Such a gorgeous coastal walk near downtown Mendocino! There's ample parking in town and it's an…read moreeasy walk from the coffee shops to where the trail along the coast starts. There's ample parking are some great viewpoints and really gives you a taste of the Northern California coastline without having to drive far or hike.

Very pretty view of the ocean. Beware if you have a dog that pulls as the cliffs are very steep,…read moreotherwise had a blast exploring.

I've visited Mendocino many times and somehow have never spent time at this wonderful (and free)…read morestate park. The entrance is off Highway 1, just outside Mendocino's shopping district and headlands. There are big wide beaches where the river meets the ocean which are visible right away. However, if you make a left at the bottom of the hill and drive a short ways to the end of the lot, there's a wonderful trail that meanders alongside the river. This former logging road is wide and gently graded (at least for the first 2.5 miles I walked on it.) It's great for bikes and more casual "hikes." It goes, I believe, about 7 miles inland so you can go as far as you'd like and turn around. It's a mellow journey and one more about the sites and sounds along the trail and the general peacefullness of the area, rather than a specific destination. You weave along the river and eventually in to the redwoods, where the water views become filtered through the trees. Along the way, we saw a few banana slugs and enjoyed a mostly shaded trail. I would love to come back with my bike and do the whole trail, end to end. The start of the trail had more people, which then tapered to just a few bikers and runners after the first mile or so. Seems to be a local's spot and they're very lucky to have it!

Easy access, great park, huge area with huge parking lot. The path to the Big River is sandy, drift…read morewood and logs, grass, rocks and clean, free of trash. There are disability sized portable toilets with access to people in wheel chairs. Tide was down walked way out into a sandy bar like area. Found some jelly fish. Great place for dogs, they are supposed to be leashed even though some were roaming free. You can walk under the bridge when the tide is out, out to the ocean and beach.

One of the most iconic bridges on the Mendocino coast. This state park is below the route 1. There…read moreis a large parking lot with direct access to the rivers mouth, sandy beachs and open nature. Also, a maintained restroom. We stopped for a while to take in the incredible views, walk on the waters edge and get a better look at the gulch bridge overhead. This special place is unique in its direct access to the river and area, and most just drive over the bridge without ever realizing the park is just below. This is a hidden gem on the Mendocino coastline and worth seeking it out and exploring a bit. 4.5 Stars rounded up for the direct water access 01190

I get up to Mendocino about every 5 years and always make a point to hike in Russian Gulch State…read morePark. The fern canyon and waterfall loop is a favorite and depending on the season, you can see various mushrooms, wildflowers and foliage. In the spring, the kiosk is staffed and the gate to access the campgrounds and the small lot for Fern Canyon is open. There are a few spots closer to the trailhead but more in the main lots outside the campground (which adds about half a mile to your hike.) See my previous review for more about the Fern Canyon, waterfall loop hike. You can also head down to the beach to get a view of the bridge that traverses Highway 1 and some beautiful rocky shoreline. It's pretty special that you can visit the redwoods and the coast all in one beautiful park. A must do when visiting Mendocino.

I forgot to review this lovely place I got the pleasure of staying for two nights back in November…read more2025. This was the absolute cutest idea I have done in a long while, although the nights were absolutely freezing during November which I do not recommend, if you can't withstand the cold. It was still enjoyable though. I recommend doing this during the lovely summer, I am sure it's amazing. They have clean bathrooms to shower. Communal area for coffee and breakfast with small snacks. They had this absolutely amazing apple bread I had to call them for the recipe, it was soooo good. It was a nice walk to get coffee, coffee was decent as well, no complaints. Raccoons will be the biggest problem, they do warn you prior and say to hide all dog food and human food in the large heavy chest that is located outside your tent. I thought I had put everything inside the chest and I was laying down and I heard something outside, so I get up and my neighbor said the raccoon had taken something from my bag, I finally realized the next day it was my dogs combs ugh. I was sad to say the least so don't make the same mistake as I did, make sure to put all things in that chest lol. I am assuming they thought it was food. The staff were very friendly upon check in, and when I called back to for the apple bread recipe. I forgot to mention that I wish they would invest in way better heated blankets for the colder months especially if we can't bring our own. The ones that were included and on the bed were just not heating up enough for the 40 degree temps. Cute little spot for a getaway!

I have been trying to reach this business for the past two days to cancel my reservation, and no…read moreone has responded. I have called, texted as instructed, and emailed just in case. Still nothing. This is especially concerning for a glamping property where guests are expected to stay in a remote or wilderness setting. If no one can respond to a basic cancellation request, how can guests feel confident that support would be available in an emergency or even for a routine need during the stay? The lack of communication is unacceptable and has made me feel unsafe bringing my family there. At this point, I will need to pursue cancellation through another route since I have been unable to get any assistance directly.

