Recreation on The Mendocino Coast

Our Favorite Area Recreation

Parks

Jackson State Forest, Hwy. 20
Big River Land Project
Bower Park Gualala
California State Parks
Hendy Woods State Park, Anderson
Indian Creek County Park, Philo
Jughandle State Reserve, Caspar
MacKerricher State Park, Fort Bragg
Mailliard Redwoods, Anderson
Botanical Gardens, Fort Bragg
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Mendocino National Forest
Mendocino Woodlands
Montgomery Woods Reserve, Mendocino
Navarro Beach Campground, Mendocino
Navarro Redwoods State Park, Anderson
Paul Dimmick Rec. Area, Anderson
Point Arena Lighthouse Museum
Point Cabrillo Light Station, Caspar
Russian Gulch, Mendocino
State Parks of Mendocino Coast
Symphony of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg
Ten Mile Coastal Trail, Fort Bragg
Van Damme , Little River
Westport Union-Landing
Yolla Bolly Wilderness, Covelo

Where to see the Redwoods

The ancient and spectacular redwood trees that dominate the Northern Mendocino California Coastal Forests ecoregion are among the biggest, tallest, and oldest trees in the world. Many of these trees have been growing for more than 2,000 years, with some reaching heights of more than 300 feet (90 meters). The life that flourishes within these ancient forests is highly diverse. In fact, only a few other forests in the world can compare in terms of their complex structure and biodiversity.

Did You Know:

It would take about 30 grown men standing shoulder to shoulder to encircle some of the largest redwood trees.

Don’t miss Jackson State Forest covering 55,000 acres rich with Redwoods and other beautiful flora. And Montgomery Woods which contains the 367-foot-tall Mendocino Tree, the tallest tree in the world according to the Tall Trees Club. (See listings below for both these locations.)

From the luxuriant growth of moss and fungi on the forest floor to the rare marbled murrelets that nest only in ancient trees, these towering giants support communities of plants and animals much more diverse than those found in younger forests.

These towering giants are generally found within 40 miles (65 kilometers) of the coast. They are distributed among a wide variety of communities, including Douglas fir-tanoak forests, oak woodlands, closed-cone pine forests, bogs, and coastal grasslands. Most of the redwood-dominated forests are in valley bottoms, where there is abundant fog and periodic floods every 30 to 60 years. The environment here is moist because of Pacific storms in the winter and coastal fogs in the summer.

Montgomery Woods
1 hr. E. of Fort Bragg on Comptche-Ukiah Rd. between Mendocino and Ukiah

Jackson State Demonstration Forest
1/2 hr. E. of Fort Bragg on Hwy. 20 toward Ukiah

Hwy 128 Anderson Valley
1/2 hr. S of Fort Bragg on Hwy 1 – then S on 128 (on the way to Wine Country!)

Drive-Thru Tree & Park Leggett
1/2 hr. N. of Fort Bragg on Hwy 1

Richardson’s Grove
Garberville, 1 hr. N of Fort Bragg on Hwy 1

Avenue of the Giants
Garberville, 1 hr. N of Fort Bragg on Hwy 1

Horseback Riding

Riding on The Mendocino Coast truly provides a combination of beautiful landscape and quality riding. The contrast of the majestic Redwood forests and the long, barren, sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean in this rural area of Northern California affords some wonderful opportunities for long hours of reflection, exhilaration and scenic splendor.

Horseback Riding, Trail Rides, Horse Rentals:
Ricochet Ridge Ranch, 24201 N Highway 1, Fort Bragg 707-964-7669
Ross Ranch, Elk, CA 707-877-1834

Walking/Hiking Trails

Visit mendowalks.org for great walking trails.
Visit mendocinolandtrust.org for great hiking trails.

Featuring The Ten Mile Coastal Trail

“The California Coastal Trail (CCT) is the result of creative vision and ongoing effort to build a network of publicly accessible trails for walkers, bikers, equestrians, wheelchair riders and others along the entire California coastline.” Click here to read more about the entire California Coastal Trail system. Starting at the “Pudding Creek Trestle” at The Beachcomber Motel, The Ten Mile Coastal Trail, part of the vast California Coastal Trail system, is located on Northern California’s Mendocino Coast in MacKerricher State Park.

