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Recreation

The Southern Humboldt Community Park features a playground, public beach access to the South Fork of the Eel River, and 3.5 miles of interpretive trails. The SHCP provides a place for outdoor recreation and physical activity in the form of hiking, bird walks, biking, swimming, kayaking, picnicking, a 23-hole disc golf course, special events, a planned meditation labyrinth, educational tours and demonstrations, and a skateboard ramp.

Visiting the Park

The park is open from sun-up to sun-down year round. The park is located on Sprowel Creek Road one mile from the Highway 101 Garberville exit.

Click here for Directions to the Park

Trails

All park trails are multi-use trails and can be used by walkers, dogs on leashes, joggers, bike riders and horses. Please use caution and consideration for other trail users.

Photo: Pierre Gaude

• The Meadow Loop: This 2.2 mile trail circles the meadow historically known as Tooby Flat. Visitors may spot a variety of birds including the Western Meadowlark or Grasshopper sparrow. A bird checklist and a self-guided plant walk brochure are available at the kiosk located near the southern entrance on Kimtu Road.
• The Woods Trail: This trail is a 1 mile loop off the Meadow Loop Trail. This trail continues straight into the woods from Wedding Grove and travels through the oak and bay laurel forest at the edge of the hillside and returns to the Meadow Loop Trail.
• New Forestry-Demonstration Forest Trail: This trail was a project of the Institute for Sustainable Forestry (ISF) and Nick’s Interns, a youth career training program. The trail was created to provide access for the general public to witness restoration activities and sustainable forest practices. Many restoration and fuel hazard reduction projects take place on private or government land far from the public eye. Few people understand the science behind what they are observing when viewing the results of a restoration project. The Southern Humboldt Community Park is the perfect setting for this project as it incorporates healthy working models into the everyday lives of our community and will contribute to making these practices understood and accepted as commonplace.  This project created a high-visibly model of forest/watershed restoration, sustainable management, and fire safety that will help further the efforts of environmentalists, conservationists, and sustainable forest landowners. The Institute for Sustainable Forestry is thankful to Cereus Fund for providing this opportunity.

Future Trails

• The Upland Forest Exploration Trail: This trail meanders through 130 acres of upland forest dominated by a dense, second-growth mixed-hardwood Douglas-fir forest with scattered residual old-growth Douglas-fir and several large seasonal springs. This approximately one mile trail switchbacks through forest that overlooks the remainder of the Community Park and the South Fork Eel River. The forest offers opportunities for shaded relaxation; benches and picnic tables are provided.
• The Riparian Interpretative Trail: Downstream, visitors have an opportunity to experience views of the river, 21 acres of certified organic farmland, and a vast and beautiful open-space meadow. An active dryland farming area demonstrates water conservation techniques. Enhancements to The Riparian Interpretative Trail will create nearly 1/4 of a mile of ADA accessible trail through 7+ acres of old-growth redwood. We hope to eventually connect the parkway to Benbow Lake State Park and the regional redwood trail system.

Note: Motorized recreational vehicles are not permitted in the park.

Tooby Memorial Park

“These trees, the river and the glades all belong to the ages” –Mrs. E.N. Tooby

What we all call Tooby Park is more than most eyes see. Not only is there a sunny picnic area, playground and access to the river beach, but a remarkable 7+ acre mature redwood grove. 

In 1967 Mrs. E.N. Tooby made this site available to the County of Humboldt to be used by the citizens of Southern Humboldt as a community park honoring the three Tooby brothers. She placed a plaque near the grove with this description: “These trees, the river and the glades all belong to the ages, what they have to offer in inspiration is yours to now enjoy.”

The County was enthusiastic when the family talked about donating this land, but no legal parcel for the park area was created. Instead of assuming ownership, the County entered into a year-by-year lease agreement. When the Tooby Ranch was sold Tooby Park was included in the sale to the Community Park, but the Tooby heirs understood that the County would still want to lease and operate the park.

Maintenance costs were a problem for the County and the Garberville Rotary Club assisted the County with those costs for several years. However, during the 2002 County budget crisis the County realized it could no longer maintain responsiblity for the Park. The Southern Humboldt Community Park stepped forward, as the legal owners of the property, and offered to operate Tooby Park. To keep Mrs. Tooby’s inspiration alive, the public enjoyment of this area and protection of the redwood grove has now become part of the broader mission of the Community Park.