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.

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.

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

I visit Mendocino every five years or so, and each time, I make a point to stop by Jug Handle…read moreNatural Reserve. On this trip, I made it down to the beach and was rewarded with a few sea glass finds, moody coastal views and a new perspective of the park. After looping along the coastal bluff trail, there's an obvious path down to the beach that's not too steep. If you're up for a longer hike, there's the Ecological Staircase trail. I've not done that hike, yet, but seems like it could be an interesting adventure. Since my last visit, I've noticed improvements on the trail and better signage. It's free to park and a great stop to stretch your legs along the Mendocino coast. Spring brings lots of wildflowers, so it's a great walk, even on rainy moody days. Always a must stop when I'm in the area.

This is a great place to access a beautiful , clean beach. It's a short hike along a trail then…read moredown some stairs. It's a perfect and not crowded beach. Since I was here last, they've created some raised decomposed granite trails. These raised, packed trails look like they would be conducive for use by strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. It's a beautiful addition to these grounds. There is a decent sized parking lot, portable toilets, clear signage. The grounds and trails are clean, the beach was prestige. Kudos for the new trails.

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

Navarro River Redwoods State Park was one of the last places I explored in California before moving…read moreback to Washington State in October 2019. I was on one of my driving adventures north of the San Francisco Bay Area and noticed the sign for this park as I was driving on the road I was on. Not sure where a central hub was, I decided to explore by utilizing the pull-offs along the road. From different pull-off areas, I spotted a number of trails heading off into the redwood trees, however I opted to stay closer to my vehicle. Some of the remains of fallen redwoods were closer to where I parked and I had fun checking that out. I had recently gotten a buzzcut hairstyle and more than usual appreciated the sun protection the trees provided for my scalp/noggin.

Until today, I'd never seen a redwood tree in person. I've missed out. And if you've never seen one…read moreeither, then you're missing out. California Route 128 goes through this beautiful state park on both sides of the road with a few narrow pullouts on both sides and the occasional lane that leads back to an organized campsite. I wasn't interested in camping here but I did park and take pictures and walk through these amazing trees for a little bit, hoping that I wasn't about to get eaten by a bear. No bears spotted. The main body of the park is eleven miles long and between 20 and 500 yards wide. There is also a beach section near the Navarro River bridge with campsites available on a first-come, first-served. That wasn't today's itinerary either. Absolutely magical and I'm so glad to have experienced this park. [Review 17615 overall - 406 in California - 1134 of 2022.]

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 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

Each year we look forward to visiting Fort Bragg and the beach. When I heard about glass beach many…read moreyears ago I have always wanted to go. This was my third time visiting Fort Bragg and the beaches. We like a lot of the restaurants also. Down in the harbor we have a few favorite fish and chips restaurants. This was my first time actually hiking down into see the actual glass beach. The beaches near it also have sea glass and pretty views. But glass beach is more in it's own cove and a hike down into it. So beautiful feels like I found treasure just looking at all the sparkling glass on the beach. When the ocean comes up and then back out. The sounds are so different then on the sandy beach. Need to remember to be careful walk safely. This is technically "trash" glass broken down from ocean, sand and rocks. I found a lot of metal wires and metal rods. Some glass still sharp. I need to get better water shoes for next time. I was bare foot but sea glass was more painful to walk on then just sand. I was lucky not to step on anything dangerous. But when I was sitting and looking at the sea glass I uncovered items that wouldn't be fun to step on with no shoes. But so beautiful can't wait to go back next year.

My kids and I wanted to check out Glass Beach, it was walking distance from where we were staying…read more It is not wheelchair accessible down to where the glass is, but my wheelchair bound son did stay up on top for a nice view of the ocean. My other two kids and I went down in search of pretty glass, it's closer to where the water is. We had a great time digging through the rocks to see what we could find, it was like an Easter egg hunt. Not much colored glass, but we found a lot of clear ones. We picked a few we liked and returned the others to the ocean. Overall, a fun way to spend about an hour if you're in the area!