- Parks and Gardens : there are many state parks in the immediate
area, as well as gardens and nurseries. Check out our guidebook for local outings — you’ll find a wealth
of information about places to go. If you like to hike or ride a mountain bike, this place is for you!
- Hiking: there are an amazing number of places to hike up here. We have trail maps and information about hikes in each of our room s, or you can check the Mendocino Coast & County Online Directory for park and trail descriptions. There are several easy hikes to waterfalls at Russian Gulch State Park and in the Jackson State Forest.
- Wine Tasting : there are many wineries in Mendocino County. If
you’re interested in a chauffeur-driven tour of Anderson Valley wineries and tasting rooms, check
out Mendocino Wine Tours.
- Whale Watching and Sport Fishing: from December through April, you can see the whales from the Headlands, and you can see spouts right from our breakfast room. If you want to see them up close, there are a number of outfits that will take you on a 2-hour whalewatching (or fishing) cruise, including the Rumblefish at 707-964-3000, Anchor Charters at 707-964-4550, and Telstar Charters at 707-964-8770. These outfits will also take you out on sport fishing trips (salmon, halibut, ling cod, rock cod).
Redwood Trees : Mendocino is surrounded by redwood forests,
and there are some excellent places to see really big trees, including
Montgomery Woods State Reserve, Russian Gulch State Park, Jackson State
Forest, and Hendy Woods State Park. The tallest tree in the world (over
365 feet tall!) is located in Montgomery Woods (about
an hour away). If you have the time, you can take a day trip up to the Avenue of the Giants,
a 30-mile drive through large groves of giant redwoods.- Canoeing/Kayaking : there are several navigable rivers in the
area, as well as the ocean. Rent a kayak or canoe at Catch A Canoe in Mendocino, at the mouth of Big River. Noyo-Pacific
Outfitters also rents kayaks and diving gear, based out of Noyo
Harbor in Fort Bragg.
- Bicycle riding : there are many beautiful places to ride bicycles
in the area. If you can’t bring your own, rent mountain bikes
at Catch
A Canoe in town. An excellent resource for area rides is “Mendocino
Coast Bike Rides” by Bob Lorentzen. Note: There are very few places to ride street bikes up here.
- 4WD : there are a lot of roads through state and national forests
in the County. Tony Huegel’s excellent “California Coastal
Byways” describes some interesting rides around the area. The Lost Coast
area (45 miles north of Mendocino) has many roads, including the drive
to beautiful Usal Beach and Shelter Cove.
- Mendocino Art Center and local galleries: the renowned Mendocino
Art Center hosts exhibits and classes year-round, and there are
many fine art galleries in the village of Mendocino.
- Museums: the Kelley
House Museum is operated by a local historical society (Dennis the owner is on the Board), and the
Ford House
Visitor Center is operated by the Mendocino Area Parks Association on
behalf of the State.
- Spas and Hot Tubs : Sweetwater Spa in Mendocino has private outdoor
hot tubs.
- Skunk Train : ride through
the redwoods between Ft Bragg and Willits on a historic steam train.
- Golfing : the only golf course in the area is the Little River
Golf Course, featuring 9 holes overlooking the ocean. They rent clubs, too.
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse (see pictures in the Photo
Gallery) is only 3 miles north of Agate Cove. The antique fresnel
lens was completely restored in 2001, and they’ve just reopened the
ground floor of the building after extensive renovation. It was used as a location in the 2001 movie “The Majestic”, starring Jim Carrey.
This is an excellent location from which to see migrating whales.- Point Arena Lighthouse is about 35 miles south, on the way up the coast
from San Francisco. When you approach the lighthouse from the north, you
can stop at Manchester Beach for an incredible view of the lighthouse
at the end of the beach! The infamous San Andreas Fault heads out to sea for the last time right at the north
end of the beach, around Alder Creek Road — it’s very obvious when you
drive through there.
- Birdwatching : we see many kinds of birds here, including osprey,
pelicans, blue herons, cormorants, ravens, turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, and lots
of hummingbirds. Not to mention seagulls, geese, and many kinds of ducks….
Check the Mendocino
Coast Audubon Society for more information.
- Stormwatching : Agate Cove is a wonderful vantage point from
which to watch the big waves that accompany winter storms. It’s truly
amazing to watch 25-foot waves roll into
the cove all day long!
- Abalone : Agate Cove is a prime spot for abalone diving (check current tide
info). The ab divers provide some entertainment at breakfast
as they bob around in the cove. Or try it yourself with the Sub-surface Progression Dive Shop.
