These are the most beautiful beaches on the entire North Coast in my opinion!! So breathtakingly clean and expansive--mostly accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists! It is well worth spending the day exploring this portion of the cost! And so fun for kids since it's not overly crowded, but dogs are not allowed on all portions of the beaches. It's a must if you're in Fort Bragg! read more

Review is primarily on Walk in Sites! Our trip was a compulsive drive up on a Friday with no reservations. Their Walk-in sites are first come first serve, $25 a night early August, about 10 yards to the closest site, roughly 50-70 to the next- all flat ground and a cart provided to hick your stuff. Arrive 1-2PM you are still safe, people were leaving throughout the weekend, so your luck will be in shape. Only condition-only one car per site, 4 people, and no dog...lucky for us, the latter stayed home. Now you may read that there are three sites with an ocean view, 7 8 and 9, but I wouldn't write home about it as you'd have to be standing to see the views, little portholes through the tops of bushes. Your spots are also right against the common footpath for the other sites. If it is a must, 9 has the best view, 7 is the worst view (ours). If I went again, spots 2, 3, and 4 (numbers may very) offer way more secluded and more private camps between heavy blackberry bushes. Spot 1 is right next to the bathroom and camp host....may be a positive or negative, to everyone their own. From these walkin sites is a 5 minute stroll to the black sand beaches, Boardwalk, and tide pools. If you brought your bicycle and are not a frequent rider, this park is forgiving. The entire beach is fishable, state regs apply. Seals, birds, supposedly whales when in season. I've never seen full sized Jellyfish near the top of the water...whether that's a normality or global warming, I won't say. 95.3 FM for some jammy old rock music. It fits the mood perfectly. read more

A very Nice State Park. Quiet this time of year and so green and luscious and no biting bugs. $35.00 per night. Wood is $5 per bundle. Tip: feel your wood, make sure it is dry and dense (burns longer). Showers take four quarters for 5 minutes. Bathrooms: clean and well stocked. Park staff: courteous and polite. Tip: the entrance is very hard to see with a small sign on the highway. You probably won't see it at night time. Tip#2: if you want to kayak Big river, you will need to drive a few minutes to get there, but it's amazing. About two miles up the river on a canoe and you can see and hear otters breathing - and you are 100 feet from them - it's that quiet. read more

We stayed without reservations on a Saturday night. mid-May The walk-in site #10 was $25, with fire ring, raccoon box, picnic table, and very roomy for tent placement. Our site was very close to the Haul Road trail access. #8 is probably the best of the walk-ins for the view of the coast, otherwise the rest are sheltered/wooded but you can hear the surf as you drift off to sleep. Bathrooms, showers, hot water pretty near. Quite a few RV in the drive-in camp sites. Quiet camping. No raccoons made a visit. Wood available $7 bundle. There was an old wooden cart with flat bicycle tires that worked surprisingly well for hauling gear into the campsite. Tide pools were teeming with stars, anemones, crabs, sea slugs, urchins and myriad of other critters. Very groovy - we took our time and spent hours climbing rocks from the seal rookery to the Laguna Pt. boardwalk. Nice boardwalk area with fantastic views of the coast and turquoise ocean. Joins up with Haul Road trailhead all the way south to Fort Bragg across Pudding Creek and Glass Beach. Volunteer docent gave informative program and guided walk to the sea lion observatory on the bluff. The rookery on this day had 39 pups and their harbor seal moms. Ate a quiet lunch at picnic table next to Lake Cleone. Mendocino Coast area has tons of stuff to see and do. Could have been a great long weekend trip instead of an over-nighter. Close to Fort Bragg and supplies if needed. We also got a burger at Jenny's Giant Burger and it was scrumptious with all the fixings for about five bucks. Main beach was gorgeous, stunning views. Saw a group of horseback riders come through the area and it looked like lots of fun. Curiously, no parking fee or day use fee. We used our camping fee permit to go to Russian Gulch SP so I figure we really got a good deal for our $25. Rangers were on-site, there was a small gift shop/museum building, and a bonus photo-op with the gray whale skeleton at the entrance station. We combined a visit with Russian Gulch SP, Pudding Creek Beach, Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, Cabrillo LIghthouse, and Pt. Arena Lighthouse in a 48-hour time span, although we didn't invest time in a trail hike this time. Next time for sure! read more