Decided to rent some bikes while we were staying in Mendocino. The shop is cute with it being right…read moreon the water. Definitely debated renting a canoe as well but we just didn't have enough time. The bikes were perfect to get us around town and down a trial close by. We had them reserved for 3 hours but they weren't worried about our time limit as long as we got them back by 4:30. The owners of the shop are super chill and relaxed. We felt very welcomed in their space. It was easy to book online and they're very responsive and flexible. I will say the breaks on the bike were a little worn but didn't pose any issues for us. We felt safe riding around and had no trouble.

We got the outrigger canoe for three adults and one pet and it was such a fun experience doing this…read morewith our dog! I was a little bit nervous because our pup doesn't exactly love water nor do we canoe often, but Rick via email and the staff on site were so helpful in answering any lingering questions. Rowing away from site was easy and smooth, and we floated off the side for a bit to take in the view. Once the wind picked up, rowing back was harder since we were going against the current, but still manageable! Everyone had a great time. We didn't use up the full three hours we were booked for, but nonetheless made it quite the way before turning back. We also respectfully from a distance, saw many seals! Our pup ended up enjoying her time on the canoe, and was all smiles. She was so relaxed that she actually fell asleep on the way back while we worked to paddle against the current. I'd say totally add this to your itinerary and make sure you bring a hat, sunscreen, and water for hydration!

It was light fog on my first pass through here but still worth stopping but it was perfectly…read morebeautiful on the return the next day. This is a stunning beach and I'm so glad that I made the stops. Large parking lot that was almost empty both times in late May. I suspect that the location along CA-1 makes it rather packed and I hope you're able to get here and be at one with nature. Just sitting and being close to the Ocean and just... nothing. Perfect. [Review 17618 overall - 408 in California - 1137 of 2022.]

Van Damme is an amazing spot in the heart of Little River. A beautiful spot in a sea of beautiful…read morespots as the Mendocino Coast is a pristine place. It is great to swim, paint or just escape the nonsense all around us and to escape into nature.

B. Bryan Preserve is a wonderful organization dedicated to protecting African wildlife. My partner…read moreand I did the self-guided driving tour in our own car, which was a great way to see some of the species up close. We went on a Saturday morning in February, so the experience was peaceful, quiet, and calm. While not a whole lot of animals were out during our slot (just doing their animal thing!), we were still able to see a nice variety of species. The absolute highlight was getting to feed the giraffes at the end of the tour! They are such majestic creatures, and it was a fun, interactive activity. We finished the tour fairly quickly since many animals weren't right up against the fence that day, but it's a fantastic activity to add to your itinerary if you're spending a full day exploring the coast. You can truly tell that the caretakers value and care deeply for these animals. It's a great experience that supports an excellent cause!

Early morning visit to a wildlife preserve…read more It was awesome seeing wildlife so up close. They all were healthy and well cared for. Feeding the giraffe was fun. We had a good time & the staff was very nice. #GoSee

Returned to Van Damm State Park for a second time and already looking forward to future visits…read more I've yet camped at the upper campsites. Only experienced the two lower loops closest to the entrance as well as the beach across the highway. It's an overall great campground. The only concern would be your neighbors and the mosquitos at sites that are along the creek. Most if not all sites are RV friendly. Anything larger than a mid-sized travel trailer, you might want to be selective. For trailers that are low profiled, stick to the lower loops to avoid scraping. Opted to never pull a trailer here because I'm not a fan of towing on highway 1. Typically, the host would drive around the campground delivering firewood at 12 dollars a bundle. Otherwise, they are available at the host's designated site.

Gorgeous easy to follow trail that takes you along the river, up through old growth and enormous…read moretrunks, then to a Pygmy forest. All well maintained with adorable bridges along the way!

This was an amazing spa experience! You'd never know it looking at the front of the building, but…read morethe lot extends very far to the back where there are multiple buildings for lodgings and the spa/body work services. We booked the outdoor hot tub #2 for one hour on a Sunday. It's $40/person on the weekends. This was a rainy weekend early in the season, so the spa was very quiet. It was quite serene to be outside in the hot tub, with light rain falling down! There is complete privacy at the tub, but there is also a larger communal tub option as well. The sauna is also communal. One drawback is that the restroom and locker room area did not seem to have separated male/female spaces. Luckily, we had the place to ourselves besides some older women, so it was not an issue. However, I would not have loved it had it been busier. It's a small space, so heads up on that if you're going. Overall, this was a fun and unique experience to do in Mendocino. It was very relaxing and peaceful, and the price was decent for the service. I would definitely go again. Very fun!

The people at Sweetwater are good to work with. Liked- Asian…read moredecor, view, location, very convenient to groceries, bakery and restaurants. Didn't like -step up to living room(dangerous for older people), no air conditioning , just ceiling fan. (hot living room because of windows), no usable chest of drawers (not easy to pull drawers in and out), noisy kitchen cupboard doors ( no pulls, slam shut), only very small closet (basically had to live out of suitcases for five days.