Head for the Headlands

Hike the bluffs at Mendocino Headlands State Park

A stroll along Mendocino's marquee bluffs is pretty much mandatory when you visit, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the charming hamlet of Mendocino, offers your best panoramic bet.

Trails leave right from town and curve along the dramatic coastal bluffs, leading to a blowhole, a beach, and unforgettable views. Catch a sunset here, when the waves are transformed into a tangerine oasis and the town behind you looks like an old postcard photo painted in perfect indigo light.

For a more off-the-beaten-path option, head just a few miles south of town to mystical Spring Ranch at Van Damme State Park, where you’ll find expansive headlands and a less-traveled trail system that slinks bluffside, passing rocky outcroppings that resemble a moonscape.

This setting is safe to travel on, but is exposed to the elements. About a mile along the trail you’ll come to a bench perched above sea stacks, crashing waves, and teeming tide pools that are out of reach from land. The bench makes a good turnaround point. Marquee Mendo stroll.

BONUS WINE: On your way back to the Bay Area, stop at Navarro Vineyards & Winery in Anderson Valley. Specializing in white wines like Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, Navarro’s outdoor patio is a nice place to take in the rolling scenery. The folks in the tasting room are super friendly, and so is the tasting fee: there isn’t one!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Taking the Stage: Tyler Ranch

    Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.

    View
  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. On clear days you get views of both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S. 

    View
  3. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

    View
  4. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Lava Lava

    Once a land of volcanic activity, Mojave National Preserve shares plenty about its past via a quick yet adventurous hike to the Lava Tube in the Cima Dome Volcanic Field.

    View
  2. Kelso Dunes

    The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.

    View
  3. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

    View
  4. Beaudry Bountiful

    There are no cars allowed on Beaudry Loop, but this 6-mile hike takes you on a wild ride. You’ll be climbing 1,500 feet up the southern Verdugos along a chaparral-lined trail with gorgeous mountain and urban vistas every step of the way.

    View