h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd like to add that if you are new to the area and are looking for a place to live (or other important stuff), check out the bulletin board at the local Co-op, located one block west of the Arcata Plaza. It's also been known as a decent place to make other "connections" and to find great organic foods.

Arcata and the rest of the immediate coast does not have what the rest of the world would normally consider a Summer time. The highest temp you'll probably ever see is around the high 70's, which will be interspersed with the nearly constant fog bank that hangs just offshore. For real summer experiences, head about an hour's drive inland along highway 299 to Willow Creek and the Trinity River. Great swimming and camping! Probably the best weather along the coast is the late summer to early fall.

Mountain biking is also very good in the forest just behind the university, but be careful to watch for hikers, as the trails can get somewhat crowded, especially in the spring and fall.

One amusing activity to participate in at HSU is watching the quick transformation that many of the new students undergo in their first year. Many come in looking very preppy and stylish, but quickly make the "fashionable" move to hippy clothes and dreadlocks. Another popular site is the ever-common LUG's, or Lesbian Until Graduation.