Hiking the Ma-le’l Dunes: A Megaquake, Moving Sand, and a Forest Being Swallowed

The Ma-le’l Dunes on Humboldt Bay are, thanks to conservation and habitat restoration efforts, among the few healthy dune systems left in California, and since a megaquake is believed to have set them in motion more than 300 years ago, they have been slowly swallowing a forest, a process we can actually observe on human timescales. Here’s everything I learned visiting both the North and South Units, including the best trails to explore, and what to know about their unique history (which will help you appreciate the hikes even more).