Spring Ranch Property

Located in Van Damme State Park, Spring Ranch Property is a blufftop preserve which has multiple rocky and sandy unnamed beaches below it. These beaches are also known as the Spring Ranch Beaches. Spring Ranch Property was part of a larger privately owned area (also named Spring Ranch) which became a part of Van Damme State Park in 1996. The beaches in Spring Ranch Property do not have lifeguards.  However, the blufftop area above the beaches has benches and hiking trails. Dogs on leash are allowed on Spring Ranch Property. 

The single accessible beach in Spring Ranch Property offers many fun activities including hiking, sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, and tidepooling. The water near Spring Ranch Property is generally unsafe for aquatic recreational activities including swimming and surfing as the water here has dangerous waves and extremely strong currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. During low tides, you can also explore the interesting tidepools present below the blufftop Spring Ranch Property - these tidepools are home to a vibrant intertidal habitat. If you are planning to fish in the water near Spring Ranch Property, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. The blufftop area above this beach has hiking trails which you can use to explore the vibrant landscape of this preserve. In addition, Spring Ranch Property also has interesting historic barns. However, we recommend being careful while hiking near the bluffsides in Spring Ranch Property as the unstable bluffsides in this preserve are prone to collapse. It is also important to note that mountain lions and coyotes have also been occasionally spotted in this preserve, so we recommend being careful while hiking here, especially if you are visiting with pets.

Van Damme State Park protects a beautiful portion of the Mendocino County shoreline and offers many fun activities including scuba diving, camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, wildlife watching, and biking. The state park’s hiking and biking trails offer a fun way to explore its vibrant biodiversity. In addition, the state park’s visitor center also offers a unique insight into Northern California’s vibrant history. Van Damme State Park also has an interesting pygmy forest and a fern-filled canyon known as the Fern Canyon which can be explored by visitors.  Van Damme State Park also has a campground which accommodates both tents and RVs. If you are planning to camp in Van Damme State Park, you can visit the state park’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more useful information regarding the camping rules and charges.  

Getting to Spring Ranch Property is easy - the free parking lot for this preserve is present near the intersection between Shoreline Highway/Pacific Coast Highway and Gordon Lane. However, it is important to note that only one of the multiple beaches present below Spring Ranch Property is safely accessible from the blufftop area above as the bluffsides along these beaches are steep and unstable. You can access this beach by walking along the access trail present near the preserve parking lot.

There are many attractions near the Spring Ranch Property. Mendocino Headlands State Park is spread around 347 acres. This state park preserves a beautiful and rugged section of the Mendocino County shoreline and the area around the mouth of the Big River.  The state park has a vibrant landscape consisting of many habitats including wetlands, coastal scrub, and riparian forests. In addition, the state park also offers many fun activities including surfing, hiking, picnicking, camping, and surfing. A 19th-century building named Ford House (also known as the Historic Ford House) is also present in the state park. This building currently houses a museum and also serves as the visitor center for Mendocino Headlands State Park. Ford House has many interesting historical exhibits including a scale-model exhibit of 19th-century Mendocino. The state park also hosts the annual Mendocino Music Festival which sees exciting music concerts being organized on the state park property.  If you are planning to camp in Mendocino Headlands State Park, you can visit California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more useful information about the campground amenities and rules in Mendocino Headlands State Park. The Temple of Kwan Tai is a Chinese Taoist temple and a California Historical Landmark that was built in the 19^th-century and offers an interesting insight into the role played by the Asian community in California’s development and history. If you are looking for another attraction near Spring Ranch Property, Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park has hiking and biking trails that you can use to explore the state park’s vibrant blufftop landscape and interesting fauna. In addition, the park is a major regional historical landmark - the state park has a lighthouse which was built in the early 20th century and has a third-order Fresnel lens made by the British glassworks company Chance Brothers. This lighthouse also has interesting exhibits. Apart from this lighthouse, there are two other buildings that you can explore - the 1st Assistant Lightkeeper’s House which has been restored to its original look from the 1930s and the restored Blacksmith & Carpenter Shop which currently houses the Marine Sciences Exhibit that has a 240-gallon seawater aquarium and interesting exhibits on local marine life.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Spring Ranch Property. The Ledford House Restaurant has a dining area which offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.  The restaurant offers amazing fusion cuisine with Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian influences. Trillium Cafe offers a memorable oceanfront dining area and also has a fireplace. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing Californian cuisine with Mediterranean and East Asian influences. The restaurant has also been praised by many reputed publications including Sunset and Travel & Leisure magazines. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Spring Ranch Property, Headlands Coffeehouse is a 20-minute drive away and offers amazing breakfast dishes, desserts, sandwiches, soups, salads, and pizza.  In addition, the restaurant also hosts art shows and live music performances.

If you are looking for a hotel near Spring Ranch Property, there are many great options nearby. The 4-Star Heritage House Resort & Spa offers many amenities including a fitness center, a restaurant, and access to a beach. In addition, hiking trails are also available in the hotel premises. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Inn at Schoolhouse Creek offers many amenities including a spa, a hot tub, and access to a beach. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Spring Ranch Property, the 2-Star Holiday Inn Express Fort Bragg, an IHG Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a gym, and complimentary breakfast.