Our favorite things to do on the Mendocino Coast, all within an easy drive of the cabin.
Fort Bragg's most famous beach, where decades of old dump glass have been tumbled smooth by the waves. Reach it from the paved Coastal Trail at the west end of Elm Street. Go at low tide for the best glass, and please look but don't take any.
An 8-foot-wide paved trail along the restored bluffs of the old mill site, great for walking and biking. Open dawn to dusk, with the main trailhead beside Glass Beach.
Ride the historic 1885 Redwood Route from the downtown depot at 100 W. Laurel St. The year-round Pudding Creek Express is a 7-mile round trip with a stop at Glen Blair Junction in the redwoods. Seasonal two-person electric Railbikes are a quieter way to cover the same route.
A working fishing harbor under the Noyo Bridge, with seals, sea lions, river otters, and fresh seafood. Watch the boats come in, rent a kayak, or book a fishing or whale-watching charter.
47 acres of gardens running from Highway 1 to the ocean bluffs, with over 4 miles of trails. Famous for spring rhododendrons, late-summer dahlias, and the Festival of Lights in November and December. Plan at least 1.5 hours.
Just north of town, about 9 miles of coastline with beaches, dunes, tide pools, and Lake Cleone. The Laguna Point Boardwalk is a half-mile accessible loop with harbor seal and whale views, and the old logging Haul Road is a flat, paved path for biking and walking by the ocean.
A restored wooden railroad trestle you can walk across, above a sheltered beach that's popular with families.
A beautifully restored 1909 lighthouse about four miles north of Mendocino, with its original third-order Fresnel lens, a museum, and bluff-top trails that are great for whale watching.
Between Fort Bragg and Mendocino in Caspar. The Ecological Staircase Trail climbs five uplifted marine terraces, each about 100,000 years older than the one below it, from coastal prairie up to a pygmy forest.
Two miles north of Mendocino. Hike the fern-lined canyon to a 36-foot waterfall, or take the short Headlands Trail to the Devil's Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave. Part of the Fern Canyon Trail has been closed, so check park alerts first.
A historic town about 10 miles south of Fort Bragg, on a headland above the sea. Wander the galleries, shops, and water towers, then walk the Mendocino Headlands State Park bluffs.
Just south of Mendocino in Little River. The Fern Canyon Trail follows the Little River through redwoods and ferns, and with a climb it connects to the pygmy forest boardwalk, where centuries-old trees stand only a few feet tall. The beach cove is popular with kayakers and divers.
Gray whales pass the Mendocino Coast on their migration between Alaska and Baja California from about mid-December to early April. Good places to watch from shore include the Laguna Point Boardwalk at MacKerricher, Point Cabrillo Light Station, and the Mendocino Headlands. Charter boats from Noyo Harbor get you closer.
The Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals run every weekend in March. Dates for 2027: Mendocino on March 6, Little River on March 13, Fort Bragg on March 20 (with the Whale Run & Walk), and Point Arena/Westport on March 27.
Hours change by season, so check before you go.
Inland on Highway 128, Anderson Valley (Philo and Boonville) is known for cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. It makes a great day trip from the cabin. Well-known tasting rooms include Roederer Estate, Navarro Vineyards, Goldeneye, Toulouse, and Domaine Anderson, and Anderson Valley Brewing Company is in Boonville. See Anderson Valley Winegrowers for a map. Please pick a designated driver.