Benbow State Recreation Area is a California state park on the South Fork Eel River near Garberville that protects a river corridor tied to the Benbow community and has expanded to 1,142 acres. Its modern history centers on Benbow Dam, built in 1931 for hydroelectric power as Garberville developed. Although the dam created a reservoir, the Benbow family also worked to preserve the river scenery, helping bring the area under state protection after funding was approved in 1956 and the first 207 acres were bought in 1958. Dam removal in 2016–2017 restored a freer-flowing river, and the area now combines recreation, river restoration, and long local conservation efforts.