I visit Mendocino every five years or so, and each time, I make a point to stop by Jug Handle…read moreNatural Reserve. On this trip, I made it down to the beach and was rewarded with a few sea glass finds, moody coastal views and a new perspective of the park. After looping along the coastal bluff trail, there's an obvious path down to the beach that's not too steep. If you're up for a longer hike, there's the Ecological Staircase trail. I've not done that hike, yet, but seems like it could be an interesting adventure. Since my last visit, I've noticed improvements on the trail and better signage. It's free to park and a great stop to stretch your legs along the Mendocino coast. Spring brings lots of wildflowers, so it's a great walk, even on rainy moody days. Always a must stop when I'm in the area.

This is a great place to access a beautiful , clean beach. It's a short hike along a trail then…read moredown some stairs. It's a perfect and not crowded beach. Since I was here last, they've created some raised decomposed granite trails. These raised, packed trails look like they would be conducive for use by strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. It's a beautiful addition to these grounds. There is a decent sized parking lot, portable toilets, clear signage. The grounds and trails are clean, the beach was prestige. Kudos for the new trails.

Great place to park and walk; dog friendly (dogs must be leashed). Great paved parking, restrooms,…read moredirt/gravel and paved bike trails, many places to take photos and be in nature. Lots of grass, some birds, wildlife plus an excellent place to watch the sun rise. Very clean grounds with trash receptacles throughout. The road that leads north from bathrooms parking area needs an overhaul, many large holes and road is a mix of paved with big dirt potholes. There may be a helicopter land section in the middle of this road/parking area as it's marked as though it is. **not reviewing the dog park** There is a basic dog park, very basic and little dogs could escape. Okay place for supervised, off leash potty breaks for large dogs and leashed little dogs.

There's something quietly magical about Noyo Headlands State Park, home to the once-glass-covered…read moreGlass Beach in Fort Bragg, CA. It's not just a place you visit it's a place you feel. I've been here more times than I can count, and it still brings me peace. My kids grew up playing here, climbing rocks, chasing waves, and turning every visit into a treasure hunt for sea glass. These days, the glass is much harder to find what's left is tucked between pebbles and seaweed, polished down by time and tide. But that's part of the fun now: it's not a guarantee, it's a quest. And even if you don't find much glass, the views alone are worth the trip. The walking trails stretch for miles with panoramic views of the Pacific, wildflowers in bloom, and seabirds gliding above the surf. It's accessible, beautiful, and full of moments that make you stop and just breathe. Whether you're a photographer, a hiker, or someone who just needs to reset, this place delivers. Glass Beach may no longer be a sparkling blanket of color, but it remains a symbol of transformation how nature turns damage into beauty. The peace here, the sound of the waves, and the memories it helps create are what really matter. Five stars from someone who keeps coming back. Bring your curiosity, your camera, and your respect for the land. Even without much glass, you'll find something special if you slow down and look.

This beach is a bit more about the journey than the destination. For a day in the sand and waves,…read moreyou probably want to go to the nearby Pudding Creek beach area, or a bit farther to the very large Ten Mile Beach. The road to the lot takes you through a marina with tiny, cozy restaurants as well as a well-kept trailer park that features a couple of cute permanent single-wides. Adjacent to the trailer park is an authentic art gallery with even more authentic questionable opening hours. The river is perhaps best viewed from a lovely staircase trail that's lined with blackberries and tons of other wildflowers. Come here to watch the boats pass and explore the cozy harbor area. Walk over to Sea Pal Cove for some excellent fish and chips. Then perhaps make your way to one of the more popular beaches.

This beach is absolutely AMAZING I got to have so much fun with my family my dog was able to have a…read morelot of fun the shore is the best part the water will come up and soak your feet with nice cold or warm water i recommend sitting on a rock that's clean and let the water come up to your feet and maybe throw rocks in the water this place is absolutely amazing I recommend for older and younger people amazing and completely dog friendly many spots to relax this place is amazing.

Lat/Long: 39.9000 / -123.7442 Beautiful park. Husband and I…read morestopped here on a long car ride to take a break and relax for a bit. The river runs slow here and on a hot day you can go swimming because the water doesn't move very fast and there are also some deep areas. Watch for fire belly salamanders - don't handle them as there are some species that are poisonous. Gorgeous redwood trees, hiking, free parking for day use and maybe there's camping somewhere? I am not sure, but it was a really lovely place to take a break today!

