"Our roads provide a route to get from one place to another. Trails provides something more...they provide a destination in and of itself," muses Hank Seemann of Humboldt County Environmental Services. Aiming to improve road safety and to promote healthy recreational opportunities, the Humboldt Bay Trail is a network of shared-use trails that will eventually connect the two largest cities in Humboldt County: Arcata and Eureka. Part of the California Coastal Trail, sections of this path pass by freshwater ponds, saltwater sloughs, wetlands and hundreds of species of birds that migrate here each year. Strong support from the community, bolstered by the creation of the Humboldt Bay Trail Fund, is pushing for the completion of a continuous 14-mile trail around Humboldt Bay. "Trail supporters are driven by something deep inside," adds Seemann, a clear nod to this community's belief in this trail's positive impact on this stretch of California's North Coast.