mendocino coast

Rdempsey1125

The sheer beauty of this place is extraordinary. Words cannot describe the natural beauty of the coast, the rocks, the waves.

FanaticTourGuide

We decided to drive along the Mendocino Coast. What a beautiful area! Not very crowded. California is very good about conservation , and this is a perfect example of that! Clean ...not over developed. While driving or pulling of to enjoy the view, we spotted elephant seals! They are shockingly huge! ( almost scary, but in a good way! )

jengd1971

My family of four (2 young kids) had a wonderful time in Mendocino. We loved all of the hiking trails and state parks, and the ocean scenery was amazing. We had great food, and ate at many local restaurants. A sweet little town.

I5724UFgregb

For water-bugs like me, these views were fantastic. I derive great pleasure from seeing beautiful rock formations, crashing waves, and sunlight off the water. If you are the same, don't miss the drive along Highway 1, from north of Mendocino down the coast to Jenner. There are plenty of places to pull off the road to take in the views, and one of the best is in the oddly-named town of Elk. In January/February the whales are migrating, so there is a chance of seeing them from the cliffs.

AntiochKurt

Few places make me melt. The highway 1 along the Mendocino coast does just that. Great vistas, many state parks for coastal access, you cannot do better. Bring your camera and warm clothes. Pull off at any of the numerous stops. Walk and explore. Be open to see the absolute beauty of the coastline. Lots of nice places to stay and eat.

ZazuMinnesota

The walk along the cliffs was awe inspiring. Sea lions would bob in the waves periodically and the water was blue - almost turquoise.

909Sue

I love the rugged coastline and headlands where you can walk for miles. It was great whale watching during January.

829camiller

Folks like me from the East Coast are used to grand, level-ish, sand beaches. These are sights to behold! Steep cliffs, coves of sandy beaches, huge rocks, and powerful waves 10x taller than you are will fill you with an overwhelming sense of magnificence.

PatH481

From San Francisco it's a 3 hour twister in your car. From the Sacramento area, it's a 4 hour thing.That said....... It's worth it! Just get prepared for a general brief list of services......but the scenery and locale are to die for!

lwl531

Having beaches open to you without crowds and tide pools that were home to great sea life were beyond my dreams. The rock patterns on the shore were breathtaking not to speak of the sunsets.

RamblingRose42

The Mendocino Coast is beautiful. It's a great place for romance and whale watching. Lots of quaint architecture and nice shops to meander in and out of.

DonL463

Unforgettable ocean views from bluff tops, all beaches clean & open to public at no cost, water clean or minimally polluted, conifer forests gradually recovering from destructive forms of logging, plenty of state parks & hiking trails, lively arts & crafts scene, many excellent inns & restaurants - what's not to love besides hefty room prices (Ft. Bragg being the exception) & arduous roads that help keep tourist traffic fairly manageable?

365lenf

Beautiful. A hard drive but worth it for the scenery. Check out the state beach, look for tidepools. Great restaurants, and a nice museum in town.

MrNifty246

Let me just start by saying the north coast is so different from the south coast (with starting point at San Francisco). We wanted to see the glass beach but unfortunately, it is under construction until December 2015. We'll be back for that for sure. We did see MacKerricher State Park which was beautiful. Nice boardwalk trail, open skies and open sea, and lots of information about marine biology and sea birds.The coast here is a little grungier but in a good way. We happened to go before a storm so the sky was half clear and sunny and half dark which made for a pretty crazy feeling looking out onto the open ocean.Definitely recommend taking a visit!

tuscarorastudio

Foggy evenings. Even when it rains it is a great place to be. We were able to walk to restaurants and shops from our well positioned hotel room