Mendocino Headlands Beaches(Mendocino Headlands State Park)

Located in the town of Mendocino, the Mendocino Headlands Beaches are a group of multiple unnamed rocky and sandy beaches. These beaches are situated below steep oceanfront bluffs and are a part of a state park known as Mendocino Headlands State Park. Some of the Mendocino Headlands Beaches also have interesting rock formations around them. 

The Mendocino Headlands Beaches do not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs are allowed on the Mendocino Headlands beaches on leash. 

The Mendocino Headlands Beaches offer many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, and hiking. While the single accessible beach in the Mendocino Headlands Beaches has calm water, we recommend foregoing aquatic recreational activities in the water near the beach as the rocky shoreline around this beach can inflict grave injuries. The accessible beach in Mendocino Headlands Beaches is a fantastic beachcombing spot - you can find many kinds of interesting seashells in this beach. A large natural rocky archway is present near this beach - this archway is a popular spot for photography and offers amazing Instagram-worthy photos. In addition, another smaller rocky archway is also present around the beach which can be explored during low tides. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals and sea lions. The blufftop area above the Mendocino Headlands Beaches offers fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Northern California coastline. The hiking trails present in the blufftop area above these beaches also offer an amazing hiking experience.

Mendocino Headlands State Park is spread around 347 acres which 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, 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.  

Getting to the blufftop area above the Mendocino Headlands Beaches is easy - from the downtown area of Mendocino, you need to drive west along Little Lake Street, which will eventually lead you to Heeser Drive. Four free parking lots are present along Heeser Drive, from where you can access the blufftop area above the Mendocino Headlands Beaches via hiking trails. However, it is important to note that almost all of the Mendocino Headlands Beaches are inaccessible from the blufftop area above as the bluffsides surrounding them are extremely steep. However, one beach among the Mendocino Headlands Beaches can be possibly accessed - in order to access this beach, you need to park at the northernmost of the four parking lots present along Heeser Drive. Once you park here, you need to walk along a steep access trail which passes through a grove of cypress trees and leads to this particular beach.

There are many attractions near the Mendocino Headlands Beaches. Kelley House Museum has interesting historical exhibits that highlight the rich history of Mendocino County and northern California. The Temple of Kwan Tai is a Chinese Taoist temple and a California Historical Landmark that was built in the 19th 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 Mendocino Headlands Beaches, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has a variety of plant collections that are home to a vivid array of flora including a marine zone garden, gardens containing dahlias and magnolias, a conifer pine forest, a kitchen garden, and a camellia garden. In addition, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are famous for having an incredible array of beautiful and sweet-smelling rhododendron flowers.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near the Mendocino Headlands Beaches. The upscale CAFÉ BEAUJOLAIS offers a wide array of amazing gourmet dishes.  Luna Trattoria is an Italian restaurant that is famous for its delicious pastas. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near the Mendocino Headlands Beaches, the modestly priced Frankie’s Mendocino offers delicious pizzas, ice cream, salads, and falafel.

If you are looking for a hotel near the Mendocino Headlands Beaches, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Stanford Inn & Resort on the Mendocino Coast offers many amenities including a restaurant that offers views of the Pacific Ocean, a wellness center that offers spa treatments and classes for a fee, a pool, a hot tub, a sauna, complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, and a mountain bike loaner facility. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites that offers many amenities including a balcony, a two acre-large garden with a spa, two restaurants, a lounge, and a bar. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near the Mendocino Headlands Beaches, 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.