Mad River Access provides two day-use areas for public recreation along the Mad River in Humboldt County: Park 1 on West End Road offers river access, limited parking, picnic tables, horseshoe pits, BBQ, and restroom facilities, while Park 4 on Warren Creek Road includes river access, parking, picnic tables, and a restroom.

Both parks feature boat ramp access into the Mad River estuary, which maintains sufficient depth for paddling canoes and kayaks even at low tide, and are open during daylight hours on a first-come, first-served basis.