HEADLANDS STATE BEACH: At Doyle Creek, off Pt. Cabrillo Dr., S. of Caspar. Sandy beach along Pt. Cabrillo Dr.; no facilities. Caspar Beach RV Park, on the inland side of Pt. Cabrillo Dr., offers RV and tent sites; convenience store, laundry, and hot showers. Call: 707-964-3306.
CASPAR HEADLANDS STATE NATURAL RESERVE: End of Headlands Dr. off S. Caspar Dr., S. of Caspar. Public shoreline is interspersed with private property; do not trespass. No facilities. Call: 707-937-5804.
POINT CABRILLO LIGHT STATION: Pt. Cabrillo Dr., 2 mi. N. of Mendocino. Restored lighthouse open daily, 11 AM–4 PM; grounds open sunrise–sunset. From visitor center and parking area, one-half-mile walk to the light station; those with special needs may park at the light station. Call: 707-937-6122.
RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK: E. and W. of Hwy. One, 2 mi. N. of Mendocino. Sandy beach with sea-level parking. East of Hwy. One are campgrounds, including sites for groups and equestrians. For camping reservations, call: 1-800-444-7275; reservations for equestrian sites available only through state parks district headquarters. Summertime reservations strongly recommended; campground closed from late October to early April. For park information, call: 707-937-5804.
▪ Rock fishing and diving
▪ Kayak launch spot
▪ Devil’s Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave, surges with seawater at high tide
▪ Ten miles of trails, some open to bicyclists and equestrians
Mendocino County
Town of Mendocino
MENDOCINO HEADLANDS STATE PARK: Seaward of Mendocino, from Lansing St. and Heeser Dr. to Big River. The park is located on the ragged-edge marine terrace that surrounds the town of Mendocino on three sides. A trail winds along the bluffs, providing views of sea-stacks, tidepools, and sandy beaches below. At the west end of Main St., a path leads onto a promontory where a blowhole is located; stairs lead down to small, south-facing sandy Portuguese Beach. Never turn your back on the ocean; sleeper waves can reach higher on the rocks than you might expect.
The visitor center at the historic Ford House has maps, books, and displays; open daily. Docent-led walks are available; picnic tables and restrooms are nearby. Another restroom is located on the north side of the Mendocino Headland, on Heeser Dr. near the Cypress Grove. Call: 707-937-5804. Mendocino has many buildings of historic and architectural interest.
▪ The Masonic Hall on Lansing St., built in 1865, is topped by an enigmatic sculpture carved from a single block of redwood
▪ The Temple of Kwan Tai on Albion St., built as early as 1867, served early Chinese settlers
▪ The Mendocino Art Center on Little Lake St. hosts galleries, performances, garden tours, and more; call: 707-937-5818
BIG RIVER BEACH: S. of Mendocino. A broad white sandy beach, part of Mendocino Headlands State Park, extends along the north bank of Big River. The main access is east of Hwy. One; boats can be launched at the far end of the parking area. A beach wheelchair is available; call: 707-937-5804. Big River Beach can also be reached west of Hwy. One on foot via a stairway south of the historic Presbyterian Church.
Some 7,300 acres of the Big River watershed, much of it formerly logged, have been added to Mendocino Headlands State Park. An old logging road, now a trail, departs the east end of the parking lot at Big River Beach. Hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers permitted; no motor vehicles. For information on summertime guided walks led by Mendocino Land Trust docents, call: 707-962-0470.
▪ Boating
▪ Fishing
▪ Wildlife viewing
▪ The mouth of Big River is sometimes a good surfing spot
MENDOCINO BAY OVERLOOK: Off Road 500B, W. of Hwy. One, S. of Mendocino. Path to overlook is marked by a brown sign; roadside parking. Fine views of the town of Mendocino from the grassy bluff. Road 500B is also known as Brewery Gulch Road. Additional roadside vista points are farther south along Brewery Gulch Road.
Mendocino County
Van Damme to Navarro River
PATHS TO SHORELINE: Hwy. One at Gordon Lane, 1.5 mi. S. of Mendocino. A trail, part of Van Damme State Park, starts at Hwy. One at dirt parking area opposite Gordon Lane. A second trail starts at a fence opening 200 feet north of Peterson-Headlands Ln.; park on the south side of Peterson-Headlands Ln., just off Hwy. One.
VAN DAMME STATE PARK: E. and W. of Hwy. One at Little River, 3 mi. S. of Mendocino. No-fee beach parking is west of Hwy. One. Inland of the highway are a picnic area, visitor center, and camping facilities, including family sites, hike or bike sites, a group campground, and environmental sites reached by trail. Campground open all year; for reservations, call 1-800-444-7275. Enroute campsites are available in the beach parking lot. Fee charged for camping and park day use. Call: 707-937-5804.
▪ Visitor center open weekends, year round
▪ Hiking trail through Fern Canyon
▪ Divers and kayakers enjoy easy equipment transport from sea-level parking area
▪ Self-guided, wheelchair-accessible pygmy forest trail is off Little River Rd., east of the county airport
LITTLE RIVER BLOWHOLE TRAIL: W. of Hwy. One, N. of Little River cemetery. Trail starts at north fenceline of cemetery and leads to giant sinkhole. Stay back from the edge.
DARK GULCH BEACH: Hwy. One, Dark Gulch. Limited roadside parking (southbound) at milepost 45.24 along tall wooden fence; walk seaward between low fences to sand-and-cobble beach.
ALBION RIVER BEACH: Albion flats, W. of Albion River Campground. Park near the Albion River Campground café, then walk under the bridge to sandy river beach. Albion River Campground offers RV and tent camping, rest-rooms with showers, and boat launch. Fees for camping or day use; no charge for pedestrians headed for Albion River Beach. Call: 707-937-0606. The separate Schooner’s Landing Campground offers RV camping, boat launch and dock, and picnicking; call: 707-937-5707.
NAVARRO BLUFFLANDS TRAIL: Off Hwy. One, N. of Navarro Ridge Road. Half-mile-long trail starts at milepost 42.5; roadside parking. No beach access. Call: 707-962-0470.
NAVARRO POINT PRESERVE: Off Hwy. One, 1.7 mi. N. of the junction
