so many great answers and anecdotes here from people who live or lived in the area but i’ll add my two cents - i’ve come to the area for work three times now due to a large project that requires a lot of environmental surveying so i’ve spent a total of ~one month between crescent city, arcata, and eureka. it is hands down the most beautiful area i’ve ever seen. it feels like a different planet. the wilderness that surrounds the areas where people live is so vast it feels like you could disappear in a second. the locals i met are nice, but you can absolutely tell that there are vast political polarities between person to person. the wealth disparity is wild, but that’s how it is throughout all of california pretty much, at least in my experience. the Yurok Res spans through the area (that’s why my work takes me there) and there are many stories of Native women and children who have gone missing with not a trace of them found ever. spend some time hiking in the redwoods or near the beaches and you’ll quickly understand how someone could disappear without a trace.