Humboldt Redwoods State Park offers multiple access points to the South Fork and main stem of the Eel River for fishing and paddling, with day-use areas including Big Trees Area (4 miles west on Mattole Road) and California Federation of Women's Clubs Grove featuring river access and swimming holes.

The park provides several campgrounds (Burlington, Hidden Springs, and Albee Creek) with facilities and parking, plus multiple accessible trails and picnic areas along the scenic 32-mile Avenue of the Giants.

Catch-and-release fishing with barbless hooks is permitted year-round, though water levels fluctuate significantly seasonally—the river is cold, fast, and deep in winter/spring, and blue-green algae may bloom in late summer when flows are low.