Mendocino

A Victorian village on the cliffs of Northern California, with headland trails, Glass Beach, redwood forests and Anderson Valley wine country.

Mendocino lies on California's North Coast, about 250 km north of San Francisco. This 19th-century logging village perched on a headland has beautifully preserved New England–style wooden houses and water towers, and the entire town is listed as a historic district. The area divides into three parts: the village and nearby coast (Mendocino Headlands, Big River canoeing, Russian Gulch and Van Damme State Parks, Point Cabrillo Light Station); Fort Bragg about 15 km north (Glass Beach, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Noyo Harbor, the Skunk Train, seal watching at MacKerricher); and the inland and southern stretch—the Navarro River redwoods and Anderson Valley wine country along Highway 128, and Elk, Point Arena Lighthouse and Bowling Ball Beach along Highway 1 to the south (about 60–70 km). Weather-wise, September–October is the sunniest; December–April is gray whale migration season; summers are often foggy and cool, so bring a jacket. Getting there: there are no direct commercial flights; most visitors drive from San Francisco in about 3.5–4 hours (Highway 1 is scenic but very winding) or take Highway 101 and then Highway 128. Plan on 2–3 days. The water is cold and rip currents are strong, so it's not suitable for swimming; cliff edges are crumbly, so stay behind the fences; lodging in town is limited and pricey, so book ahead for weekends.

Top sights

• Mendocino Headlands State Park – A coastal cliff trail encircling the town of Mendocino, with sea arches, sea caves and blowholes along the way. It's one of the best spots…
• Mendocino Village Historic District – A 19th-century logging town with preserved New England–style wooden houses, a water tower and churches. The whole town is listed on the Nat…
• Glass Beach – A former dump on the shore, where waves have ground the discarded glass into colorful sea-glass pebbles. It is now part of MacKerricher Sta…
• Kelley House Museum – A yellow wooden house completed in 1861, presenting the local history of Mendocino's logging era and Chinese immigration.
• Temple of Kwan Tai – A Kwan Tai Temple built by 19th-century Chinese loggers and fishermen, one of the oldest surviving Chinese temples in California.
• Big River Beach – A beach at the mouth of the Big River south of town. You can rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards and paddle upstream among redwoods and ri…
• Russian Gulch State Park – A state park north of town. The Fern Canyon Trail leads to an 11-meter waterfall, and along the coast a collapsed sea cave called the Devil…
• Van Damme State Park – A state park at the mouth of Little River. The cove is a popular launch point for kayaking into sea caves, and the inland fern canyon trail…
• Van Damme Pygmy Forest – A forest stunted by poor, acidic soil. Trees more than a century old stand barely waist-high, a remarkable natural wonder.
• Point Cabrillo Light Station – A lighthouse completed in 1909 that still keeps its original Fresnel lens. The headland meadows are a good place for whale watching and wil…
• Jug Handle State Natural Reserve – The 'Ecological Staircase' trail crosses five marine terraces in turn, from coastal grassland to redwood forest and then on to pygmy forest.
• Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – A garden of about 19 hectares extending to sea cliffs, combining rhododendrons, dahlias and coastal views.
• Noyo Harbor – A fishing harbor south of Fort Bragg with fishing boats, seafood restaurants and a whale-watching dock. Sea lions often forage at the river…
• Noyo Headlands Park & Fort Bragg Coastal Trail – A coastal trail on the site of Fort Bragg's former lumber mill. About 7 km of flat paved path links bays, rocky reefs and Glass Beach.
• Pudding Creek Trestle – A wooden log trestle built in 1915, now a walking and cycling path, with a small beach at the creek mouth beneath it.
• MacKerricher State Park – A dune coast park north of Fort Bragg. The boardwalk at Laguna Point gives close views of harbor seals, and the park has both tide pools an…
• Skunk Train – A logging railway in operation since 1885. Steam or diesel trains run through redwood forest, and you can also try railbikes on the tracks.
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park – A corridor of second-growth redwoods stretching about 18 km along Highway 128 beside the Navarro River. It is the main route for driving in…
• Anderson Valley – A cool valley known for Pinot Noir, sparkling wine and Alsace-style white wines, with tasting rooms scattered along Highway 128.
• Hendy Woods State Park – Old-growth redwoods in Anderson Valley. Two ancient groves with gentle trails make it ideal for a stroll between wine tastings.
• Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve – Old-growth redwoods tucked deep in a valley. The Mendocino Tree once held the record as the world's tallest, and the area is quiet and uncr…
• Greenwood State Beach (Elk) – A beach below the small village of Elk, with towering sea stacks. It is one of the most photogenic bays along the southern stretch of Highw…
• Point Arena Lighthouse – One of the tallest lighthouses on the US West Coast, at about 35 m. You can climb 145 steps to the top for views of the headland and the Pa…
• Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands – The land unit of the California Coastal National Monument, where sea arches, sea caves and blowholes lie along flat grassy bluffs.
• Bowling Ball Beach – At low tide, rows of round concretion boulders emerge from the sand like scattered bowling balls, a wonder favored by photographers.

Where to eat

• Cafe Beaujolais – A Mendocino landmark since 1977, housed in a yellow Victorian farmhouse dating to 1893. It serves French-style Californ…
• Trillium Cafe – A California cuisine restaurant in a historic house, with views over Big River Bay, a fireplace dining room, and a gard…
• Luna Trattoria – A family-run northern Italian trattoria tucked into a side alley, known for handmade pasta made from family recipes. Di…
• Goodlife Cafe & Bakery – The most popular coffee and bakery in town, serving organic pastries, New York-style bagels, and Latin-style breakfasts…
• Patterson's Pub – An Irish-style pub in the former rectory of an 1866 church and a local gathering spot. Fish and chips and steamed clams…

Itineraries

• Northern California Redwoods Coast & Volcano Loop – Head north along Highway 1 to Mendocino and the Redwoods, then turn toward Redding and Lassen Volcanic before returning…