Mendocino Outdoors

By Dennis Freeze

Mendocino Outdoors, now an ebook in its fifth edition, is your guide to outdoor activities on the Mendocino Coast. This remote section of Northern California spans 100 miles of Pacific coastline, with spectacular ocean vistas, scenic drives, old-growth redwood trees, and several navigable rivers suitable for kayaking and canoeing. With hundreds of miles of trails and logging roads in the redwood forests, there are excellent opportunities for hiking and mountain biking.

Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the redwood-lined coastal mountain range, the Mendocino Coast is an outdoor paradise with great natural beauty, interesting wildlife, and a cool climate, so it offers a wealth of outdoor possibilities for everyone. Every winter, 20,000 California Gray Whales migrate south along the coast to their birthing grounds, returning in the spring with new calves. You can take a whalewatching excursion from Noyo Harbor, as well as see them from the shore along the entire coast. Birdwatchers will delight at herons, cormorants, Arctic tundra swans, spotted owls, osprey, geese, hawks, and more.

The Mendocino Coast has a rich and colorful history. The giant redwood trees that cover the Mendocino Coast were discovered while searching for the wreck of the Frolic, a clipper ship returning from China. The rush to harvest the trees resulted in mills and towns springing up all along the Mendocino Coast. You can still find traces of the logging activities along the coast and in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, the largest state forest in California. The village of Mendocino is a National Historic Preservation District, and the historic buildings walking tour in the book takes you by the Kelley House Museum and the Ford House Visitor Center, both of which are excellent sources for the history of the coast and early logging activities.

The book covers all of the parks and preserves along the coast, from the fabled Lost Coast down to Gualala. It also features several inland jaunts to the Anderson Valley wine country and some of the tallest trees in the world. The guide is filled with full-color maps of all the areas described in the book, accompanied by descriptions, driving directions, and photographs to show you why you might want to visit the various locations.

Chapter One • North Coast: Lost Coast to Fort Bragg
This chapter covers the Lost Coast, Usal Beach and Sinkyone Wilderness State Park; Smithe Redwoods State Reserve; Standish-Hickey SRA; Admiral William Standley SRA; Westport-Union Landing State Beach; Bruhel Point; MacKerricher State Park and Glass Beach; Fort Bragg and Noyo Headlands Park; Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; Jug Handle State Reserve; and the Chamberlain Creek Waterfall (Jackson Demonstration State Forest).
Chapter Two • Central Coast: Caspar to Albion
This chapter covers Caspar Headlands State Reserve & Beach; Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historical Park; Russian Gulch State Park; Mendocino National Historic Preservation District; Mendocino Headlands and Chapman Point; Big River Estuary and the Forest History Trail (Jackson Demonstration State Forest); Van Damme State Park and its Pygmy Forest Boardwalk; Montgomery Woods State Reserve (third-tallest tree in the world).
Chapter Three • South Coast: Elk to Gualala & Anderson Valley
This chapter covers Navarro Point Preserve and Navarro River Redwoods State Park & Beach; Elk and Greenwood State Beach; Manchester State Park, Point Arena Lighthouse, and Stornetta Public Lands; Bowling Ball and Schooner Gulch State Beaches; and Anderson Valley Wineries and Hendy Woods State Park.
Appendices
Rounding out the book are two appendices:
• Practical Information for Visitors, including locations of banks, grocery stores, medical services, pharmacies, mechanics, towing services, and more.
• Pet-Friendly Activities and Services highlights many activities, services, and lodging establishments that welcome pets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dennis Freeze
• Release date: Apr 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370769223

Dennis Freeze

After a long career at Hewlett-Packard Labs as a research scientist (computer science), I moved to Mendocino, CA in the late 1990s to buy a bed&breakfast, Agate Cove Inn. After I started gathering area information and making maps for my guests, I decided to collect the material into a book. After four successful editions in print, I decided to turn Mendocino Outdoors into an ebook for the fifth edition.

Book preview

Mendocino Outdoors Cover

Mendocino Outdoors

5th Edition

Dennis F. Freeze

Copyright 2017 Dennis F. Freeze

Smashwords Edition

Aerial View of Mendocino

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Old loggers

Outdoor activities are unlimited (with good balance).

Photo courtesy of Kelley House Museum, Inc.

Table of Contents

Map of Mendocino County Regions

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: North Coast Region

Outings: North Coast Region

North Coast Region: Lost Coast to Fort Bragg

Lost Coast to Westport (with Eel River)

MacKerricher State Park

City of Fort Bragg

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Jug Handle State Reserve

Chamberlain Creek Waterfall

Chapter 2: Central Coast Region

Outings: Central Coast Region

Central Coast Region: Caspar to Albion

Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park

Russian Gulch State Park

Mendocino Historic Preservation District

Mendocino Headlands to Chapman Point

Big River Estuary

Forest History Trail

Van Damme State Park (and Pygmy Forest)

Montgomery Woods State Reserve

Chapter 3: South Coast Region

Outings: South Coast Region

South Coast Region: Elk to Gualala & Anderson Valley

Navarro Point to Elk

Elk Coast to Gualala

Manchester SP, Point Arena Lighthouse, and Stornetta Public Lands

Anderson Valley Wineries and Hendy Woods SP

Appendix 1: Practical Info

Appendix 2: Dog-Friendly on the Mendocino Coast

Afterword

Mendocino County Regions

Introduction

Elk Coast

Elk Coast Vista

The Mendocino Coast is a beautiful place with a rich and colorful history. The giant redwood trees that cover the Mendocino Coast were discovered in 1850 while searching for the wreck of the Frolic, a clipper ship returning from China. The rush to harvest the trees resulted in mills and towns springing up all along the Mendocino Coast. You can still find traces of the logging activities along the coast and in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, the largest state forest in California. Stretching along 100 miles of the Pacific Ocean, the Mendocino Coast features abundant wildlife like California Grey Whales, harbor seals, and a variety of