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Wonderful group camping facility in the Cleone Circle. Bathrooms and cabins are well-used, but clean. This time of year -- from the cliffs one can whale watch, view a seal rookery, see many animals, reptiles and birds. The tide pools at low tide are fascinating for the curious of all ages (may be difficult for some to access). Note: the ocean is unpredictable, even at low tide, so Safety First! Remember to be gentle and cautious -- if a sea creature releases *easily ("as easy as removing a hat"), chek it out, then please be sure to return it quickly to the same place you found it! Wear layers, bring waterproof barriers, sunscreen/bug repellant, hike with plenty of snacks and water, and be respectful to your surroundings and others coming to enjoy the incredible ecosystems! **Please pack out ALL of your trash and leave ALL things in the park where you have found them -- choose to take a picture to solidify your wonderful memory! Easy access to the beach (even quite extensive elevated boardwalks are stroller & wheelchair friendly, though quite narrow in the longer sections), the marsh, the prairies and even walking distance to a restaurant and a horseback riding operation. read more

Basic facts without fluff. Unlike regular "off the highway" campsites, this place is more secluded and has a long private road entrance. The campsite is divided into two camp grounds. One is closer to the beach and has less people, and is a short walk from the ocean. The other side is a just a longer walk to the beach, still nice though. Bathrooms are clean, without soap and paper towels. Showers cost around $1 I believe. You have a parking space next to your camp space. They have handicap specific spot for those who need it. Their parking space is paved instead of dirt. You can hear the ocean waves when going to bed. $35 per night with a parking space. $25 for walk in. No complaints. read more

This is a review of the campsites. On location alone (5 minutes from a gorgeous quiet beach) it's 5-stars. The folks who work there are fantastic-- so happy and friendly. Especially Richard! We were on site 77. Facilities-wise, the campground is fine. Our site had tons of privacy and was right by the trail to the beach. Campground was full of kiddos, but still quiet at night and the am. Advice: buy your own wood on the way from a street vendor. Convenient to mendocino, some basics at fort bragg and many different state parks along the water. Lovely area. Love it, will go back. read more

My happy place. This is one of my favorite campgrounds EVER. Its absolutely gorgeous, the sites are wooded and private, the bathrooms are very clean, and the staff is top notch. You get to enjoy so much beauty here; the redwoods, the beach, tide pools, and bluffs. There are lots of great hikes, good fishing, crabbing, and ab diving, and even lots of kids activities if you have kids. I love camping, and campground camping does not get any better than this! read more

This State Park has everything, a 6-mile long beach, tide pools, basking sea lions, whale bones (full skeleton on display) and whale watching. Okay, no whales happened by while we were there, it was too cold for the beach, really, and there were only a couple of sleeping sea lions, but we loved the tide pools. This was the third time this frip for us and by far the best. One warning, though, the rocks are difficult to get around ont - ragged and pointy for the most part. If you aren't used to keeping your balance under these types of conditions, you should still go - there are a couple of easy routes in to see the pools, you'll just be limited to what you can see. You'll also want to keep an eye on incomeing waves, especially if you're balancing on a couple of pointy rocks - you're not going to want to fall here. Oh, and bring water shoes or old sneakers - flip flops would probably not work too well. read more

so this was only me and my husband's third trip to fort bragg but our first trip with our doggie to mackerricher state park. Although the day was filled with light fog it was still a gorgeous day at the beach. We used the state park for day use only which was free (awesome). While chilling out on the beach relaxing with our dog, we were asked by a female tweaker looking/acting individual who stopped to take our picture then took it upon herself to sit with us (overstaying her welcome) telling us about her entire life story. *ugggh* Other than that run-in with an unsavory person, the park's beach was nice. The beach portion we sat on was relatively empty and we had full reign of the beach for our dog to run around. read more

MacKerricher is a must for us every time we come to Fort Bragg. They have excellent tide pools, the park is always very clean, and the boardwalk is a great way for everyone to enjoy the scenery. Very nice, clean, safe park. read more

This pristine stretch of coastline has a little of everything (sandy beach, rocky bluffs, windswept dunes, tide pools). It's perfect for a relaxing stroll with Fido and offers a spectacular view of sunset. Be sure to bring a jacket. It can get blustery and chilly here. read more

