• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

California Through My Lens

California Travel, Food, Hiking & Road Trips

  • Start Here
  • Explore
    • Beaches
    • Bizarre
    • Caves
    • Food
    • Hikes
    • Historical Structures
    • Natural Wonders
    • Waterfalls
  • Drive
    • El Camino Real
    • Highway 395
    • LA to Las Vegas
    • Pacific Coast Highway
    • Route 66
  • National Parks
    • Channel Islands
    • Death Valley
    • Joshua Tree
    • Lassen Volcanic
    • Pinnacles
    • Redwoods
    • Sequoia & Kings Canyon
    • Yosemite
  • Cities
    • Los Angeles
    • Palm Springs
    • Sacramento
    • San Diego
    • San Francisco
  • Resources
    • Day Trip Ideas
    • Road Trip eBooks
    • Hotels
    • My Favorite Travel Products
    • Travel Videos
  • Browse By …
    • Map Of Locations
    • Cities
    • Counties
    • National Parks
    • State Parks

Loleta Cheese Factory: Homemade Cheese on Highway 101

Last Modified: October 14, 2015

2shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Loleta Cheese Factory is a small cheese company in Northern California and it is a great spot for a quick detour on a road trip. Open 7 days a week it is just 5 minutes off the freeway and has samples of over 20 different types of cheese that you can try. If you are there when they are actually making the cheese then they are happy to tell you about the process as well. Either way if you like cheese like I do then this stop is a no brainer.

Loleta Cheese Factory-10

Details

  • Hours: 9AM – 5PM
  • Location: 252 Loleta Dr, Loleta, CA 95551

History

Loleta Cheese Factory-8

Loleta Cheese Factory is a family run business that produces over 34 different types of cheese. The company was founded in 1982 and it became the first cheese factory in California to make organic cheese in 1995.

The Shop

Loleta Cheese Factory-9

When you pull up in the parking lot you will notice the small downtown for the old town of Loleta. When I was there on a Saturday, everything was closed and it seemed like a variable ghost down, but at least the cheese shop was open. The old shop has a fun exterior and I enjoyed the sign showing that it was real California cheese. 

Loleta Cheese Factory-4

The interior is exactly what you would expect with lots of knick knacks to purchase and even more cheese. 

Loleta Cheese Factory-1

They were not making it when I was there but you can see them make the cheese sometimes when you come in. 

Loleta Cheese Factory-7

Apparently it has also been visited by Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as I saw a sign showcasing it on the wall.

The Cheese

Loleta Cheese Factory-5

Like I said above, they have a ton of variety here. I counted over 20 types of cheeses and all of them were available for sample. Needless to say I was pretty full before I got through them all.

Loleta Cheese Factory-6

The flavors here range from garlic cheddar to jalapeno and green chili. I ended up settling on the smoked cheddar and the sharp cheddar as my favorites and took home a half pound of each.

Loleta Cheese Factory-3

The people here were really helpful and they informed me that the difference between mild cheddar and sharp cheddar is how long it is aged, about a year difference between the two. You learn something new every day.

All in all, this is a great shop full of yummy cheese. Take some home like I did or just grab a hunk and have a roadside picnic. Either way you are supporting a small local business. Let me know if you have been in the comments and what your favorite cheese was.

Filed Under: Food, Northern California, Stores Tagged With: Humboldt County, Loleta

Interested in supporting this blog?

This blog is simply a hobby and labor of love for me. If you have enjoyed the posts consider sharing it with your friends. I want as many people as possible to explore this state and you can help by letting them know about all of the great spots!

Join the Newsletter

Subscribe for the four day welcome series and to get the latest content every month.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    About JoshMc

    Thanks for checking out the blog, I am happy to be sharing my adventures with you! You can get to know me by reading my about me, which includes a video and additional information on the site, myself and my full disclosure. Also, follow along on Twitter here or read all of my posts on this blog here.

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Josh from California Through My Lens I'm a travel junkie strapped down to one state, focused on seeing as much of it as I can and encouraging others to do the same. More about me.

    Popular Posts

    The Big List of Strange, Fun & Unique Attractions in Southern California
    Pacific Coast Highway: Where to Stop on Your Road Trip
    Top Hiking Trails in Southern California
    Fun Stops on the Drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
    24 Things to do in Downtown LA
    17 Things to do in Lake Tahoe
    Donner Pass, Summit Tunnel Hike: Old Abandoned Railroad

    Categories

    Other Resources


    Footer

    Search the site

    Additional Information

    Privacy Policy

    About Us

    Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    Coronavirus February 2021 Update: Please note that some information in the posts may have changed and some places may be closed.