Sue-meg State Park is 25 miles north of Eureka, California in the heart of the coast redwood country. Previously named Patrick's Point State Park, Sue-meg is the original place name used by the Yurok people.
Located about 15 miles south of Orick, just off Highway 101, Sue-meg State Park is a must-stop on any California coastal road trip. This scenic headland area juts out into the pacific ocean and offers impressive ocean views. You’ll hear sea lions barking in the distance, and maybe even spot a gray whale during the migratory season. An important Native American site, Sue-meg State Park also boasts a replica of a Yurok village. And the best part is, thanks to a series of accessible trails, wheelchair-users and slow walkers can enjoy all that Sue-Meg State Park has to offer.
Thirty miles north of Eureka, Sue-meg State Park sits on a lushly forested promontory beside the Pacific Ocean.
The one-square-mile park is densely packed with potential adventures. On a short walk around the perimeter of the park, you can hunt for agates, explore tidepools, and walk through a jungle of shrubs and trees as you peer out at seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. In the park’s interior, you’ll find a visitor center, a native plant garden, and a reconstructed Yurok plank-house village. You can picnic or wake up to birdsong at one of three campgrounds. In summer, you can witness a traditional ceremony at Sumêg Village or take a hike led by a docent or professional naturalist.
Sue-meg State Park displays a snapshot of geologic processes that have shaped the face of western North America, and that continue today. The rocks exposed in the seacliffs and offshore represent dynamic interplay between the subducting oceanic tectonic plate (Gorda Plate) and the continental North American tectonic plate. The boundary between the subducting oceanic plate and the continent has been filled with an “accretionary wedge” of material literally scraped off the oceanic floor and crust, partially subducted, and then pasted to the North American continent.
Native village in Sue-meg State Park
Although this state park was originally named for an Irishman (Patrick Beegan) who homesteaded in the area, it’s also the ancestral home of the Yurok people. They referred to the area as Sue-meg, so in September 2021 the park was renamed Sue-meg State Park to reflect this cultural heritage.
The Yurok people built villages from redwood planks, near the coastal waterways so they could fish for salmon from their dugout canoes. The temperate climate of the North Coast, and abundant game in the area were particularly attractive to them. Round it out with a good supply of berries and medicinal herbs, and you can see why the Yurok loved this patch of land.
There’s still a large number of Yurok people in the area today, and as a way of paying tribute to their ancestors they’ve created a replica of the native village in the park. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s an interesting window into Yurok life, culture and traditions.
The Yurok village is located near the visitor center. Just take the first right after the entrance station and follow it around to the parking lot. From there a trail leads around the visitor center to a picnic area in a grassy meadow. The recreated village is right next to the picnic area. And although there a few bumps and ruts along the way it’s still possible to get a closer look at the buildings. The area is flat and the village includes some family houses, a sweat house, a dressing house and a dance pit. There’s also an interpretive plaque nearby that outlines the history of the village. And after you’d had a look around, it’s also a nice spot to stop for a picnic.
Accessible Trails Galore
From the village, it’s a .75-mile walk along the Ceremonial Rock Trail to the Rim/Campfire Center Trail. This level hard-packed dirt trail winds through the spruce forest, crosses the park road and passes Lookout Rock Campground, before it dead ends at the Rim/Campfire Center Trail.
From there, make a right on the Rim/Campfire Center Trail and continue along for about .2 miles to the Wedding Rock parking lot. About midway along, there’s also a trail out to Patrick’s Point on the left. This hard-packed dirt trail winds out 350 feet to a magnificent overlook. There are steps down to the overlook, but there’s also a barrier-free path that winds around to an accessible viewing platform.
All in all it’s about a 2.25-mile round trip hike from the visitor center. If however, you’d prefer a shorter jaunt , then park in the Wedding Rock Parking lot and take the 350-foot trek out to Patrick’s Point. Either way, this scenic state park is a must-do for the coastal views alone. And if you’re lucky, and time it right you might even spot a migrating gray whale or two.
