Top Things to do in Mendocino County
10 Things to do for Honeymoon in Mendocino County That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Mendocino County, United States including Mendocino Coast, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, B Bryan Preserve, Catch A Canoe & Bicycles Too, Russian Gulch State Park, MacKerricher State Park, Mendocino Headlands State Park, Manchester Beach, Point Arena Lighthouse & Museum, Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park.
Restaurants in Mendocino County
1. Mendocino Coast
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 756 reviews
A scenic drive along California's Pacific coastline offering beaches, historic lighthouses and old-time fishing villages.
Reviewed By Martysfo - San Rafael, United States
Great cliffs, fog and quiet mark this coast. It is cold and chilly, even in August. Yet it is a must see so one can step back in time to how California used to be. A bonus is the trip up through the Anderson Valley Wine Region on the way to the coast from the Bay Area.
2. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,300 reviews
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens offers everything from colorful displays to thunderous waves. The mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons, attracting gardeners and nature lovers. With manicured formal gardens, a dense coastal pine forest, native flora and habitats, fern-covered canyons, camellias, rhododendrons, magnolias and conifers, heaths, heathers, and flower-filled coastal bluffs overlooking the blue ocean, the garden is a jewel on the Pacific Coast. Your visit is a show of support for our non-profit botanical garden and its mission!
Reviewed By Gardenxoe - Eureka, United States
We’ve never been disappointed by this garden. This time the rhododendrons were in full bloom and it was also a great time to see native wildflowers. We love the transition from beautiful display gardens to native plants (as you head to dramatic ocean overlook). Another good time to visit garden is in July/August, when the dahlias & heathers are blooming.
3. B Bryan Preserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 314 reviews
B Bryan Preserve is committed to the breeding and preservation of African hoof stock. Located on 110 acres, the preserve features upscale lodging along with tours by reservation. Critically endangered Rothschild Giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra along with Kudu, Roan and Sable antelope are thriving in large open fields.Make us your base for discovering the Mendocino coast. The small town of Point Arena has a working pier on one end and a historic lighthouse on the other with African Hoof Stock in the middle.
Reviewed By DreamAndDiscover - Oakland, United States
We've been wanting to visit for years and finally had a chance. We took the VIP 10am tour with Zane, and had extended family from ages 72 to 9. We all thoroughly enjoyed learning about the animals, riding in the vintage Land Rover and feeding the giraffes. Zane is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the animals and our elementary school age daughters were impressed that he could answer all but one of their numerous questions! We were really fortunate to have traveled to Kenya for a safari - seeing the animals again brought back wonderful memories. This preserve is well organized and well kept. Highly recommend a visit to this wonderful preserve!
4. Catch A Canoe & Bicycles Too
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 88 reviews
The Stanford Inn's Catch a Canoe & Bicycles Too is open year round to both Inn guests and the general public. Established in 1972, Catch a Canoe offers kayak, outrigger and canoe rentals on Big River Estuary. Locally made redwood outriggers are extra stable, efficient and easy to control with a foot operated rudder. Perfect for couples, families and pets. Mountain bikes are also available for rentals or for sale. Open daily from 9 to 5.
5. Russian Gulch State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 291 reviews
This park's view of the Mendocino headlands is enhanced by a spectacular array of wildflowers.
Reviewed By barfiemermaid - Costa Mesa, United States
Main trail to the falls is closed so we had to take the north trail which adds a few more miles. We did almost 11 miles with altitude. It was a beatiful hike almost completely shaded. The cliffs on the north side was gorgeous as well as the sink hole!
6. MacKerricher State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 774 reviews
MacKerricher is a great place to observe whales, and it also provides a habitat for several rare plant species.
Reviewed By GinkgoPhoto - San Francisco, United States
This review is about the Surfwood campsite experience, for families. We booked site 124, which is on a small loop. These loop sites (121,122,123 and 124) are excellent for families with young kids who want to scoot and bike around. They are spaced away from each other. There is a path from this loop towards the beach, a mere 5 minute walk away. You can see the ocean from all the sites. 124 has the best shade, as it includes a large grove of trees (good for hammocks). The ground is a little lumpy, but not noticeable with sleeping pads. 123 is probably the best site in the loop, having some shade, and the shrubbery creates a cozy, enclosed nook, with trail access to the lake straight out of the campsite. No-one's trekking through to access the lake; it's a private path. Good site if you're bringing a kayak. A grove of trees behind the site provides a play area for kids. 122 and 121 have less shade but are just fine. The spigot is at 122. This was perhaps the LEAST buggy of my camp experiences, despite lake proximity. No-one received any mosquito bites! There were a few yellowjackets; just a mere rare nuisance. No raccoons nor squirrels. The ocean was loud at night. The night sky was amazing. Bathrooms were very clean, spacious and airy. The shower is quarter operated, $1 worth of quarters buying you 5 minutes. There are longer increments for more quarters. The water temperature was at least warm-ish, ranging to hot. The lake has a marshy border, with lots of plants between the path and the water. There is a path that goes alongside the lake by Surfwood camp, but it is quite overgrown. There are fish in the lake, and one can go fishing with permits and a kayak. Not possible to fish from the shore due to shrubbery. Lots of blackberries here! Kids had the best time picking them. Quick walk to the beach. This beach is NOT good for swimming. The surf is rough. Experienced, wet-suited swimmers only. However it's perfectly fine for sitting upon. The sand is grainy, like tiny pebbles. Not the kind of tiny sand that gets into every nook and cranny. The nature area boardwalk is also close to the beach. The boardwalk is lovely and scenic, with access to tide pools. FANTASTIC tide pooling! Even at +1ft low tide, there was a lot to be found. Bring your high rubber boots or water shoes. Get out far enough and you'll find huge green anemones, bat sea stars, ochre sea stars, crabs, sculpins, abalone shells, and even gumboot chiton! Tide pooling was the highlight of my visit. No complaints. Surf wood campsite is a clean, safe and fun place to enjoy the outdoors in times of Covid and non-Covid.
