Location: Point Arena
Top Things to do in Point Arena
5 Sights & Landmarks in Point Arena That You Shouldn't Miss
Point Arena (formerly, Punta Arenas and Puntas Arenas) is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Point Arena is located 32 miles (51 km) west of Hopland, at an elevation of 118 feet (36 m) . The population was 449 at the 2010 census, down from 474 at the 2000 census, making it one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state. Its main street comprises part of State Route 1, California's coastal artery. Along with a number of other Mendocino County coastal communities, Point Arena is associated with the hippie and subsequent counterculture groups. Reportedly, the economy is largely geared toward servicing the summertime tourist industry. The City is near the headquarters of the tribal lands of Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria. The City is adjacent to the recently formed Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands National Monument. Hiking Trails can be accesses at the Point Arena City Hall Parking. Spectacular coastal prairie and ocean views await. Of special note is Arena Cove and pier with huge ocean front bluffs showing power of the interface of the Tectonic plates.
Restaurants in Point Arena
1. 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.
