--- title: "Visiting Arcata? Start at the Welcome Center" description: "Maps, visitor guides, and friendly local advice just off Highway 101. How the Arcata Chamber’s Welcome Center can help you plan your Redwood Coast trip." url: https://arcatachamber.com/blog/visiting-arcata-start-at-the-welcome-center/ --- Blog · Visiting Arcata # Visiting Arcata? Start at the Welcome Center Maps, visitor guides, and friendly local advice just off Highway 101. How the Arcata Chamber’s Welcome Center can help you plan your Redwood Coast trip. ![A hiker in a red jacket on a trail through a misty redwood forest lit by sunbeams](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/redwoods-misty-sunbeams.CA9tSKd7_Z1Xq7cw.jpg) By Arcata Chamber of Commerce October 7, 2026 · 2 min read - Visiting Arcata - Welcome Center Whether you’re passing through on Highway 101 or settling in for a long weekend, the easiest way to start a trip to Arcata is to talk to someone who lives here. That’s exactly what the **Welcome Center** is for. The Welcome Center is a program of the Arcata Chamber of Commerce, and it’s here to help you make the most of your time on the Redwood Coast. ## What you’ll find there Stop in during your travels for: - **Quality maps and visitor guides** to Arcata and the surrounding area - **Internet access** while you plan your next stop - **Advice on planning excursions**, from people who know the area - **Friendly faces**, minutes from the major highways It’s a simple idea, and it works: a five-minute conversation can save you an hour of searching on your phone. ## Where it is The Welcome Center is centrally located in Humboldt County, just off Coastal Highway 101 and just north of the junction with Highway 299. That makes it an easy stop whether you’re heading up or down the coast or coming in from the east. **Arcata Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center** 791 8th Street, Unit 7 Arcata, CA 95521 707.897.6004 · Arcata@ArcataChamber.com [Get directions](https://maps.google.com/?q=791+8th+Street+Arcata+CA+95521) If you’re making a special trip, it’s a good idea to call ahead. ## Plan before you go Not on the road yet? You can start planning from home: - **Read the visitor guide online.** The [2024 Visit Arcata Brochure](https://issuu.com/ncjournal/docs/arcatachamberguide24) is the Chamber’s guide to Arcata. - **Get publications by mail.** [Request visitor information](https://business.arcatachamber.com/info/) and the Chamber will send it to you. - **Browse Visit Arcata.** The [Visit Arcata website](https://visitarcata.com/) covers things to do, places to stay, and where to eat. - **Find local businesses.** The Chamber’s [member directory](https://business.arcatachamber.com/list/search?q=&c=&sa=False&gr=25&gn=) and interactive [Member Map](https://map.proxi.co/r/XcLuS_4dap7DAFnTB2QP) list member restaurants, shops, lodging, and services. For more, see our [Welcome Center & visitor information page](https://arcatachamber.com/committees/center/). ## Start on the Plaza The Arcata Plaza is the heart of downtown, and it’s where the Chamber hosts many of its community events, from the [4th of July Jubilee](https://arcatachamber.com/jubileeontheplaza/) to the [Season of Wonder & Light](https://arcatachamber.com/season-of-wonder-and-light/). It’s surrounded by locally owned shops and places to eat, which makes it a natural first stop. ![A single palm tree rising over the Arcata Plaza lawn, with shops and parked cars around the square](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/arcata-plaza-storefronts.DiRXjDbf_ZMep5T.webp) _The Arcata Plaza._ Check the [Events page](https://arcatachamber.com/events/) before your trip. You might arrive just in time for something happening on the square. ## Then head for the trees and the coast Arcata sits on the Redwood Coast, so redwood forests and a wild, beautiful coastline are part of the experience. Ask at the Welcome Center for maps and advice on where to go, and how to fit it all into the time you have. ![A wide dirt path with a wooden rail winding between towering redwood trees](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/redwoods-trail.C5oe3u-k_Z2inpxI.webp) _A redwood trail._ ![People walking on a wide beach toward rocky sea stacks and a forested headland on an overcast day](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/coast-beach-sea-stacks.CLGpZMZp_ZdROLB.webp) _A North Coast beach._ ## Exploring more of Humboldt? Our neighbors can help too. Other Humboldt area chambers of commerce include: - [McKinleyville Chamber of Commerce](https://mckinleyvillechamber.com/) - [Eureka Chamber of Commerce](https://eurekachamber.com/) - [Willow Creek Chamber of Commerce](https://willowcreekchamber.com/) - [Southern Humboldt Chamber of Commerce](https://garberville.org/) - [Orick Chamber of Commerce](https://orick.net/) And for statewide trip planning, the network of [California Welcome Centers](https://www.visitcalifornia.com/welcome-centers/) is a great resource. ## Shop local while you’re here Every coffee, meal, and souvenir you buy from a local business helps keep Arcata the place you came to see. Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you at the Welcome Center. [All stories](https://arcatachamber.com/blog/) ## Keep reading - ![Two tall palm trees and street lamps along a path across the Arcata Plaza lawn, with downtown storefronts behind](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/arcata-plaza-palms.D2xcr-n7_ZmsfAo.webp) Events ### [Your guide to the 2026 Season of Wonder & Light](https://arcatachamber.com/blog/season-of-wonder-and-light-2026-guide/) Four community events, nearly four months of Plaza lights, and simple ways for local businesses to help light up Arcata this fall and winter. October 20, 2026 · 3 min read - ![Chamber members, city staff, and neighbors cut a red ribbon outside Jacoby’s Storehouse on the Arcata Plaza](https://arcatachamber.com/_astro/ribbon-cutting-jacobys-storehouse.Cder3WsI_KVULq.webp) Membership ### [Seven Chamber member benefits you might be missing](https://arcatachamber.com/blog/member-benefits-you-might-be-missing/) From a bulk mailing permit to free in-house media help and members-only field trips, here are seven Arcata Chamber benefits that are easy to overlook. October 14, 2026 · 3 min read ## Get stories like this in your inbox Our monthly newsletter rounds up new members, upcoming events, and member offers. [Subscribe to the newsletter](https://arcatachamber.com/monthly-newsletter/)