Mad River Beach County Park — Attraction in McKinleyville

Getting there: This beach park sits at the end of a series of extremely rural farm roads. These roads get very narrow in many places, and that can make it difficult for vehicles to travel both directions at the same time. There are only a couple signs indicating where the beach is, so you can get lost if you're not familiar with the area. The roads also prone to flooding, since it's so close to the Mad River.

Amenities: The parking lot is small, unpaved, with lots of potholes and shifting sand. I have seen many people get their vehicles' tires stuck in the sand. There aren't any bathrooms or even trash cans. There is a boat ramp with its own parking just before the beach parking, so there is river access. Campfires are allowed, but they have to be three feet in diameter or less, and pallet burning isn't allowed (although plenty of people do it anyway).

Accessibility: You can't actually see the ocean from the parking lot, since there is a huge dune in the way. There is no paved walkway or even a well compacted trail, just a lot of fine sand. If you have any kind of mobility issue, even a sprain, I would advise against going here.

The beach itself: nice if you prefer long, sandy stretches. The waveslope is quite shallow, so wading a little is fairly safe. The north part of the beach stretches up into a spit that ends at the mouth of the Mad River, so you can stand on the dunes in between and see both river and ocean.

One downside of this location is the kinds of people who show up here occasionally: less pleasant folks that are using drugs, camping out in their vehicles, making a mess of the place, and/or letting their (poorly socialized) dogs roam around off leash and unsupervised. Theft happens sometimes, probably worsened by the fact that you can't see your car from the beach. Take precautions, like hiding anything of value under the seat or in the trunk. And maybe don't leave your car unattended for very long.

TL;DR: difficult to get to, a no-go for people with mobility issues, has an occasionally sketchy human element, but nice if you just want to take your dog out for...

This is a dog friendly beach on the Northwest coast of California, South of the Redwoods National Park. We stopped to our on the way to the redwoods to burn some energy. Drive slow in the parking lot as it's full of deposits that are filled with water. This is not a popular beach. We went about noon on a Friday, and we were the only ones on the beach. This beach desperately needs a beach sweeper. It is littered with thousands of crab carcasses, which is to be expected, but we also passed 5 dead birds on our 1 mile walk. We turned to the right and walked along the beach in the direction so maybe the left side is cleaner. Upon entering the beach, there is also a partially buried carcass of some sort. I couldn't tell what it was, but it had large ribs. People also have not been picking up...

Great place to walk along the beach,do some beach combing for shells and rocks. The sand dunes along the shore have wonderful smelling, yellow flowers in the spring/summer. Walked past a small, green tent with a naked couple having sex in it - - right between the parking area and the beach. Awkward, with our three kids with us. The wind is always strong here so bring a kite! Kind of hard to get to (Google maps doesn't have it 100%right, but will get you there ;just keep going past where Google tell you to go). No big signs telling you it's ahead. No bathrooms or any other services...