7. Mendocino Headlands State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 500 reviews
A scenic and appealing rugged promontory along the California coast.
Reviewed By Abacus3 - California, United States
Beautiful views and a lovely walk. It's also a great whale watching spot. Take your binoculars and a picnic, you'll want to stick around.
8. Manchester Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 69 reviews
This 650-acre expanse has huge sand dunes, driftwood and a profusion of wildflowers.
Reviewed By TravelPlenty5 - Los Angeles, United States
I hate to mention this beach because it is a fantastic experience, clean and pristine. Manchester is a very small town full of Mexican drug cartel operatives and violent gangbangers, so be careful here. There is a very good KOA campground. The state park has been taken over by selfish state government workers and their friends, who closed the park so they can live in a beautiful facility, but the beach is still open and accessible.
9. Point Arena Lighthouse & Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 439 reviews
The Point Arena Lighthouse stands as an iconic figure on the American Pacific Coast. No other lighthouse offers such a fully interactive experience in the exchange between history, science and natural beauty. Sometimes brilliantly sunny, other times fog-shrouded and mysterious, always ruggedly beautiful, the lighthouse is a place to find something different, a place where the romance is real and the experience is profound. Surrounded by water on three sides, and shouldered adjacent to the Point Arena/Stornetta Public Lands, the Point Arena Lighthouse is the premier visitor destination in Mendocino County. Visit the Light Station Store and Outdoor Museum and celebrate our 150th year! It is also one of the best whale watching spots on the North Coast, with the annual Gray Whale migration from late November through May, Humpbacks throughout the year, the occasional pod of transient Killer Whales and even Blue Whales. Watch for the spouts, tails and breaches from the trails and gazebo.
Reviewed By robint514 - Danville, United States
I agree with the reviewers. If you are in the area, this is worth a trip. The docent at the top of the lighthouse was friendly and provided a lot of interesting information. We imagined what it must have been like for the lighthouse families who lived out here at what must have seemed like the edge of the U.S.
10. Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 690 reviews
OPEN 365 DAYS a YEAR -- THERE IS NO FEE -- Built between 1908 and 1909, and extensively restored, it is one of the most complete Lightstations in the U.S. and hosts visitors, vacation rentals, receptions and weddings, plus education programs for classes of local students. There is a parking area inside the gate off Point Cabrillo Drive, adjacent to the restored Kearn farmhouse with its public restroom. Enjoy the half mile downhill walk to the Light Station buildings. There is parking for vehicles with Disabled placards at the bottom of the hill. There are two paths to the Station. The dirt path begins at the north end of the parking lot and takes you through the introduced grassland and coastal prairie. The paved access road to the south is an easier walk. The Light Station includes the Lighthouse, which is an active duty Aid to Navigation, containing the original Chance Brothers classic 3rd order Fresnel lens. -- Three restored Lightkeeper homes; the first is a period museum of a lightkeeper's house in the 1930s; the other two houses are comfortable vacation rental homes, -- The restored Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop houses the Marine Science Exhibit with its 240 gallon saltwater aquarium, -- Two lovely vacation rental cottages, and public restrooms, one by the lightkeepers houses and another in the Kearn farmhouse. THERE IS NO FEE to tour the Lighthouse museum/giftshop or the period museum lightkeeper's house, although your donations are welcome. The Lighthouse, 1st Assistant Lightkeeper's House and Marine Science Exhibit are open to the public from 11am to 4pm year-round, including holidays. The State Historic Park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily.
Reviewed By jam1015 - Rocklin, United States
This lighthouse is one of the few still having its original lens, as they are damaged, they are being replaced with LED's. Once you make the walk, wear comfortable shoes from the parking lot out to the lighthouse, you will be awarded with great views and treated to some wonderful history along with a marine exhibit. The docent at the lighthouse was the highlight super nice and shared so much with us.
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