Yes! While there are no developed parking areas on the property, there are existing routes and trails that connect to other, more developed access points nearby. For example, you could hike onto the property on the Waterline Trail from either Samoa Beach Power Poles parking lot (located to the south) or the Manila Dunes Recreation Area (located to the north). Alternately, you could park on Cookhouse Road in Samoa, carefully cross New Navy Base Road, and enter the property on the dirt road just opposite Cookhouse Road. You’ll have to step over a locked gate, but there are a variety of existing forest trails that begin here.

Right now, we’re asking that people who visit the property stay on existing routes and trails, or on the open sand. Hiking and horse riding on existing trails are allowed recreational uses, consistent with how people have accessed this property in the past. OHVs, ATVs, motorized bikes, and non-motorized bikes are not allowed on the property, in order to protect sensitive resources. Bird-watching, botanizing, exploring, connecting with the natural world, hiking, and horse-riding are all popular recreational activities that are allowed on the Samoa Dunes & Wetlands.

Yes. Dogs are allowed on the property on a leash or under strict voice control. If you do walk with your dog, please make sure that your dog stays on existing routes and trails with you and does not chase wildlife. Once you are off the property and on the beach, dogs can run free!

For now, collecting mushrooms or huckleberries is allowed in small quantities for personal use only, but not for commercial use. Raking of the forest floor is not allowed. Please respect our request to stay on existing trails and routes, and do not create new trails.

No. Camping is strictly forbidden on the Samoa Dunes & Wetlands. This area is open to public access during daylight hours only. Fires are also strictly forbidden. Following these rules is absolutely critical to the long-term protection of the property’s special habitats

No. Friends of the Dunes is only the interim landowner of this property, and we are not planning any development.

Friends of the Dunes is working with our partners at the Bureau of Land Management, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District, the California Coastal Conservancy, Humboldt County, and the Wiyot Tribe to determine the best long-term conservation landowner for this remarkable land and for our community.

Yes! We are developing a volunteer Trail Stewards program for the Samoa Dunes & Wetlands—basically, we want people who care about this land to walk the trails and be our eyes and ears. If you’re interested in becoming a Trail Steward for the Samoa Dunes and Wetlands, please contact us. You can also donate to support the stewardship of this special place.