A surfer friend (nickname Wild Bill) shared some local surfer knowledge with me, breaking it down into where “experienced” surfers go and where “others” go. He’s experienced, but finds himself looking for a spot that will be the “most fun” on any given day.
The 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens offer everything from colorful displays to thunderous waves — a great place to walk! The mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons, attracting gardeners, birders (154 species) and nature lovers. Flower-filled coastal bluffs overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean are among the many attractions.
Whale watchers can take shelter in the Cliff House to view winter and spring migrations, while others will delight in the birds that live in or visit the Gardens annually. Serious birders will come to see the Oyster Catchers.
The main trails at the Gardens are wheelchair-accessible out to the ocean. Electric carts are provided for guests with special needs on a first-come, first-served basis. You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds. Well-mannered dogs on leashes are also welcome.
Admission: $7.50 adults, $6 seniors, $3 teens, and $1 children.
PS – Don’t forget to visit the Dahlia garden (photo at left)
Sandwiched between the tiny village of Mendocino and the nearest big city, Fort Bragg (pop. 6,000), Jug Handle State Reserve is a short hike for the whole family. It covers 100,000 years of geological history in less than three miles (one way). It’s really an easy stroll that takes only about 45 minutes each way.
The reserve stretches along a strip of land roughly one mile wide, enclosing a set of five terraces resembling a staircase.
The Ecological Staircase Trail takes the visitor on a tour of the geological updrift from the coast to the Pygmy Forest. Few places on earth display a more complete record of ecological succession. No cost for admission.
By Kristina Van Wert
As spring returns to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, so do the birds. It’s hard to miss them flitting around as you walk along the trails, but can you identify them? A glimpse of yellow, a streak of brown… it’s like they are playing hide and seek with you. But now six beautiful panels, each with several birds found in a particular habitat, are dispersed throughout the Gardens to give you an edge in the game. You’ll need them too, with the list of species identified at the Gardens now at 154.
The goal of these panels is to highlight some of the most commonly sighted birds in each habitat- the Perennial, Woodland, and Vegetable Gardens, and the Closed-cone Pine Forest, Coastal Prairie, and Coastal Bluffs. Each was lovingly created using pastels by local artist Erica Fielder.
Well known for her interpretive signage, Erica’s work can be found in several parks and preserves along the north coast, including MacKerricher, Van Damme, and Jug Handle state parks. Descriptions on each panel were co-written by Audubon members and Gardens’ staff.
Lighthouse buffs can now get a bird’s eye view of four historic lighthouses along the coasts of Mendocino and Southern Humboldt counties.
Coast Flyers, located at the Little River Airport in Little River, California (near Mendocino) offers flyovers of the Point Arena, Point Cabrillo, Punta Gorda and Cape Mendocino lighthouses. 
The single-engine Cessna 172SP’s carry a pilot and three passengers. Costs vary according to flight times, but average $150-$225 per flight (for up to three people). Contact John Cost at 707-937-1224 for more information or john@coastflyers.com
About the Lighthouses
Point Arena – toppled by the 1906 earthquake and then rebuilt in 1908, Point Arena Lighthouse is — at 115 feet — one of the tallest lighthouses anywhere in the U.S.
Point Cabrillo – this is of only three in the U.S. current serving as a federal aid to navigation. Built in 1909, the lighthouse was restored and returned to service in 2000.
Cape Mendocino – first lit in 1868, time and the elements took their toll on this beacon, and in 1998 the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse Preservation Society stepped in and moved the tower to Shelter Cove, 30 miles south of Cape Mendocino. After two years of restoration, the tower was opened to the public in May 2000.
Punta Gorda – located on an isolated beach along the Lost Coast, only the lantern room and tower remain of the light station that originally included several lightkeeper houses. 
The initial request for a lighthouse at the point was made in 1888, but it wasn’t until a year after a fog-induced collision between the SS Columbia and the San Pedro on July 21, 1908, which claimed 87 lives, that congress appropriated funds for the Punta Gorda Lighthouse.
Artists of the Mendocino Coast. New on Our Site: Artwork and Profiles of Local Artists
