Pudding Creek Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, hiking, biking, wildlife watching, fishing, tidepooling, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and jet-skiing. The water near Pudding Creek Beach offers some good surfing waves on very rare occasions. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Pudding Creek Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is cold and known to have strong currents and dangerous waves. The water near Pudding Creek Beach is home to many marine mammals including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). Another popular activity in Pudding Creek Beach is fishing - depending on the time of the year, you can catch a lot of fish in the water near Pudding Creek Beach including salmon, cabezon, surfperch, and greenlings. However, if you are planning to fish here, we recommend complying with the local fishing regulations. You can also explore the tidepools present along the rocky shoreline near the northern end of the beach.
As an interesting fact, Pudding Creek Beach is famous among locals for reportedly having "singing" or "squeaky" sand, which is a squeaky or whistling sound produced by the sand when its smooth and round particles rub against human feet. This rare phenomenon primarily occurs due to friction produced from the rubbing of sand against human feet. The wooden trestle bridge passing above the beach was built in the early 20th century and is now a part of the Ten Mile trail, which follows the route of an old railway line that was earlier used to transport timber. In addition, the blufftop areas around the beach have many interesting hiking trails that offer unique views of the Mendocino County coastline and the Pacific Ocean.
MacKerricher State Park has a variety of habitats that you can explore via hiking and biking trails including grasslands, sand dunes, forests, and wetlands. The state park also has a lake named Lake Cleone, whose surrounding areas are home to many animals including foxes, raccoons, and black-tailed deer. If you like birdwatching, the lake also attracts many bird species including ducks, cormorants, and herons. In addition, this lake and the area surrounding it is also a popular resting spot for migratory waterfowl. If you like horse riding, there is a private concession near MacKerricher State Park which offers horse riding tours within designated state park areas. The state park’s visitor center also has many interesting exhibits including a grey whale skeleton. In addition, docent-led tours, junior ranger programs, and campfire programs are frequently organized by the state park. The state park also has four campgrounds. If you are planning to camp here, you can visit MacKerricher State Park’s web page on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more information on the state park’s campsites.