Wow! This place is absolutely amazing! I had no idea that a short drive up the coast from where we were camping is this outdoor playground. It's hard to get a camping spot reservation at this place and I totally see why! We explored the tidepools and found all kinds of sea life. Dogs are welcome, but be sure to scoop the poop + keep them on a leash. The tidepool areas are jagged rocks. There are some very friendly ground squirrels popping in and out of the ground as you walk the trail. One was begging for a snack. My hubby said, "No.' The squirrel got in front of me, stood up and begged. LOL! Cute little critters. After the tidepools, we headed toward the beach side. The surf is unpredictable. Lots of plovers (brownish birds that resemble seagulls) nesting on the beach. They're definitely used to people. Just keep walking north and you'll discover secluded areas to relax in. No people. Just you, the beach, lots of sand and views of seals sunning themselves. This is the perfect place for a family day trip. There's a nature activity for everyone. The gray whale skeleton is cool! read more

You want an amazing hike on the beach? Head north along Ten-mile Beach and the Inglenook Fen. How about a cool stroll around a lake and marsh with ample bird-watching? Check. Prefer crashing surf on the rocks from the bluffs above? Right this way. A perfect place for all of the above - a tad exhausting for one day, but do-able - actually a good reason to come back a second time. read more

Best stay at a campground ever! The Ranger at check in was phenomenal! So helpful you could tell he loved his job! Campsites in the Surfwood loop fantastic! Sunny all day got 4G's. The bathrooms and showers so clean! Best ever. So much to do in this park! We spent 4 nights not long enough. A+ . Recommend to everyone! read more

MacKerricher State Park - Parks Near Me - Fort Bragg, California

I don't know if there is a better view of the Coastline in Mendocino County than the upper parking lot at MacKerricher State Park. The park offers you a opportunity to get out and enjoy the beautiful scenery, this could involve taking a hike along the boardwalk , or even better taking a swim in the Pacific Ocean. read more

Beautiful. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Yup. Bottom Line: Pet the whale skeleton, too. read more

This place is Awesome you can walk out to Laguna Pt. and see Seals watch for Whales or just lose yourself in the Beauty of it all it's all handicap accessible with a new pathway all the way down to the Ocean read more

I have visited many state parks but this park is flipping amazing. A state ranger "Katie" takes a personal interest to probably everyone here but we felt special. Katie sat with us our first morning and asked how are stay has been and if there was anything we needed? What! Who does that? I explained that we had a new site for the next day and she began to check if there was any cancellations. Holy amazing day there was and we got a ocean view. She helped move us and updated all of our parking tabs.. amazing amazing amazing thank you Katie! read more

Beautiful!! Will definitely be going back! Loved our campsite, so many trees and hidden from the sun.

This place was cool. It is huge and best thing is that it is FREE to enter. We parked at one spot and walked down the path to see the seals, it was awesome. We then drove down and parked at another spot and walked the large boardwalk. I got to see all kinds of flowers, wildlife, and got some amazing ocean pictures. Out of all the places we went while visiting Fort Bragg this was the best! read more

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I'm reviewing the park as a campground, not its natural beauty which has nothing to do with the government or the organization. I stayed on 8/11/18. Two adults, two children, two small tents, one car. Price tag: $57 (including $8 reservation fee). OUTRAGEOUS. Why did I stay? Because I was on the road, it was the last available spot, I didn't want to risk my family sleeping in the car. You'd think you get something in return besides a tent spot, an old bench and a fire pit. Sure, an old building with two showers, one toilet, one(!) sink. Showers included? Nope. That's extra. California is greedy as it gets. Personally I won't be staying at any state parks anymore in my own state. read more

I absolutely love this place to camp!! It's so convenient because you have so many options as far as what you like to do. At the camp ground there's tons of trees and it's very clean, not too much dirt and dust. They have showers and bathrooms that are always very clean. The ocean is walking distance and stunning views. However, if you want to get out you are only minutes away from Starbucks, restaurants and other fun activities like the skunk train and glass beach and botanical garden. Love Fort Bragg and love this camp ground. read more

This place is so beautiful, and as a person in a wheelchair, I really appreciated that there were wooden boardwalk pathways that my boyfriend and I could walk along with ease. My only disappointment is that since the lake had flooded, we were only able to walk on half the boardwalk, as the rest of the boardwalk is underwater! We will just have to come back when the water has receded. Another gem of this park is the visitors center. The building is tiny, but it is filled to the brim with stuffed animals (real animals that have been stuffed, that is), animal pelts that you can touch and look at, multiple bone fragments, complete skeletons, and skeleton heads that are all available for you to touch and examine. Such an interesting educational experience. And as you would expect, the Ranger behind the desk knew everything about every piece in the building. Truly a unique experience! read more

