Right Beaches › California › Arcata
Mad River Beach County Park
4.5★ · 357 Google ratings · Arcata, California
✓ Parking✓ Picnic tables
At a glance
Parking
On-site lot · 250 yd away · fills up
Access
5am to 11:45pm
Walk
400 yd · 5 min
Restrooms
None reported
Water
58°F
Tide
8 ft range today
Sand
330 ft from the water to the back
Crowds
Quietest Sat 11am
Map of Mad River Beach County Park
1
1Parking275 yd from the listing
Guide
Good to know
Excellent for long beach walks
The beach stretches for miles with hard-packed sand, making it ideal for extended walks with dogs or solo exploration.
Arrive early for parking
The unpaved lot is small and fills quickly on nice days, especially in summer.
Wear sturdy shoes in parking area
Broken glass, nails from improper bonfire burns, and scattered debris cover the sand near the lot.
Plan for dune hike to water
The beach sits beyond substantial dunes that require moderate climbing, making it less accessible for those with mobility limits.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
57°F · clear
Water
58°F
Waves
7.0 ft · 10 s apart
Wind
3 mph from the W
Shelter
Onshore · wind blowing straight in off the water
UV index
6 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 00:31 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 07:31 | High tide | ↑ |
| 11:36 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 18:19 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:33 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 1 Mad River Rd, Arcata, CA 95521
🅿 Parking 250 yd from the listing
🌊 Water 400 yd away, about 5 min walk
Nearby
Other beaches close by
325 yd away · shorter walk
3.3 miles away · shorter walk
5.0 miles away
5.3 miles away · shorter walk
5.9 miles away · shorter walk
6.8 miles away · shorter walk
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Mad River Beach County Park?
The nearest mapped parking area is 250 yd from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Mad River Beach County Park?
400 yd in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, about 5 min. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Mad River Beach County Park have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Mad River Beach County Park least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Sat 11am and the busiest at Sat 3pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
