McKinleyville Community Forest
Managed by McKinleyville Community Services District
588 acres7.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
AOutdoors
Outdoors in McKinleyville
McKinleyville has 1,438 acres of parks, 84 for every 1,000 residents
23 miles of mapped trail cross McKinleyville, 1.1 per square mile of land. 11% of McKinleyville’s land is conserved, about 1,442 acres. The biggest trail networks: McKinleyville Community Forest (7.7 mi), Little River State Beach (2.1 mi), Hiller Park (1.3 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #191 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
1,442 acres · of 20.9 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,438 ac
84 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.4 mi
3.5 mi lanes · 4.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
3 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is McKinleyville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does McKinleyville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, McKinleyville is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #191 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of McKinleyville’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land84 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,438 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13AParks close to home74% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 78%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is McKinleyville Community Forest, with 7.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Little River State Beach
Managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation
193 acres2.1 mi of trail
Backdunes TrailNearshore Dunes TrailNorth Beach TrailSouth Beach Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hiller Park
Managed by McKinleyville Community Services District
38 acres1.3 mi of trail
Hiller Loop Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mad River Bluffs
Managed by McKinleyville Land Trust
31 acres1.3 mi of trail
Mad River Bluffs TrailHiller Loop Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Mad River BluffsWebsite ↗
Azalea State Natural Reserve
Nature preserve
36 acres0.9 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Chah-GAH-Cho
Managed by McKinleyville Land Trust
10 acres0.7 mi of trail
Chah-GAH-Cho Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Clam Beach County Park
Nature preserve
127 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto South Lot
All 11 parks & preserves
McKinleyville Community Forest588 acres · 7.7 mi of trail · McKinleyville Community Services District
DirectionsLittle River State Beach193 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · California Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHiller Park38 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · McKinleyville Community Services District
DirectionsMad River Bluffs31 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · McKinleyville Land Trust
DirectionsAzalea State Natural Reserve36 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsChah-GAH-Cho10 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · McKinleyville Land Trust
DirectionsClam Beach County Park127 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPierson Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLhiwetgut Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · McKinleyville Community Services District
DirectionsHiller Sports Complex18 acres · McKinleyville Community Services District
DirectionsMad River County Park4 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,442 conserved acres
11% of McKinleyville’s land. Who manages McKinleyville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits604 ac
County456 ac
State parks204 ac
Regional agency163 ac
Other state land14 ac
Unknown Easement · 575 acLocal Park · 496 acState Park · 168 acLocal Recreation Area · 123 acState Conservation Area · 36 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 575 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clam Beach County Park Local Park | County | 456 | Open |
| Little River State Beach State Park | State parks | 168 | Open |
| Hiller Park Playground and Picnic Area Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 123 | Open |
| Azalea State Natural Reserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 36 | Open |
| Riverfront Park Local Park | Regional agency | 35 | Restricted |
| Mad River Bluffs Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 30 | Open |
| Clam Beach Ponds State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 14 | Unknown |
| Pierson Park Local Park | Regional agency | 5 | Open |
Things to do
15 places to go in McKinleyville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in McKinleyville
Clam BeachIn Clam Beach County Park
DirectionsLittle River State BeachIn Little River State Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in McKinleyville
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in McKinleyville
Clam Beach County ParkIn Clam Beach County Park
DirectionsHiller Dog ParkIn Hiller Park
DirectionsScenic views in McKinleyville
Estuary OverlookIn Mad River Bluffs
DirectionsNorth Stairs OverlookIn Mad River Bluffs
DirectionsShore Pine OverlookIn Mad River Bluffs
DirectionsSouth Stairs OverlookIn Mad River Bluffs
DirectionsPicnic areas in McKinleyville
Azalea State ReserveIn Azalea State Natural Reserve
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in McKinleyville
Clam Beach CampgroundFee · In Clam Beach County Park · Humboldt County
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.9 miHorses · 1.4 miUnpaved · 17.9 mi
Hiller Loop Trail1.4 mi
Backdunes Trail1.0 mi
Hammond Trail0.9 mi
Chah-GAH-Cho Trail0.7 mi
Mad River Bluffs Trail0.6 mi
Nearshore Dunes Trail0.5 mi
Mid-Town Trail0.2 mi
North Beach Trail0.2 mi
South Beach Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
6Tennis
4Softball
3Baseball
3Basketball
2Multi-sport
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in McKinleyville: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 55 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 66 | 58 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 8.0 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 5.9 | 9.7 |
July is the driest month (0.2 in) and August the warmest (highs of 70 °F). 9.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in McKinleyville →
Next door
McKinleyville and its neighbors
McKinleyville has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinleyville | 11% | 1.1 | 84 | 74% | A |
| Fieldbrook | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Westhaven-Moonstone | 11% | 0.1 | 36 | 52% | B |
| Arcata | 42% | 3.5 | 136 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in McKinleyville
Where can I hike in McKinleyville?
The longest trail networks: McKinleyville Community Forest, 7.7 miles; Little River State Beach, 2.1 miles; Hiller Park, 1.3 miles; Mad River Bluffs, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of McKinleyville is conserved land?
11% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on McKinleyville’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Hiller Park (on leash) and Mad River Bluffs (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in McKinleyville?
8.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.5 of painted or protected lanes, 4.5 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near McKinleyville?
15,518 acres of parks and open public land lie inside McKinleyville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,438 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does McKinleyville have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #191 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from McKinleyville neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →