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From the City of Arcata:

The City of Arcata would like to remind the community that the Arcata Community Forest is closed to the public from sunset to sunrise, per Arcata Municipal Code Section 10006.

One of the main reasons the Arcata Community Forest is closed after dark is to give local wildlife a break from human interactions.

Recently, the City has found that occurrences of mountain biking after dark, commonly known as “night riding,” have increased in the Arcata Community Forest. This activity is not allowed as it disrupts the natural balance between animals living in the forest who are active by day and at night. Night riding has been found to startle nocturnal wildlife and other animals that have adapted to be more active at night in order to avoid daytime human interaction. It intensifies the pressure animals experience from human daytime recreational activities by reducing the time they have for foraging, feeding and breeding, and it can disrupt predator/prey relationships.

The Arcata Community Forest is a wonderful place for residents and visitors to recreate, and the City of Arcata strives to create a balance for public recreation and environmental conservation. Community members are urged to follow the regulations by enjoying the forest in the daytime and leaving it to the wild creatures at night.

For more information on the recreational use of Arcata’s forests and for questions related to general forest management, please contact the Environmental Services Department at eservices@cityofarcata.org or call (707) 822-8184.