Elk River Sandspit

Elk River City Wildlife Area

Click for map.


I will get to the Waterfront Trail eventually, but the spit of land by the Elk River got my desire for this afternoon. It is quite the curiosity to me. I have been known to wonder why the rivers generally love chugging north along the coast befire finally breaking out into the ocean. I saw one sign (was it at the Mad River Bluffs?) with an explanation for why the rivers do this, but I'm not sure it applies to a river that exits into the bay. Anyway, I didn't believe it completely. I wasn't entirely sure how you get out there, but there was a geocache on it and it suggested starting at the (former) park and ride. I knew where that was, so I parked and got out and found myself on the wrong side of the river.

Looking out from the raised area of the parking over the grassy flats to water and then some trees that look suspiciously like the ones on the North Jetty.

I followed a sign claiming there was bike trail in the southerly direction, but I'm certain it wasn't going where I thought I should. The only thing going that way is the freeway entrance. I looked a little more closely and found what might be the answer, so tried in the direction of the Waterfront Trail instead. Everyone else was going to and from that way anyway. No signs point out the trail, but it is the only reasonable way to walk from that point. After a quarter mile there is a large sign with lots of information, but none on getting to the sand spit.

One of many water channels through the salt marsh.

A little further, just short of a sharp turn in the trail, I encountered what had caught my eye on the map: the old rails. The crossing is still marked and the iron almost looks usable, but no trains have been along them for a long time. I can find it marked as a future trail on official web sites, but it is a well used current trail for any who take the time to look. I turned down it, happy to leave the paving behind.

Train tracks become local trails around here. Either side or down the middle all are well used.

A mystery wooden wall extends from near the tracks to the Elk River.

The railroad bridge over the river looks to be in excellent shape and may even have been improved for pedestrians. Maybe not. There are excellent walking surfaces across it anyway. Well used trails on the far side lead down onto the sand spit, so I followed one past a fisherman and other hikers.

A pair of trails that make their way along the sand spit.

The railroad bridge across the Elk River looks pretty solid. Below, there are old pilings from a lesser bridge.

In short order, I found myself on the opposite side of the sand spit, staring out onto Humboldt Bay. Tiny waves were lapping at the sand and one of the fog horns on a jetty was tooting away.

Looking out onto the bay and the North Jetty.

I turned right and started walking along the beach out to the end of the spit. I quickly encountered some more wooden wall. Maybe it was part of trying to push the river out into the bay more quickly? If it was, it certainly didn't last.

The beach along the Humboldt Bay side of the sand spit with a bit of mystery wall cutting through it. The trees are on the far side of the bay.

Looking back across the spit, river, flats to the city.

The waters put together some of the best rock collections.

As I neared the end, there started to be some man made items out on the beach. They all seem to be historical artifacts no longer part of any operation. I found myself getting really close to the land on the far side of the bay. I was surprised to find that so close to the south end of Eureka, the far side of the bay is nearly Samoa. The various tufts of planted trees are easy to dismiss as could be anything, but the old Coast Guard station is hard to dismiss. I was actually approaching the narrow bit between Humboldt Bay and Arcata Bay.

This vertical pipe sits along a line of much smaller pipes that crossed the river and spit and go out into the bay.

The sand hold curious patterns. Footsteps remain in the low places, but the high places are building ripples.

Taking a moment to look inland on the sand spit because there is a small, thick patch of trees. Trail went right past it, so I figured I'd end up visiting it on the way back.

Approaching the channel. The far side of the bay is right there.

More wooden remains that mark the very end of the sand spit.

I expect the channel marker with a sea lion on it still works.

As I rounded the top of the sand spit, I found myself sinking an couple inches into the sand with each step. As I got to water that could be said to be part of the mouth of the Elk River, there were more birds working away at the beaches. Someone was digging clams on the far side although there was a warning about shellfish at the start of the trail.

The beach seems darker at the end of the sand spit.

Some godwits poke around where there are still a few waves.

There are a few curlew too. It is distinctly larger and the beak curves slightly downward instead of upward.

People sink in deeply when walking the beach beside the river. The supports are where pipe went from the other side of the river to the tall pipe on the other side of the spit.

The sound of honking above was ducks rather than geese.

I turned inland, accidentally avoiding a bit of sand spit that the river has flowed into. It has a sort of bay. I wandered a little before setting off on a bit of trail toward the bunch of trees I had seen earlier.

To follow the "beach" along the side of Elk River is to have places to wade.

The trees are a ring around a shallow pond.

Another curlew among the even smaller sanderlings.

There's actually a couple trails down the middle of the sand spit and I followed each in turn. The one closer to the river sometimes gets out next to it. The one closer to the bay tends to be higher, so there's a foot or two worth of greater view.

The trail is quite distinct and wide. It narrows toward the end.

The trail comes to the river edge at a big curve.

One duck on the river with a long wake.

When I got back to the tracks, I still had a little time, so I followed them a little further. This, too, is sufficiently used that I encountered people coming the other direction.

Here, the tracks pass along the edge of a ranch. The cows just have to deal with it being somewhat flooded.

Just a little past sunset.

The tracks are looking rather poorly as they pass beside a sea wall that has not kept out the worst of the waves out to rearrange the coast.

It was a little more than a mile further to King Salmon when I turned around. The tracks go all the way, but I'm not sure how open the vegetation around them is. It seems likely one can go all the way. Most of it is along sea wall like the twisted section shown above.

Sand covered tracks make easy walking.

I turned back toward the old Park and Ride when I got to the paves Waterfront Trail once again. It was a rather easy walk, even with all the sand, in an odd space. A well spent afternoon, I think.

©2020 Valerie Norton
Written 26 Dec 2020