MENDOCINO HEADLANDS
BEAUTIFUL BLUFFS & BEACHESMendocino Village is surrounded on three sides by gentle trails that meander along the rugged coastline providing spectacular views of sea arches, ancient blow holes, hidden grottos and the ever changing Pacific Ocean.
Mendocino Beaches, Bluffs and Wonders of Nature
MENDOCINO HEADLANDS
BEAUTIFUL BLUFFS & BEACHES
Mendocino Village is surrounded on three sides by gentle trails that meander along the rugged coastline providing spectacular views of sea arches, ancient blow holes, hidden grottos and the ever changing Pacific Ocean.
Glass Beach
Glass Beach is one of the most unique beaches on the Mendocino Coast, if not the world. Not only because nature created it that way, but because time and the pounding surf have corrected one of man's mistakes.
Best Views of Mendocino
Picture postcard view of Mendocino Village from across the bay! Mendocino Bay Overlook offers a spectacular view of the village of Mendocino from south of Big River. Located off Road 500B/Brewery Gulch Drive immediately south of Mendocino (after the bridge).>> Click for Map.
North Coast Surf School
Make your Mendocino vacation memorable! Learn to Surf! 1 Hour 45 Minutes of Instruction
- Private & Group Lessons
- Includes all equipment
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Located on 47 Ocean Front acres, this magnificent landscape includes canyons, wetlands, coastal bluffs, a closed-cone pine forest and a varied array of floral and plant collections.
Bring a Picnic!
Point Arena Stornetta
California Coastal National Monument
This unique and spectacular area includes access to 12 coastal miles of coastal bluffs, sandy beaches and dunes, the estuary of the Garcia River, and adjacent small islands accessible during low tide.
Russian Gulch State Parks
Perfect for exploring and hiking, this park features 1,162 acres with 7,630 feet of ocean frontage, with rugged headlands, beaches, tide pools and the Devil's Punch Bowl sea cave on one side and on the other side you'll find the heavily forested Russian Gulch Creek Canyon and the 36-foot high waterfall.
Van Damme State Beach
These 1,831 acres of beach and forest feature a lush Fern Canyon scenic trail that takes you to the Pygmy Forest where mature cone-bearing cypress and pine trees stand six inches to eight feet tall
MacKerricher State Parks
Popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians and bicyclists. This park is best known for all the seals that live in this beautiful and varied habitat of sandy beaches, ocean bluffs, sand dunes and tide pools to forests and wetlands.
Navarro River Beach
After winding over rolling hills and through the Anderson Valley along Highway 128, you'll suddenly enter an eleven-mile-long "redwood tunnel to the sea" that runs along the majestic Navarro River.
Schooner Gulch & Bowling Ball Beach
Sunset watching, fishing, picnicking and surfing are popular activities here. A small parking area with two trailheads is on the west side of the highway. The southern trail leads to Schooner Gulch Beach and the northern trail provides access to Bowling Ball Beach.
Jug Handle State Reserve
NATIONAL NATURAL LANDMARK: Explore a 2.5-mile self-guided nature trail called The Ecological Staircase.
Each of the terraces was uplifted from sea level about 100,000 years before the one below it. The lowest terrace consists of prairie; the second is covered with pines; the third supports a unique pygmy forest with knee-high trees possibly several decades old.
Manchester
760 acres of beach, sand dunes, and flat grasslands, with nearly 18,000 feet of ocean frontage. The beach line curves gently to form a "catch basin" which collects a lot of driftwood. Five miles of gentle, sandy beach stretches southward towards the Point Arena Lighthouse.
Big River Beach
Where the Pacific ocean meets the Big River to form Mendocino Bay. A picturesque path that runs atop the southern bluffs (if you walk EAST), will take you to the wooden staircase that leads down to this sandy beach. Drive South out of Village and take first left before bridge to drive to sand.
Caspar Beach
The long shallow beach is perfect for kids! Dive for abalone, fish to your heart's content or hit the water for a little surfing, boogie-boarding, kayaking, snorkeling or swimming. Sunbathe on our sandy shores, or comb the Beach for shells.
Cuffy's Cove
At the north end of Elk, historic Druid and Catholic cemeteries pay homage to this once prospering town. The first farms and sawmill were established here before Mendocino was even settled. This peaceful bluff is a befitting final resting place for the brave pioneers who tamed this wild coast.
Tides and tidepools
The sun and the moon move in cycles affecting the ebb and flow of the Tides, wind and storms. We have two high and low tides of unequal heights each day, with a time difference of approximately six hours between them. Tides below one foot in height are ideal for viewing organisms in our majestic tidepools.
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK TO THE OCEAN!
Greenwood State Beach
This beautiful beach offers stunning views, picnic tables and a path down to the beach. Several rest and view spots are provided and there is also a state park toilet provided for park visitors and travelers.
Ten Mile Trail - Old Haul Road
Easy trail - Flat and paved most of the way! Excellent for biking, strolling and exercising. The Old Haul Road runs along the beach. A small section was washed out during a severe storm, but able bodied sorts can travel along the sand until the road picks up again.
Pomo Bluffs in Fort Bragg
on Todd's Point, in Fort Bragg, this relatively new city park (opened April 22, 2006) on the ocean bluffs overlooking the Noyo Harbor entrance and the Pacific Ocean. There is a paved walkway that's suitable for wheelchairs or strollers and there are benches along the way.
Noyo Beach - Off Leash Beach
Located under the bridge at Noyo Harbor in Fort bragg is a great off leash beach for dogs to romp and play. Mcdog (Mendocino Coast Dog Owners Group) are working on a fenced park in Fort Bragg.
Great fun, particularly if you are a dog!
