Van Damme Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, biking, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, scuba diving, and boating. The water near this beach is generally calmer than other nearby Mendocino County beaches, making it ideal for kayakers, canoers, and paddleboarders. A nearby private concession named Kayak Mendocino also offers amazing guided kayak tours of the rocky shoreline around Van Damme Beach. You can also explore interesting sea caves present around the beach while participating in these tours. In addition, Kayak Mendocino also organizes stand-up paddleboarding sessions in the water near this beach. Scuba divers also enter the water near Van Damme Beach to explore its vibrant underwater biodiversity and to seasonally collect abalone shellfish - the water near this beach has kelp forests that are home to many kinds of fish and marine invertebrates including lingcod, cabezon, nudibranchs, and anemones. Depending on the time of the year, you can also watch many kinds of marine mammals in the water near this beach including seals and sea lions. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Van Damme Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here has unpredictable rip currents. If you like birdwatching, you can also see many kinds of shorebirds around Van Damme Beach. If you are planning to fish in the water near Van Damme Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations.
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.