MacKerricher State Park - Grey whale - Parks Near Me - Fort Bragg, California

Great place!! Carol was so friendly!! super safe and clean! bathrooms were nice! Go take the trail to the beach it's absolutely beautiful! read more

MacKerricher State Park - this was off the trail - Parks Near Me - Fort Bragg, California

this state park has it all -- gorgeous views, hiking trails, plenty of explorable coastline, whale viewing (in season), tide pools, camping... and all for the low, low price of FREE. yes, that's right, there is no day use fee; you pay only if you're camping there. the park is stunning -- a wooden walkway makes it also accessible for mobility impaired, and bathrooms are clean and well-maintained. there are ranger programs that are interesting and informative -- i recommend the seal/sea lion talk highly; they even provide binoculars! -- and the little gift store at the entrance is full of fascinating hands-on stuff. the park is peaceful and beautiful at most times of the year, and it is well worth a visit for anytime from an hour to a whole weekend. it's definitely a gorgeous way to experience the beautiful Mendocino coast. read more

Had higher hopes for this place, maybe we missed something but it was MLK holiday so there was no ranger on site to assist us with questions. There was a nice beach although not the best and the area. Thankfully my cell phone GPS got service last minute because unlike every other state park there was no signage from the main road or really even any once we did turn off until we were on top of it. The whale skeleton was cool. read more

Amazing place to stay. The views are unbelievable and there is an abundance of wild life.

What a treasure so close to Fort Bragg...MacKerricher State Park has a variety of habitats: beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland. There are tidepools are along the shore and seals live on the rocks off the park's Mendocino coast. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone Lake, a formal tidal lagoon. During winter and spring, the nearby headland provides a good lookout for whale watching. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians and bicyclists. Fishing is also popular, with trout in two fresh-water lakes. Lots of campsite options...check out the web site. One of the standout features is a wheelchair accessible nature trail (boardwalk) along the coast. Check out this wonderful, wild and rugged coastline! read more

MacKerricher State Park - Parks Near Me - Fort Bragg, California

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Free admission. They have a few hikes -- including one around a small lake (pond) that is pleasant enough, but the hike on the coast is fantastic. I think children would really enjoy the park -- there's a good chance they could see a seal, whale, or something interesting floating in one of the many tidepools. Also, if you go a little north from here, you can check out the ten mile dunes. read more

We went to this lovely State Park on a whim, as we were in the Fort Bragg area of the Mendocino Coast. What a beautiful place. Lovely hikes along the frothy, energetic Pacific coast, picnic tables along the way, lots of birds. Nice exhibit of a whale and local animals as the entrance station too. Would love to go there again. read more

A Terrific Ocean Spot! This is a wonderful place to walk around, see wildlife, and take in outstanding views. We stopped at the entrance to pay, but it was all free, even the maps! Hiking trails, picnic areas, educational signs, tide pools, and much more is there. read more

Camp sites are great. Walking path to sea lion cove was amazing. We saw crabs, hermits and jelly fish in the tide pools. Super cool!! Only reason three star is because it cost $10 to dump and quarter showers after $40 a night. read more

This place is amazing numerous different type all kinds of sea animals we were privileged enough to see hundreds of seals yesterday it was absolutely breathtaking. A beautiful place to pick up some polish tones driftwood anything that you can imagine berry your kids in the sand it's a blast read more

