year, and surplus revenue maintains other city parkland. Climbers reach the redwoods on rope and ladder routes fixed to the trunks.