Recreation in Mendocino County
The natural beauty of Mendocino County is enhanced by its many beaches and parks. These areas provide visitors with a wealth of recreational activities suitable for a variety of ages. Mendocino recreation is best accomplished outside in the fresh air, where the scenery is spectacular and the opportunities are many.
These Mendocino parks and beaches are located in various regions of the county, so each offers something a little different, from whale watching to giant redwoods. Which you choose to visit will depend on your preference for activities and the region of the county you're visiting.
Bower Regional Park
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Location : Gualala CA
Phone: 707-884-1136 |
Lake Mendocino
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Location : Ukiah CA
Phone: 707-462-7581 Description : Lake Mendocino is located in the northern coast range of California. |
Jug Handle State Reserve
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Location : Caspar CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : Jughandle State Reserve is a one of the few places on earth display a more complete record of ecological succession. Each of the five terraces represents one stage in a progression of successional environments. |
Faulkner County Park
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Location : Boonville CA
Phone: Description : Faulkner Park is located just outside of the small community of Boonville. This 40-acre parcel sits on both sides of Mountain View Road, winding through the hills west of Boonville above Anderson Valley offers picnicking and scenic relaxation. |
Van Damme State Park
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Location : Little River CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : The Van Damme State Park is located in Little River just before Mendocino. offering great camping fun |
Mailliard Redwoods State Reserve
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Location : Gualala CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : The purpose of Mailliard Redwoods State Reserve, in Mendocino County, is to preserve and protect, in an essentially natural condition, the coast redwood forest and associated wildlife habitat which occurs along the Garcia River and adjacent watersheds. |
Manchester State Park
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Location : Manchester CA
Phone: 707-882-2463 Description : The park has 760 acres of beach, sand dunes, and flat grasslands, with nearly 18,000 feet of ocean frontage. The park features a variety of coastal wildflowers, including sea pinks, poppies, lupines, baby blue eyes and blue irises. The park provides habitat for tundra swans. The San Andreas Fault runs into the sea at the park. |
MacKerricher State Park
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Location : Cleone CA
Phone: 707-964-9112 Description : The Park is the only one in the park system that was at one time part of the Mendocino Indian Reservation. It is the only park unit that was part of the Union Lumber Company's vast timber and shipping holdings in northern Mendocino County. |
Point Arena Cove
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Location : Point Arena CA
Phone: Description : The cove is home to fishing, dinning and staying.The pier sits in the Point Arena cove. Point Arena itself juts out to the west (and is in fact the closest point in the continental United States to Hawaii). The old wooden pier, destroyed during the winter of 1982-'83, was replaced with a spiffy 322-foot-long steel and concrete deal with a boat launch and hoist. |
Russian Gulch State Park
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Location : Mendocino CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : This park is known for the heavily forested Russian Gulch Creek Canyon, a headland that features the Devil’s Punch Bowl (a large, collapsed sea cave with churning water)and a beach that offers swimming, tide pool exploring, skin diving and rock fishing. Inland, there is a 36-foot high waterfall. Hikers enjoy miles of hiking trails. The park also has a paved three-mile bicycle trail. |
Smithe Redwoods State Reserve
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Location : Leggett CA
Phone: 707-247-3318 Description : Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve contains the beautiful Frank and Bess Smithe Grove of redwoods. The site was formerly a private resort. The park features a 60-foot waterfall, picnic area, and fishing and swimming in the south fork of the Eel River. |
Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area
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Location : Ukiah CA
Phone: 707-468-4000 Description : Named for the longhorn cattle that once roamed wild, the 52,000-acre Cow Mountain Recreation Area offers a variety of recreational opportunities. The terrain is rugged, consisting mostly of steep, chaparral-covered slopes with scattered stands of fir, pine and oak. Elevations range from 800 to 4,000 feet. The area offers beautiful views of Ukiah and Clear Lake, over 31 miles of stream, 13 wildlife reservoirs, and habitat for blacktail deer, bear, wild turkey, and other upland species. |
Hendly Woods State Park
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Location : Philo CA
Phone: 707-895-3141 Description : The two groves of redwood and the park which was constructed around them bear the name of Joshua P. Hendy who, in the late 1800's, first claimed this beautiful area as his own.This park features 15 miles of hiking and riding trails through a variety of forested areas including redwoods, mixed evergreens, riparian, ponderosa pine, as well as rare ancient marine deposits called Santa Cruz sandhills. |
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
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Location : Navarro CA
Phone: Description : Visitors to the Navarro River Redwoods State Park can enjoy picnicking, swimming, and camping at the Paul M. Demmick campground. The park is popular with anglers, canoeists, and kayakers in the late winter and spring. Second growth redwood groves stretch the length of the park. They are home for raccoons, black-tail deer, and river-oriented birds such as the belted kingfisher. |
Mendocino Headlands State Park
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Location : Mendocino CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : The park features grass-covered headlands and a beach, with access from the mouth of the Big River south of town. Trails are popular with hikers and joggers. In winter, the park provides a site for whale watching. Mendocino Headlands State Park with its unique blend of gentle trails, rugged coastline, secluded beaches and timeless history surrounds the picturesque Village of Mendocino on three sides. Miles of trails wind along the cliffs, giving the casual explorer spectacular views of sea arches and hidden grottos. |
