Outdoor Activities
The Mendocino Coast is basically an outdoor paradise that combines proximity to the Pacific Ocean, giant redwood trees everywhere in the area, and a congenial climate (well, congenial wouldn't be the first word you would pick in the middle of some winter storms, but it's true almost all of the time). It never gets very hot here, nor very cold, so hiking and mountain biking are quite pleasant most of the year.
Hiking and Mountain Biking
With 17 parks and preserves in the local State Parks system, as well as the largest state forest in California, there are limitless opportunities to hike. Here are some favorites (listed north to south):
- MacKerricher State Park: 12 miles north of Mendocino, this park travels along the coast for 10 miles, with an old haul road providing a great path for hiking and biking. The park has a harbor seal rookery, and sweeping vistas north to the Lost Coast.
- Jug Handle State Reserve: this place features a 2.5-mile nature trail called the Ecological Staircase, which follows five ancient terraces formed by glaciers, waves, tectonic activity, and erosion. Each terrace is approximately 100 feet higher and 100,000 years younger than the next-lowest level. Each terrace has a different ecosystem, including finally access to the Pygmy Forest, where a hardpan layer traps water near the surface. The corresponding lack of oxygen creates a natural Bonsai effect, resulting in 100-year-old pine trees that are a foot tall.
- Russian Gulch State Park: 2 miles north of Mendocino, this park features a 3-mile hike out to a 35-foot waterfall. The North Boundary trail heads east into the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, connecting up with hundreds of miles of trails and logging roads.
- Mendocino Headlands State Park: this park surrounds the village of Mendocino on 3 sides, all along the ocean. Easy trails follow it all the way around, with bathrooms at the north and south ends. This is a spectacular place from which to watch sunsets, large waves, migrating birds, and California Gray Whales on their annual migration.
- Big River Unit, Mendocino Headlands State Park: destined to be a state park, this is now attached the Headlands SP for financial reasons. This 700-acre park covers a large potion of the Big River watershed, formerly owned by a logging company. You can walk or bike for miles on the old haul road along the north bank of the river. You can also find a lot of blackberries out this way in late summer.
- Chapman Spoint and Spring Ranch Preserve: just a mile south of Mendocino, this preserve runs along the ocean from Gordon Lane down to Van Damme State Park.
- Van Damme State Park: in addition to an excellent beach, this park features a hike through the redwoods in the Fern Canyon, as well as a boardwalk in the Pygmy Forest.
- Forest History Trail, Jackson Demonstration State Forest: 7 miles east of Mendocino in the JDSF, this 4-mile loop runs along a series of ridges through mixed and redwood forest.
- Navarro Point Preserve: 9 miles south of Mendocino, this new preserve is an easy hike along ocean headlands, with great vistas to the north.
Lighthouses
There are 2 lighthouses in the area. The Point Cabrillo Light Station is only 2 miles north of Mendocino, while the Point Arena Lighthouse is 35 miles to the south of Mendocino.
- Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historical Park: this preserve became a state historical park in 2008. Besides having a superb location for whalewatching, the lighthouse was recently restored—including the beautiful Third-Order Fresnel Lens.
- Point Arena Lighthouse : this 108-foot lighthouse has a First-Order Fresnel Lens, although it is not installed in the tower. The lighthouse is located on a spectacular rocky promontory.
Horseback Riding
There are several places where you can go riding, either along the ocean or inland among the redwoods. Lari Shea’s Ricochet Ridge Ranch works out of Cleone, adjacent to MacKerricher State Park, and they take you riding along the Haul Road and beaches in MacKerricher.
Sport Fishing and Whalewatching and Abalone
- Noyo Harbor, at the south end of Fort Bragg, has a commercial fishing fleet and a large complement of sportfishing boats. These boats will take you out on fishing expeditions (salmon, rockfish). During the winter months, the same boats will take you out on whalewatching trips to see the 20,000-strong California Gray Whale migration. The whales come south from Alaska during December and January, and head north again in March and April. When the whales are passing by, it is almost impossible not to see some from the shore.
- Fishing is allowed from the shore in many locations, including the Mendocino Headlands and Navarro Point Preserve.
- Abalone diving is a very popular sport on the coast. Whenever there is a minus tide, every parking spot along the Coast Highway is filled with ab divers. This sport is highly restricted because of the predations of poachers, so be sure to get the proper license and abalone card with tags before you go into the water. Maximum take is 3 per person per day (24 in a year), and all must be tagged immediately upon leaving the water.
Kayaking and Canoeing
There are seven navigable rivers on the coast, as well as the ocean for the adventuresome. Big River is immediately to the south of Mendocino, and you can take canoes or kayaks for many miles (at least 8) up the river. You can also canoe up Noyo River and Ten Mile River. With an ocean-going kayak, there are many interesting features along the coast, such as sea stacks and arches, caves, seal rookeries, and great views.
Birding
Practically any of the places mentioned for hiking and biking will grant access to birds. You will find both sea birds and inlands birds here, with ducks, geese, cormorants, blue herons, pelicans, ravens, spotted owls, and more. Some well-known birding spots include: Lake Cleone at MacKerricher SP, which has a boardwalk partially around the lake; Mendocino Headlands; Big River, which has forest and river habitats, as well as several lagunas (home to wood ducks and blue herons) that feed into the river.