Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area
Also known as Harry A. Merlo SRA, Merlo State Recreation Area
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(707) 677-3570
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area is a 988-acre recreation area in Humboldt County, about 21 miles north of Arcata.
Things to do include surfing, boating, swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach.
Fees and passes
Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.
Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions
Not allowed in or on: trails.
Are dogs allowed? Yes: Except for service animals, dogs not allowed on trails.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Things to do
BoatingFishingSwimmingWildlife viewing and birdingSurfingGeocachingHiking
Amenities
Water
- Swimming beach
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- Tanna Rd
Trinidad, CA 95570 - Nearest town
- Arcata — about 21 mi north (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 41.1587, -124.1264
- Phone
- (707) 677-3570
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Harry A. Merlo SRA is situated along the south and east shores of Big Lagoon, between Patricks Point SP to the south and Humboldt Lagoons SP to the north, in Humboldt County. From the town of Trinidad, drive north about 7 miles on Hwy 101 then turn left at Big Lagoon Rd and follow the signs. Parking and beach access is located within Big Lagoon County Park.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology