The point arena lighthouse is very impressive and it's history is very interesting. This is…read moreactually the 3rd lighthouse on the premises. It is well worth the $5 extra fee to climb to the top. The views from the top of the lighthouse are inspiring and very beautiful. Very polite staff and a nice gift shop as well.

I went out to the light house but parked outside the gate. Beautiful scenery and view of…read morelighthouse. Grounds look nice and clean. Ample parking inside and outside the main gate. Views of the oceans and lighthouse. I had my dogs with me and they needed to run. I'm confident the light house and grounds are just as spectacular inside the complex as they looked from outside the gates.

Unfortunately most of the existing businesses were closed at or near the pier when we went. We were…read morethere for sunset though and the views didn't disappoint! While we were there, we played in the area, climbed the trees and the hill nearby. Tranquil and fun with the family.

Pier Review While…read moreplanning our visit to Pt Arena we had heard/read that the pier/harbor area was a "must visit." We actually planned to make it our first stop here at Pt Arena, as we'd Yelped a coffee shop here at the Pier that had amazing reviews but upon our arrival we were saddened that it had closed down and all that greeted us was a small pack of "fisherman" that were all on their 3rd Coors® Light by 0800... o_0 The Good: *Nice views of the ocean and some nearby cliffs. *Waters are calm enough for kayaking, surfing and diving. *I'm guessing you can charter a boat to go kill some fish. *There's a family of sea otters that lives here. Saw them too late to take a pic, tho... :( The Meh: *Most of the shops at the Pier have closed and, judging by the lack of activity, the rest will most likely follow suit. *This place has def seen better days, as all the surrounding buildings are not only mostly empty but in pretty bad shape. The Ugly: *On two separate visits this place was completely dead. Curious onlookers would stop-by have a peek and then bounce after a few minutes. I know because we decided to kill 1.5hrs there while we waited for our tour at the local animal preserve. *Quite frankly, this place is just plain boooring. Normally at a pier I'd have a blast doing street photography but after 30min here I wanted to hang myself out of depression. TLDR: Probably OK if you're going to out fishing or some other nonsense, but for the rest of us that just want to have a gander this place is a hard pass.

One of NorCals best kept secrets is the quaint town of Point Arena, home of Arena Cove! The…read moreabsolute most picturesque, gentle, calm and natural water views you'll ever see! Arena Cove is home to a pizza parlor and coffee shop as well as a fishing pier and if you come at low tide, the most amazing tide pools with fish, sea urchin, sea star fish, crab and countless water plants. Beautiful hiking on the shoreline and the best sunsets! I love visiting when I need a time out from the hustle and bustle of life; a quick trip is always humbling and helps me to refocus on the finer things in life... like nature!!!

I hate it when people Yelp landmarks instead of businesses. Just a personal pet peeve of mine…read more There's an exception to every rule, and I happen to be exceptional, so based on three exceptions to the rule I believe a review of Point Arena Cove is worthy of Yelp. First, this is an obscure little town and it needs Yelp reviews to encourage people to stop and experience all it has to offer. Second, this cove is not visible from Hwy 1 so you might drive right past it. Third, there are hours associated with the pier (open for boat launches from 7am to 4pm), so it's like a business. I'm not an expert on coves, but I've seen quite a few in my day. I think I'm a pretty good judge of cove character. La Jolla Cove, in San Diego was my favorite. Until I visited Point Arena Cove. There is so much going on here. I visited on a Saturday morning and ended up having great conversations with the very warm locals. A few showed me the abalone they had just hauled in (the Fish Police were right there to make sure every one was legal) and another showed me pictures of an albatross that visits the cove (very rare!) surfing with surfers. There are dogs galore (please leash them on the pier) and nice owners to go with them. This is a working cove, but people also go to talk and drink coffee. The cove is the best place to capture the local flavor of Point Arena. You absolutely must visit it.

Cute small post office in a cute small town, this was particularly useful for sending off my Point…read moreArena lighthouse post cards. It is located on the hill as you pass through the small Point Arena downtown area. I did not spot a mailbox or a mail slot outside but the lobby was open and I was able to use the one inside. [Review 17643 overall - 433 in California - 1164 of 2022.]

Picture yourself on the third day of a road trip, and having just stopped by a lighthouse to write…read moresome postcards, and you come across a Post Office. Of course you stop. Not only is this Post Office everything you would imagine from a picturesque small town, it probably already already featured in story written about it by at least a dozen novelists. Good, friendly service, and just a real hometown feel to it. So lets say you've mailed your postcards from the road to loved ones across the country then you hop back in the car. Transaction done, right? Wrong! Wrong because you've left your pencil case (for lack of a better term) behind but you don't realize it until you're outside San Francisco and you really can't go back. So you call. And guess what, they have your pencil case that holds all your pencils and that one super special pen that you "don't leave home without." How do they get it back to you? Well using their very own US Postal Service, of course. So that was my experience. The experience of a post-card writing nerd who left some pencils behind and had them mailed back to my home.

We attended a Holiday Crafts Show today. It's a really nice space with a full kitchen and outdoor…read morearea. It even had 2-3 disabled parking spots.

Time for a bathroom break but there really isn't much along California 1. Thankfully, I spotted…read morethis public toilet in a parking area opposite the Point Arena community library. Separate sides for me and women. Clean with running water and a lockable stall. I'm not sure if they are locked at certain times or not. Now that's done, it's time to head up the street to see what's for lunch! [Review 17639 overall - 429 in California - 1160 of 2022.]

Now here is a great place to take your family if your a camper. Pleanty of camping spaces. Lots of…read morearea to run in, walk in, hunting, fishing, boating (when there is water in the lake) This is the Walker Ridge area where they had a fire this year. There are still pleanty of green areas and many camping areas not affected by the fire. I go there at least 2 times a month all summer long and have never found a better place to go. I have included some directions below to help you fine the place. It is a vast place. You make the choice when you come to the fork in the road as to which way to go. Left takes you to the dam and the RV camping area. Right takes you all the way across the ridge and to the other side of the lake where there are many camping areas and also a boat ramp. Which is usefull if there is water there. I have included the Ukiah Field Office phone number so you can call to ask if the lake has any water in it. This lake is for fishing only, speedboats will not work here. Enjoy. Take plenty of drinking water along. Located about 27 miles west of Williams or 14 miles east of Clearlake Oaks on Highway 20. Turn north on Walker Ridge Road, a graded gravel road, into the recreation area. Take plenty of drinking water along.