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Seven years ago this month we were at MacKerricher in our TT. This time I took my 9 yo son and we tented it. Let's say it's a completely different experience in a tent and in the loop we were in (Site 72 in West Pine Loop). The site itself was clean compared to other campgrounds we've stayed. We picked up some of microtrash, but didn't come up with a whole lot, which is great for the amount of traffic that goes through these sites. The sites around West Pine are flat from what we could see; our site is flat and has a couple areas for tents. Be sure to check for pine cones before laying out your tarp! Site 72 is shaded and private. We had neighbors on 2 (of 3) sides of us the entire time, but no big deal; our neighbor's light did hit our tent because there's a gap in the trees, but it just seemed like a full moon was out. The site that was unoccupied was muddy, and I noticed there were a few other sites that were closed off due to excessive mud. Which means it's wet... Bring the bug goop. The mosquitoes were terrible at dawn and dusk, and really bad in the inland sites; the sites closer to the beach (i.e., breezier and fewer trees) had fewer 'skeetoes. The bathroom closest our site was relatively clean but definitely has seen better days (decades ago!). It was never crowded (it's April after all, so not the busy season), never ran out of TP, and had a coin-operated shower. I peaked in and the shower stall was plenty big; 5 minutes for $1 (in quarters) I think. The showers are in the back of the bathrooms, and each shower is either in the Womens bathroom or Mens bathroom (no non-gender-specific shower). So for me, taking my son and having to make sure he showered would have been a nightmare; I imagine covering his eyes going through the womens bathroom to get to the shower - ugh, nothankyou. There were 2 sinks which had hot/cold faucets though I never got any hot water out of it. I didn't have a hook to hang my toiletry bag from either. But bonus: There were plenty of toilet seat covers. My son tells me there were plenty in the Mens bathroom too. The area is just as gorgeous as seven years ago, though the heavy rains this winter took a toll on the lumber road and various places in the park. Right now you can't drive up to the boardwalk parking area because the road is falling away. The boardwalk is walkable, and the tide was low so we were able to view the hermit crabs and anemones in the tide pools. So cool. Getting firewood was a pain as I saw where they kept it but didn't see an available host. I saw one guy lugging his mesh bag of firewood, so I know it's do-able, but it wasn't apparent to me as to how to get it. $7 for a bag. One thing I have to mention is that the loop we were in this time sucked. Well, sucked for me. I like quiet and privacy. What I got were babies crying at 2am, dogs barking and whining ALL THE TIME, and car alarms going off in the middle of the night. (No, I did not consider that in the 4-star rating because some might like that sort of noise - 1 star was taken off for the "eh" bathroom). Compare that with Surfwood Loop where there are fewer people and therefore fewer noise issues. We could still hear the ocean from Site 72, but if/when we go back I will be looking for a campsite at Surfwood next to the pond. As for the town of Fort Bragg, there are plenty of gas stations and a Safeway within 15 minutes of the CG. Small mom-and-pop coffee shops and eateries along Highway 1. You won't starve, and if you don't pack your food before you leave home, you can pick up everything in Fort Bragg. The prices are normal (not inflated) as well. read more

This place is awesome... love it, familia Loves it, we think this place rocks!!! Have not camped there but hope to do so soon. We live in Nice in Lake County about an hour away from Fort Bragg. We use this place as an escape from the Lake County HEAT of summer. As for Mr. Negative Jim from San Fernando... dude, stay in SoCal at the KOA if the rustic appeal of NorCal Life is too much for you!!! My sister lives in Norco and she doesn't like NorCal life either, so I'm assuming its a North/South thingy!!! Its Cool, I like San Diego and Ventura Beaches but San Fernando and San Bernadino are shiteholes as far as I'm concerned!!! To each there own Bro!!! read more

The guide in the visitor center was extremely helpful. We wanted to get to Seal Rock but were informed that all of the direct trails and roads were closed due to flooding. The guide explained an alternate route that involved using a small beach access path about a mile south at Virgin Creek Road. We were able to get to the rock and see seals as planned read more

Not sure if it is a prejudice issue or if the rangers are just uptight, but we were harrassed by them our entire stay. Half of our party stayed overnight camping and the half rented a hotel nearby. Obviously, we had more cars during the day than at night yet we were harrassed every 20 mins by rangers who came out of their vehicles yelling and screaming at us. I understand that all vehicles need to be accounted for but this took that policy to an extreme. 1 ranger notified us that 1 of our cars needed to be registered and to take our time and do it after our meal. 20 min later an angry male ranger came by yelling at us saying we were blowing it off that he wouldn't leave until it was taken care of. I told him 1 member of our party was already at the gate taking care of it that moment. He called us liars. When our friend returned with the parking pass he left but only to return 20 mins later with the parking policy. He threatened to throw us out even though we had complied. To top it off the firewood they sell at the site burns poorly. it's extremely Smokey and burns your eyes. Will never return because of this harrassment. read more

Beautiful state park!! Black sand beach was awesome. Did the walk on the pedestrian walkway, just SO pretty views! Stopped for awhile at one of the outlooks for some great whale watching!!!! Sunny day at this enjoyable stop! read more

One of my favorite parks to camp at. Kind of a long drive though. Nice place to stay and visit Ft Bragg. Best time to go is in early october just after the peak season has ended. Best place to stay in the park is the spots up on the hill above lake cleone. read more