10/10, went on a group camping trip here with my friends for my partner's birthday. We reserved…read morecampsites #33 and #13. We used #33 for the primary site as it was huge and accommodated all of us. The rangers did an awesome job at helping each person in the party find the site as we all arrived at different times. There is a steep hill right by the rangers station that we thought was too the swimming hole. We were mistakenly wrong and had an unintentional hike. We eventually found it in the hickey site adjust to us. This swimming hole was awesome! Kid friendly as there is a section of water that is shallow. It is a hike down and up but very worth it. For the showers, $2 gets you 10 minutes! I thought that was reasonable. Nice bathrooms and a lot of easily accessible water spouts and trash cans throughout the campground.

We enjoyed our stay!…read more We went with a group and booked a few conjoining campsites in the southern campground - unfortunately right next to the highway. I was woken up a few times by passing trucks during the night, but it wasn't unreasonable. Cons: - So many mosquitos - bring bug spray. - Poison oak everywhere! There was a ton within a foot or so of our picnic table. - Yellow jackets - keep your food covered and tread carefully. - There must have been some heavy drinking going on around the campground, because we found the bathrooms covered in vomit a few times - the poor park rangers were doing their best to keep them clean, but yuck. Pros: - The swimming hole was fantastic. Warm water, DEEP, and fun to swim in. The hike back up was rough, but I'd do it again for that swimming hole. - Directly across from the Peg House, which is always a delight to visit. - The rangers would circle once an hour or so in a golf cart selling wood, which was super handy. Despite the cons, I'd be open to camping here again.

Clean, scenic, spacious. Get there or go when weather is warm, it can get chilly! I don't think…read morethere's food allowed on this Beach, so eat before you get there. It's the best way to keep the beach clean. No trash cans in viewable sight.

Figure of Beach This…read moreis the Beach portion of the similarly-named state park that's attached to the east. The Good: *It's nature! *It's the beach! *Free parking! *The sandy portion of the beach is HUGE, and could accommodate hundreds of beachgoers, if need be. But, I suspect, it's probably mostly empty due to the area and the small parking lot. *Gorgeous cliffs surround the beach, with some nice big rocks off the coast. *Short (±500') walk from the parking lot to the beach The Meh: *As I mentioned earlier, the parking lot is awful small and only holds 30 regular parking spots + 2 handicapable spots which are to be shared btwn the beach and park. The Ugly: *The stairs getting from the p-lot to the beach are pretty steep, which I didn't mind, but if "Somebody" has bad knees then they will def be a challenge. *Water is def *NOT* swimmable unless one has a death wish. TLDR: Great beach to chillax at and pretty much have to oneself. Make sure to check out the park, as well, for a well-rounded day of nature therapy.

Beautiful park!! Well taken care of and always clean. A couple different trails you can take. One…read moreto the beach and a couple to adventure around the headlands/woods. Park rangers (in my experience) have always been friendly and amazing at their jobs(: Dogs welcome on leash. Parking is free but the parking lot itself is pretty small. The beach is amazing. You have to walk downhill to get to it but totally worth it and it's not that bad of a trail to get up and down. Very clean, both the actual beach and the water. You can walk down the river and find some cool spots. You can stand under the bridge and see some art done on the walls of the bridge which I always find cool. You can also sometimes see seals hanging around close by in the ocean. The ocean is swimmable sometimes but not always. The headlands have such gorgeous views. There a couple trails you can take when walking the headlands. You have a clear view of the ocean and the beach and can see seals from there even better than the beach. There is a trail on the headlands that leads down to another beach, only the trail is a little more difficult. I definitely recommend taking the trail through the woods to the headlands because the trees and plants through there are amazing and unique! The other trail through the woods will lead you to a staircase that you can go down and it'll take you to a wooden bridge above the river. A little more of a effort to walk but the bridge is cool and the nature surrounding it is amazing! This trail will go for miles but you get to see the gorgeous scenery as you hike.

Fantastic place for camping. More expensive than county parks, has bathrooms, showers, everything…read moreI needed. Out of town, no cell phone or internet.

We were unable to find camping at Smithe Redwoods State National Reserve nor did a call to Reserve…read moreAmerica find camping there. We ended up camping at Richardson Grove State Park about fifteen minutes further north on highway 101. There were ample sites to select from in mid November. The sites were roomy with beautiful young Redwood trees, fire pits, flush toilets, and water. The campsite was lovely, but the road noise was significant. It cost us $35 for one night. Firewood was $8. The temperatures were warm enough to wear just a fleece jacket sitting by our fire, but it rained at night. I'm not sure what campsite the previous review is referring to, but there are other campsites close to the Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Perhaps he stayed at the nearby Standish Hickey State Recreation Area which does have campsites.