Mendocino Headlands State Park is unforgettable. We walked straight from the village out along the…read morebluffs, with sweeping ocean views the entire way, then made our way down to a quiet beach where there was no one else around. Just sitting there with the sound of waves and birds felt incredibly peaceful. Simple, raw, and beautiful in a way that's hard to describe. One of those places that makes you slow down and just take it all in. Absolutely worth the walk from town.

We were able to find street parking easily in the morning- free. We walked a small section of the…read moreMendocino Headlands Trail. The bluffs and ocean views were beautiful. There were stairs on the side that lead to Portuguese Beach. We also viewed the blow hole. It was windy out there, but overall it was a nice quick stop.

Big River State Park in Mendocino is absolutely stunning, one of those places where you're reminded…read morehow much nature is showing off along this coast. With the river winding through redwoods and opening out toward the ocean, the scenery feels almost unreal in its scale and beauty. There are trails everywhere, great spots for kayaking, hiking, or just sitting quietly and taking it all in. The whole Mendocino area is packed with parks, and this one is a standout for its grandeur and sense of peace. It really feels like a place to slow down and appreciate how incredible the natural world is.

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!

We arrived shortly after 9:00am and paid the $10 day use fee. It was a short drive on a one lane…read moreroad to get to the parking lot. EV parking was available, which was nice. There was another small parking lot closer to the trail. We walked past the camp sites to get to the trail. The sites were on the smaller side, but all of them seemed to have a spigot. I used the flushing toilets before starting the hike. We did the Fern Canyon Trail to Falls Loop Trail- 6.2 miles. The first part was mostly flat, but there is some elevation gain for the loop. We went counterclockwise, but you reach the waterfall quicker if you do the loop clockwise. The 36-foot waterfall might not be the most impressive, but it was nice. There's a fallen tree trunk in between the two streams for you to sit and take some photos. We sat on a bench afterwards and enjoyed the views while having some snacks. I guess we got there at a good time, right before a crowd of people descended. Overall, the forested hike was nice and peaceful, and we also spotted a banana slug. There are some muddy parts though. I wished I read a bit more about the park before going. I would've wanted to do the short trail for Devil's Punchbowl which also has views of the bridge. Darn...

Serene quiet park…read more great photo spots! There's the iconic bridge but in order to get on that beach you have to walk on a narrow wobbling log in the water. Pretty scary for me. I finally did it, with the help of a very kind stranger who held my hand and it felt all better. Interesting how a lot of the fear is in your head. Why is there not a better safer path to get there? Watched many groups try and about half the people said nope and left

We had an amazing experience with our large group at Mendocino Grove. The property is gorgeous, the…read moretents were clean (it was nicer than many hotels), the bathrooms/showers are clean and so nice, and we loved having campfires with our crew. We opted to have dinner (pizza & salads) on our first night there and everyone was pleased. We had a group of 27 - including lots of kids - and it was a fabulous experience. The people working the front desk area were fine, we didn't really have to interact with them much after check in. If I could give one suggestion that would make it even better... more breakfast options in the morning. The oatmeal was delicious though. We loved the coffee and tea station. It is a little pricey to stay here, but it's a great experience! Beautiful place.

Wife and I booked this place for our 10 year anniversary due to the reviews. I have no idea why the…read morerest are glowing. We paid for privacy and got a tent that was indeed 'sort of' far away from others, but in exchange for that we were overlooking the highway. Couldn't even hear the ocean with the traffic noise. The tent itself is not even close to worth the price. Bare minimum for a "glamping" experience. The tent was also made from vinyl or some other material that squeaked loudly constantly as it rubbed against the metal frame at the slightest breeze. We were told to be wary of racoons when we arrived. Fair enough, but the tent flap had a perfect 'racoon-sized' hole in it. Again, showers, bathroom, shop, etc are nothing remotely special for the price they demand. We asked for our money back due to the squeaking and hole in the tent, but they refused citing their ridiculous 2-week cancellation policy. We left anyway as we couldn't sleep. Do yourself a favor and "glamp" somewhere else. Or just save yourself some money and pitch a tent in the woods yourself. Awful!

We rented a Canine Cruiser so our golden retriever could come along with us. It was so much fun!!…read moreYou get three hours, which is more than enough. Our dog is 70 lbs and the canoe felt extremely stable. There was a big space for him to lie down in the middle of the canoe, but he was standing or sitting the whole time! He was so happy. We even saw a few seals! The two gentlemen we dealt with at the rental place were very kind and friendly. So many good memories, definitely doing this again when we come back to Mendocino!!

Such a fun experience on the redwood outrigger canoe. Definitely recommend trying them out!read more

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.]

Freedom of Beach…read more Random beach we stopped at along our way up the PCH to Ft Bragg to stretch our legs and use the facilities. The Good: *It's nature and a beach all rolled into one! :) *Easy access off the freeway and free parking. *Restrooms (see below) *Decent views of the ocean but nothing we haven't seen before and better. *Waters seem fairly calm and would be a good place to kayak. The Meh: *No sandy beaches but full of smallish river rocks that make walking on the beach a chore. *Because of the aforementioned rocks not a place you can picnic or hangout, really. The Ugly: *The restrooms are the hole-in-the-ground type and obviously hadn't been pumped in a while. #CantUnseeThat TLDR: Nice stretch of coastline that would be great for kayaking but not much else beyond a leg stretch and pit stop--just don't look down... 0_o

ANYONE SAY SAFARI!!??…read more We did the guided Land Rover Tour and it was GREAT! The 5 of us loaded up with our tour guide and had the best time! The animals were such a treat to experience and the guides educated us on species, habitat, breeding the valuable repopulation they are helping to accomplish! At the end we were able to hand feed their amazing giraffes and make so many special memories! Our guides even helped with the photos so we could capture it all!

The staff was great. The facilities (not that I'm an expert) seem spacious and clean. The staff…read moreobviously care about the animals and are knowledgeable. They spent a lot of time explaining all the health care the animals have available. The tour was definitely worth the price. I read some of the negative reviews. These seem to be from a few years ago, so they are listening and correcting. The ONE thing that irritated me, my wife and others (judging from comments at the time): They start showing a documentary before the tour (show up at least 30 minutes early). They don't finish, but you can watch it all on streaming. The irritating part is they are preparing for the tour during the documentary. Lots of us would have liked to hear, but the manager and employees were all talking (or shouting) preparations. Maybe they could do this BEFORE the documentary or OUTSIDE?? But it is definitely five stars, even with this little glitch. Check it out and help the animals!

We had an absolutely magical time camping here last weekend. The park itself is rather easy to get…read moreto as soon as you get to the coast coming from the Bay. The Rangers were lovely, the site host was very kind, we stayed at site 27 which was shielded from the wind, they had clean bathrooms and showers, a camp fire program on Friday night and sold wood onsite. We got to do a lovely hike, hang out at the beach, go to the Noyo fish Company in Fort Brag... it was great! We were also warned about a black bear who had been visiting recently. But alas did not have an encounter. However, we did find raccoon hand prints all over our table cloth and bear box. So do use your bear box!!

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.

Really wonderful place that makes Mendocino so worth a visit for the weekend with fantastic massage…read morefrom Jacqueline. She knows intuitively how to find the most challenging spot and release it, and far better than most.

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.