Mendocino Headlands State Park

The Mendocino Headlands State Park offers a variety of scenic natural features including coastline, hiking trails, secluded beaches and the surroundings of the historic Village of Mendocino, surrounding most of the park. Trails wind along the cliffs, overlooking the sea and its numerous grottoes. The park is open year-round and in the spring provides fields of wildflowers, in autumn is filled with brilliant color, in summer it offers a cool respite from the city heat, and in the winter it offers some lucky visitors views of migrating grey whales. Visitors enjoy surfing, hiking, fishing, picnicking and more, all within the confines of the park. The area is popular among painters and photographers. One of the main attractions in the park is Big River Beach, part of a 7,400-acre wildlife corridor within the park. The Big River wetlands are was added to the park in 2002, creating a diverse coastal habitat for many of the area's creatures. The park also hosts the Mendocino Music Festival, an annual event that welcomes a variety of musical performances to the area. The park offers no overnight camping facilities, so plan your visit for the day and then head back into town for overnight accommodations. Mendocino offers a variety of quaint attractions including the Historic Ford House, a museum located on Main Street providing historic information and educational materials for visitors.