Pine Beach(Mitchell Creek Beach)

Located at the mouth of Mitchell Creek, Pine Beach - also known as Mitchell Creek Beach - is an idyllic beach with light brown sand near the southern end of the city of Fort Bragg. The beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and also has sparse amounts of vegetation, and the shoreline around the beach is rocky.

Pine Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. 

Pine Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, snorkelling, boating, and jet skiing. The water near the beach is popular among abalone-hunting scuba divers as the water here has a large number of abalone shellfish. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Pine Beach, we recommend being really careful as it has dangerous waves and cold temperatures. In addition, diving fatalities have been also previously reported in the water near Pine Beach. The water near the beach is home to many marine mammals including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). Another popular activity in Pine Beach is fishing - depending on the time of the year, you can catch a large array of fish here including salmon, cabezon, greenling, and lingcod.    

Getting to Pine Beach is easy - the access trail to the beach is located near 16821 Ocean Drive, which is easily accessible via Shoreline Highway / Pacific Coast Highway. There is a free parking lot near Pacific Coast Highway for the state-owned Ocean Drive Beach Access (which is an accessway leading to another separate beach). From this parking lot, you need to walk towards the ocean to 16821 Ocean Drive, which will lead you to the access trail for the beach. 

There are many attractions near Pine Beach. The International Sea Glass Museum has one of the largest collections of beautiful sea glass pieces in the world. In addition, this museum also displays exquisite terracotta pieces and also has a gift store. The Guest House Museum was built in the 19th century and currently serves as the headquarters of Fort Bragg - Mendocino Coast Historical Society. The museum has interesting exhibits on the history of the city of Fort Bragg and Mendocino County. If you are looking for another attraction near Pine Beach, Triangle Tattoo & Museum has interesting tattoo-related artifacts and exhibits. The museum is run by renowned local tattoo artists Madame Chinchilla and Mr.G.   

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Pine Beach. The upscale MacCallum House Restaurant has a rosy ambiance and serves fantastic gourmet dishes.  Noyo River Grill offers a memorable waterfront dining experience. In addition, the restaurant serves excellent seafood including oysters, clam chowder, and fish-and-chips. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Pine Beach, the modestly priced Asian Buffet offers many amazing Asian dishes including chow mein, fried rice, egg rolls, and orange chicken.

If you are looking for a hotel near Pine Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star North Cliff Hotel offers mesmerizing Instagram-worthy views of the northern California coastline and also serves complimentary breakfast. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf which offers many amenities including a mini-golf course, a hair salon, and a video game arcade. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Pine Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Ebb Tide Inn offers a complimentary breakfast. In addition, the hotel offers free accommodation to kids under 11 staying with an adult family member.