On any given day, The Beachcomber Motel front desk staff provides visiting walkers with the “Ten Mile Coastal Trail” log book to sign their names and join the ranks of the hundreds of people who have walked this trail, which runs along the bed of an old logging haul road and railroad north from the Fort Bragg city limits seven miles to the Ten Mile River.

A multi-use trail for hikers, bicyclists and horse back riders, the asphalt paved trail taverses coastal bluffs to Ward Avenue connecting to State Highway 1. An additional three miles north of Ward Avenue leads to the Ten Mile river through a sand dune complex.

The trail provides one of the longest unbroken whale watching locations on the West Coast along with diverse activities as nature study, fresh and salt water fishing, tidepooling, seal watching and surfing. For more information please visit the Ten Mile Coastal Trail website.

Walking Trails on The Coast:

The Beachcomber Motel – “Where The Ocean Is Our Backyard”
Ten Mile Coastal Trail
MacKerricher State Park
Russian Gulch State Park
Jug Handle State Reserve
Caspar Headlands State Reserve
Caspar Headlands State Beach
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
Needle Rock Visitor Center to Orchard Creek, Sinkyone Wildemess S.P.
Orchard Creek to Usal, Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Usal, Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, to Highway 1 at Usal Road
Usal Road to Westport-Union Landing State Park Vista Point
Westport-Union Landing State Beach to Bruhel Point North Access
Bruhel Point to Ten Mile River, MacKerricher State Park
Ten Mile River to Fort Bragg, MacKerricher State Park
Pudding Creek Trestle, South End, Fort Bragg to Pine Beach Inn
Pine Beach Inn to Point Cabrillo Preserve
Point Cabrillo Preserve to North Mendocino Headlands
North Mendocino Headlands to Chapman Point Trailhead
Chapman Point Trailhead to Van Damme Beach, Van Damme S.P.
Little River to Navarro River
Navarro River to Elk
Elk to Alder Creek, Manchester State Park
Alder Creek to Stoneboro Road, Manchester State Park
Stoneboro Road at Highway 1 to Moat Creek
Moat Creek to Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay to Gualala Point Regional Park Visitor Center

More Sports & Recreation

Bicycling:

At The Beachcomber Motel! Rent a Coast Cruiser and Ride The Coastal Trail on The Ten Mile Haul Road behind The Motel!
Catch-A-Canoe & Bicycles Too – 44850 Comptche-Ukiah Rd., Mendocino (707) 937-0273
Mendocino Mountain Bike Tours/Guides – Village of Mendocino (707) 937-3069
Fort Bragg Cyclery – 579 So. Franklin St., Fort Bragg (707) 964-3509
Adventure Rents – Downtown Gualala, Gualala (707) 884-4386
Bicycle Rack – Rentals – 302 N. Main, Lakeport (707) 263-1200
Fetzer Cycles – Rentals – 290 Seminary Ave., Ukiah (707) 462-4419

Tennis & Health Clubs:

Mendocino Sports Club – 401 Cypress St., Fort Bragg (707) 964-6336
Little River Inn Golf & Tennis – 7551 N Hwy 1, Little River (707) 937-5667
Mendocino Tennis Club – 43250 Little Lake Rd., Mendocino (707) 937-0007

Golfing:

Little River Inn Golf & Tennis – 7551 N Hwy 1, Little River (707) 937-5667
Sea Ranch Golf Links – 49300 Hwy 1 at Sea Ranch, CA (707) 785-9659
Ukiah City Golf Course – 559 Park Blvd, Ukiah, CA (707) 467-2832
Brooktrails Golf Course – 24860 Birch St., Willits, CA (707) 459-6761

Swimming:

CV Starr Community Aquatic Center – 300 S. Lincoln Street • Fort Bragg, CA