Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

About

Entrance / day-use fee applies.

When is the best time to visit Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

By typical weather, the best months for a day outdoors here are July, August, and September.

The weather works against it in January, February, March, and December.

The warmest month is September, with average highs near 63°F (17°C); the coolest is February, near 52°F (11°C).

December is the wettest month, with about 10.9 in (277 mm) of precipitation in a typical December.

Typical weather, 25-year Meteorological and Solar Monthly & Annual Climatologies (January 2001 - December 2025). Data from NASA Langley Research Center POWER Project (CC BY 4.0)

Official facts

On the Forest Service's 2023 map, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge's mapped point sits in the low wildfire hazard class; that is a measure of the land, not a forecast.

The closest live USGS river gauge to Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is Elk R Nr Falk Ca (11479700), 4.5 km away.

Protected waters: 14.2 km². None of it is no-take.

Boating: Vessel use unrestricted; anchoring unrestricted.

Fishing: Commercial and Recreational Fishing Restricted.

Conservation focus: Natural Heritage and Cultural Heritage. Protects the whole ecosystem. Non-MPA Programmatic Species Management Plan.

IUCN category: IV (Habitat or species management area).

Protection level: Uniform Multiple Use.

Marine protection: National Wildlife Refuge. Listed as "Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge" in NOAA's Marine Protected Areas Inventory, managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, established 1971.

Public access: Restricted access.

Protected area: 3,635 acres (1,471 ha).

Designation: NWR. Listed as "Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge" in the Protected Areas Database of the United States. Protection: managed for biodiversity (GAP 2). IUCN category IV.

Established: 1971.

Managed by: HUMBOLDT BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

Critical habitat: Tidewater goby (endangered). Eucyclogobius newberryi. Endangered Species Act critical habitat (final rule published 2013-02-06, 78 FR 8746), mapped at or near this park.

NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center (Office of National Marine Sanctuaries) with the US Department of the Interior, MPA Inventory 2023 · U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2025, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.1 · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Act critical habitat (FWS HQ ES Critical Habitat) · U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Information System · Dillon, Gregory K. 2023. Wildfire Hazard Potential for the United States (270-m), version 2023. 4th Edition. Forest Service Research Data Archive

Before you go

Limits

Children ages 15 or under are admitted free

Limits

NO DOGS or other domestic pets

Limits

NO Drones or Kite-flying

History

Opened

1971

Operated by

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Named after

Humboldt Bay

• Park opened

Parks nearby

• Redwood National and State Parks National park · 59 mi

Distances are in a straight line.