Camping on the Mendocino Coast
With nearly 100 miles of coastline and dozens of state and private campgrounds, finding a place to camp on the Mendocino Coast is not difficult.
MacKerricher State Park
You should also know that MacKerricher State Park just north of Fort Bragg is one of the most popular camping spots in the U.S. Why? I can think of a few reasons:
•A board walk allows you to get out close to the ocean — for wildlife and whale watching (December-April/May) without damaging the habitat.
•The “haul road” (trucks used to haul lumber out of the forests) is a bike, hike and run trail that extends for several miles.
•The haul road leads to Ten-Mile Beach, which I don’t think is actually 10 miles long. But it is long enough to walk for several hours down and back. You can also sit amid the warm sand dunes out of the wind and read or picnic, run, collect sand dollars, check out the (often really big) surf or just stroll along. More often than not, you are likely to find few-to-no-other people on the entire beach. 707-937-5804 or 707-964-9112
Russian Gulch State Park
Located one mile north of Mendocino Village, Russian Gulch offers a fern canyon trail, a waterfall, a sandy beach, a bluff-top picnic grounds with barbecues, and a blow h0le at the ocean’s edge. Try to get a campsite near the fern canyon for a feeling of privacy. My favorite hike in the park is the North Trail. Most people stay on the Fern Canyon Trail, which is flat, while the North Trail for the first 1/2 mile switchbacks through redwoods until it levels out a couple of hundred feet up. This is one of those hard to get reservation parks, so plan early. The cool weather is a big attraction for everything along the Mendocino Coast in the summer. 707-937-5804 or 707-937-0497
Caspar State Beach
You can’t camp on the beach here, but across the street is the Caspar Beach RV Park & Campground, a few spots for tents, and a lot of trailer and RV sites. You’ve got a store here, soft board and kayak rentals, and the beach itself is a popular surfing spot. You can walk, and you can have a fire on the beach. A pleasant place for a picnic.
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penny said,
Hi Dennis,
I recommend you add Van Damme State Park to your list. The upper campground is one of the prettiest I’ve ever experienced. Good size sites, a lot of privacy and lots of trails for exploring. You also have a beach with a fairly safe harbor for small boats and kayaking; visitor center , with good history on early logging era; bog walk, canyon walk and access to Pygmy forest. kayaking rentals from beach.
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