This organization, Mendo Parks, does amazing work! To find…read morea volunteer organization that works in nine local State Parks in Mendocino County is admirable; volunteers run the gift shops, do maintenance work, offer docent led walks, campfire programs and whale walks. I'm impressed. This organization is clearly well run, has motivated docents, and a long history of success. Begin your Mendocino visit at the Ford House Visitor's Center on Main St. in Mendocino; in addition to a warm welcome, it is here you can pick up maps of town, find out what sites to see and how to get down to the beach. This is also home to Mendo Area Parks Association This review was from two years ago. Today, 2023, I'm sorry to say The Ford House just isn't the same. They struggle to find volunteers, no longer offer docent led walks, and seem to be without capable leadership. Not the place it used to be.

From the owner: Funding for MAPA's vital mission comes from grantors, fundraisers, special events, donations,…read morememberships, visitor center operations, volunteers and our local communities. This multifaceted team effort, along with collaboration of the Department of Parks and Recreation, makes possible the park improvement projects and natural and cultural history programs that inspire thousands of people each year, including the operation of Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area to keep the park protected and open for public camping and recreation.

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.

Avenue of the giants is a great way to drive along the freeway with a more scenic route. It was…read morebeautiful and gorgeous drive and they have stops that you can go to for view points. I suggest you go early to avoid crowds if you want to get to every site and not have toooo much traffic. Also Make sure to get the map at the first stop so you can read about each stop and decide which ones ha wanna go to.

Absolutely wonderful way to experience the Redwoods firsthand. No need to drive the whole avenue;…read moreyou can pop off the 101, drive up Avenue of the Giants for a bit, and then pop back on the 101 to resume your trip. That's exactly what I did and it worked out great. You can slow down and experience the Redwoods close up, rather than whizzing by on the highway. No fee! Don't miss it!

On the Lost Coast, a lawless Calif. state park has been overtaken by off-roading, fireworks, raves…read moreAshley Harrell Sep. 23, 2021 https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/amp/lost-coast-california-illegal-beach-camping-park-16477935.php

As you'll see from the photographs, I'm not the first one to share this secret with you. But my…read morefriend David A. perhaps was without words, for as he left this to me to write. The Sinkyone stretch of the Lost Coast is the southernmost stretch, named after the people who used to make this their own. Signs say some still do, but you know not in the way they used to. Pictured here is Usal Beach and the road thereto. You'll make it easiest on the six-mile graded road heading in from Highway 1 at Mendocino County Mile Marker 90.88 a few miles in from Leggett, further from Fort Bragg and the coast. You can make arrival more rewarding by walking from Shelter Cove or, better still, the mouth of the Mattole fifty or so miles to the north. Usal has a half dozen ish maybe more campsites in a grove of trees near the beach. Secluded primitive sites, peopled clearly by folks who groove on something other than the beaten path. The road in is passable by a 2WD vehicle, rutted in places but not too terribly bad. Its fine-grained matrix is slick and unpredictable during the rain. This is classic desolate deceptive California coast. Beautiful.

Great tide pool find! Check tide times online before going so you know the best time to visit, go…read moreat low tide to be able to see and explore more of the rocks and creatures. Starfish, hermit crabs, larger crabs, sea urchin, fish

Free access day today…read more Beautiful, well maintained, clean restrooms, accessible to all levels of mobility, leashed dogs welcome, gift shop. Plenty of trash receptacles. Wood sidewalk/path plus smooth trails. Cool whale skeleton and information. Something for a everyone whether you want to camp or day use. Clean beaches, flowers, plants, birds, greenery, deer. Friendly staff members

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 was impressed by this park because it was so beautiful, family friendly and it had immaculate…read morebathrooms! There's a little loop path that has little signs about Redwood trees, the birds nearby and the fun facts. I appreciate how there's a grassy pasture in case you bring pups (they shouldn't go on the trails). There were picnic tables around too to enjoy a meal. The bathrooms were clean and unique, I'd never seen a skylight in a bathroom.

Beautiful, easy trails with signage to share information. The river is also easy to access. We…read moreloved learning about the trees as we walked. We were bummed to miss the visitor center but didn't look up the hours in advance.

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.