The Tsurai Indians, one of more than 50 groups that make up the Yurok Tribe, have resided in the Trinidad area since time immemorial. Archaeological studies — the last in 1977 by the Coastal Conservancy — have shown that the Tsuraf have been in the Trinidad area since at least 800 A. D.

Europeans discovered Trinidad's natural harbor in 1595 when a Portuguese ship came across the harbor. Spanish explorer Don Bruno de Heceta anchored at the city's site on Trinity Sunday in 1775, planting a cross and declaring the area "Trinidad."

The smallest incorporated city in Humboldt County, Trinidad is perched on a cliff overlooking the harbor to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Trinidad Head is a huge rock outcropping that shelters the harbor on its east side and is home to a small U.S. Coast Guard Station and the Humboldt State University marine biology laboratory.

The harbor is home to a bustling fleet of winter crab fishermen. The entire area, which features pristine beaches and bluff hiking trails, is a popular destination for both tourists and local residents.

The Tsurai Village, a historical site that includes a traditional burial ground,
sits on the bluff above the harbor, below the Memorial Lighthouse. The Tsurai Ancestral Society maintains on ongoing effort to preserve the integrity of the sacred site. It is not accessible to the public.

The Trinidad Rancheria is composed of American Indians from several different tribes. The Rancheria operates the Cher-Ae Heights Casino in Trinidad and several other businesses in the area.

In the past the name "Cher-Ae" has been confused with the Tsurai, perhaps due to the similarity in pronunciation, but the two are separate.