There are many parks, reserves, and gardens in the immediate area:
Mendocino Headlands State Park (1/4 mile from Agate Cove) : dramatic views
of the ocean and Mendocino, plus great whalewatching in season. Connects
with Big River State Beach, and the recently-acquired Big River Unit.
Big River Unit, Mendocino Headlands State Park (1/2 mile from Agate Cove)
: this land was purchased in March 2002, and was turned over to the state
parks system in October, 2002. This area contains the majority of the Big River watershed. It’s an excellent place for a long hike or bike ride along Big River, and trails connect
up with Russian Gulch State Park, Jackson Demonstration State Forest,
and Van Damme State Park.
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (Ft Bragg) : 47 acres of beautiful gardens adjacent to the ocean, featuring plants indigenous to the Coast.
Russian Gulch State Park (1 mile north of Agate Cove) : excellent hike
out to a 35-foot waterfall.
MacKerricher
State Park (2 miles north of Ft Bragg) : there’s a colony
of harbor seals here within easy viewing, and pupping season is during
April and May. On a clear day, you can see the Lost Coast stretching out over fifty miles to the north.
Jughandle
State Reserve (4 miles north of Agate Cove) : a nice hike along
terraces of the pygmy forest, a peculiar feature of the Mendocino Coast.
Van
Damme State Park (Little River, 2 miles south) : an easy hike
through a fern canyon in the redwoods. You can also drive to a short boardwalk
trail through the pygmy forest, featuring 100-year-old pine trees that
are only one foot tall.
Navarro
River Redwoods State Park (15 miles along Hwy 128, near Hwy 1)
: this park follows the Navarro River and Highway 128 for the last 15
miles before arriving at the ocean. The park also includes the beach at
the mouth of the river, where Highway 128 meets Highway 1.
Hendy
Woods State Park (Hwy 128, near Philo) : there are several small
stands of virgin redwood trees here, easily accessible from Highway 128.
Montgomery
Woods State Preserve (on Comptche-Ukiah Rd, near Ukiah) : the
tallest tree in the world is here, standing in over 365 feet tall! This
pleasant hike winds through a pocket canyon filled with 300-plus foot
redwood trees. This is one of my (Dennis) favorite places in Mendocino
County: there are so few people who visit it, and it is exquisitely beautiful
among the giant trees.
Jackson State Demonstration Forest: excellent trails for
hiking and mountain biking, including the Forest
History Trail. There are still some virgin redwoods, an extensive
network of unpaved roads, and a nice waterfall on Chamberlain Creek.
Glass Beach (Ft Bragg):
This beach has no sand — it’s all finely-tumbled glass bits of varying
sizes. This beach was used as a dump many years ago, and the remaining
bits of glass and detritus have been finely tumbled by the waves. This
is most interesting on a sunny day where the
glass pebbles light up.
For a comprehensive listing of state parks and reserves, check the
California park system’s Web site.
We’re almost always available with ideas for hikes or bike rides, too.
