It’s very confusing when you fly into Humboldt County. The airport is called the Eureka/Arcata Airport but it’s in the town of McKinleyville, 15 miles north of Eureka and 7 miles north of Arcata.

But that’s about as difficult as it gets.

The small airport is easy to manage, with rental car agencies literally just inside the arrival gates. And to make things even easier, a new Holiday Inn Express is located just across the street.

The Holiday Inn Express is a good central location for the Redwood Empire

For years McKinleyville had no decent place for tourists to stay. They all had to go to the larger towns of Eureka or Arcata, or the smaller fishing village of Trinidad which has many vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, and cabins. But with the new Holiday Inn Exress travelers have easy access to a comfortable, clean place to stay that offers a hot buffet breakfast and all of the amentities needed for business travel or family vacations.

The Hammond Trail with Trinidad in the distance.

The Hammond Trail, a five-mile coastal trail for bikes, horses, and hikers, is just a short walk from the motel. Going south on the trail will take you to the Arcata Bottoms, across a pedestrian bridge over the Mad River. If you go to the north you’ll end up at Clam Beach, a sprawling white-sand beach full of dunes that leads up to Trinidad.

When you stay in McKinleyville you’ve got an optimal location, no traffic, and easy access to the beautiful beaches and rivers of the North Coast. The Holiday Inn Express at the Eureka/Arcata Airport in McKinleyville is a pleasant place to stay.

Photos by Betsy Husband

Holiday Inn Express
3107 Concorde Drive
McKinleyville, CA 95519
877-863-4780