Mendocino Woodlands State Park
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Location : Mendocino CA
Phone: 707-937-5755 Description : The park sits in the heart of the redwood forest, nine miles east of Mendocino. With its 200 buildings, originally located on 5,000 acres, were built by hand by unemployed skilled workers of the Federal Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. |
Westport-Union Landing State Beach
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Location : Westport CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : Westport Union-Landing State Beach covers over 3 miles of rugged and scenic coastline, with 86 campsites available in three campgrounds on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The magnificent vistas, sunsets and tree-covered mountains in the background provide an inspiring backdrop to the park and challenges to both amateur and professional photographers. |
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
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Location : Westport CA
Phone: 707-986-7711 Description : The rugged wilderness that once characterized the entire Mendocino Coast can still be explored and enjoyed in the 7,367 acre Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. Since there are no main highways near the coast in this vicinity, the area has come to be called the "Lost Coast." Sinkyone Wilderness State Park is located within "Bear Country". State Park regulations require that visitors store all food and scented items properly at all times. |
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
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Location : Leggett CA
Phone: 707-925-6482 Description : At the "gateway to the tall trees country," the area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and swimming on the South Fork of the Eel River which winds through the park for almost two miles. One of the few virgin redwood stands remaining in this area can be seen on the Grove Trail. |
Bowling Ball Beach State Beach
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Location : Point Arena CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : The beach and headlands preserve a scenic spot along the Mendocino Coast and offers a stunning perch for watching sunsets, or merely sitting in the grass as the afternoon sun glistens on the waters below. Fishing, picnicking, and surfing are popular activities here. |
Glass Beach
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Location : Fort Bragg CA
Phone: Description : Glass Beach is one of the most unique beaches in the world, not because nature created it that way, but because time and the pounding surf have corrected one of man's mistakes. |
Admiral William Standley State Park
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Location : Laytonville CA
Phone: 707-247-3318 Description : Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area is at an elevation of 1,700 feet in the Coastal Range. It is located near the headwaters of the south fork of the Eel River. The park features 45 acres of redwoods and is a popular spot for salmon and steelhead fishing. The area is also a favorite place for hikers and picnickers.Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area is at an elevation of 1,700 feet in the Coastal Range. It is located near the headwaters of the south fork of the Eel River. |
Caspar Headlands State Park and Reserve
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Location : Caspar CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : Caspar Headland State Reserve is located on the Pacific Coast in Mendocino County approximately 4 miles north of the town of Mendocino. The reserve is shared by a residential community in Caspar South, which lies on a bluff overlooking the ocean. |
Indian Creek County Park
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Location : Philo CA
Phone: 707-463-4267 Description : Indian Creek Park has been a public recreation area for many years. Previous to the County's ownership of the property, the State of California had jurisdiction of the property and classified it as a "State Reserve"; under State ownership, little or no development took place. Prior to the State's ownership, there had been a log cabin and small shed on the property. |
Gualala Point County Park
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Location : Gualala CA
Phone: 707-785-2377 Description : The park is open daily. Most Sonoma County Regional parks open at sunrise and close at sunset. The 195 acre park has open meadows mixed with coastal forest. The park contains a campground, trail system, Visitors Center, coastal vistas, and sandy beaches. The park is located adjacent to the Gualala River, which offers limited seasonal fishing. Please check current regulations. $6.00 per vehicle for day use. Special rates apply to buses or trucks carrying more than 9 people. |
Indian Creek County Park
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Location : Philo CA
Phone: Description : Indian Creek Park has been a public recreation area for many years. Previous to the County's ownership of the property, the State of California had jurisdiction of the property and classified it as a "State Reserve"; under State ownership, little or no development took place. Prior to the State's ownership, there had been a log cabin and small shed on the property. |
Low Gap Park
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Location : Ukiah CA
Phone: 707-463-4291 Description : This 80-acre parcel of land has had several uses over the years. Until 1955, the City of Ukiah used a portion of the land for the City dump. In 1955, topsoil from what is now the archery range was pushed over the dumpsite to seal it off. Prior to its use as a City dump, there was a lumber mill and millworkers' housing on the site. Remnants of both these former uses can still be found in certain areas of the park. |
Montgomery Woods State Reserve
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Location : Comptche CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : Montgomery Woods State Reserve, in the heart of the Coast Range, has 700 acres of redwoods. Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, in the heart of the Coast Range, has redwoods, where visitors can walk along one of the park's many trails. It is an excellent example of both a magnificent coastal redwood grove and a beautiful fern forest. |
Greenwood State Beach
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Location : Elk CA
Phone: 707-937-5804 Description : In Elk you will find Greenwood State Beach with beach access and a magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean. The central theme is of Greenwood as a lumber town in the late 1800's through the early 1900's. |
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