Today, the property has grown into the Redwood Coast’s premier entertainment destination: a 3-diamond boutique hotel, four distinct restaurants, a full-service spa, around 500+ games across dedicated non-smoking and smoking gaming floors, a complete table games floor, and a live entertainment venue that brings national and regional acts to Humboldt County. All of it built with intention.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. What makes Blue Lake Casino Hotel different is what you feel when you’re here — the genuine hospitality of a staff that’s largely local, the quiet pride of a business that gives back to its community, and the knowledge that your visit supports something meaningful.
Sustainability & Climate Leadership
The Blue Lake Rancheria has earned national and international recognition for climate leadership — not as a marketing exercise, but as a core value. The tribe constructed a solar micro-grid that powers the casino and serves as a resilience hub for the surrounding community during emergencies. That project earned a Climate Action Champion Award in 2014 and has been studied by energy researchers worldwide.
Across the property, you’ll see the results of deliberate, ongoing environmental stewardship: paper replacing plastic wherever possible, biodiesel and renewables replacing fossil fuels, and continuous energy efficiency upgrades. It’s not something we talk about loudly. It’s just how we operate.
Voted Best Casino
North Coast Journal Best of Humboldt, 2025 & 2026. Humboldt County readers also named us Best Hotel in 2026.
The Property
Located just five miles east of Arcata, California, and seconds off Highway 299, Blue Lake Casino Hotel sits in the heart of Humboldt County. The Mad River Valley stretches out from your hotel window, ancient redwoods rise minutes to the south, and the Pacific Ocean is a short drive west. It’s a location that makes “just one more night” an easy decision.