Fancy Camp

Wanna go rugged on the coast, minus the whole pitching your own tent and sleeping on the ground bit? Mendocino Grove is spot-on for upgrading your roughing-it experience, with beautifully appointed tent-cabins set across the bluffs overlooking Mendocino Bay.

The ocean view from here is breathtaking, and when you do take a breath it’s scented by the heavenly smell of pine forest.

Choose a two-person or family tent and an ocean or meadow view; the 37 acres ensures plenty of space between you and your neighbor. Spend mornings on the porch and evenings around your own private fire pit. The comfy beds have heated blankets and down comforters, plus extra wool blankets.

And the toilet situation? Five stars … with hot showers, EO bath products, and fresh cotton towels. Socialize with other campers (er, glampers) in the Meadow Commons, where you get your complimentary breakfast, and hang around the communal fire.

A resident naturalist offers free walking tours on the Loop Trail, or start your day with a yoga class ($10). Multiple hiking trails, sea kayaking, botanical gardens, beaches, and other outdoor activities are within a few minutes’ drive from the grove, and you can even walk directly to Catch a Canoe & Bicycles Too!, where you can experience the backwaters of Big River from an outrigger canoe (also dog friendly) or from a bike along some riverside trails. Then kick back at camp around the fire or in a hammock, or join a game of horseshoe or bocce. Sunsets here are sensational.

DOG-FRIENDLY BONUS: You won’t leave home without Buster? Then don’t leave home without Buster! Mendocino Grove has dog-friendly options, including a dog-washing station. It’s a ruff life.

Mendocino Grove.

Tip: Looking for a campsite tonight? Try Campsite Tonight! It’s an app that searches both public & private campground systems to let you know what’s available.