Can’t decide between the forest or the ocean? There’s no reason to choose. Can’t decide between the forest or the ocean? There’s no reason to choose.
Welcome to Two Days Away, our series featuring weekend-long itineraries within a five-hour drive of your city—because sometimes we all just need a little adventure fix.
One of the best things about living in or visiting the Bay Area is that you can easily achieve a change of scenery. And unlike, say, New York, which can mostly be divided into “upstate” and “the city,” getting out of town from San Francisco means choosing between redwood forests, beaches, and hiking trails—or cobbling together an itinerary that includes some combination of the three. Sure, you could hit Tahoe again, or drink yourself sideways in wine country, but the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them towns of Mendocino County are more than worthy of their own sightseeing tour.
Whether you’re looking to relax in a giant bathtub while watching waves crash against towering cliffs, wander in an old-growth forest that feels straight out of an epic fantasy book, or eat some of the world’s freshest produce, Mendocino can provide. The best part is that you don’t even have to choose: If you’ve got the time for a meandering road trip that takes you up the coast on the iconic US 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, the journey will be a multifaceted adventure in itself.
Travel Time
3 hours and 30 minutes from San Francisco
The old growth trees in Mendocino County’s Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. | Max Forster/Save the Redwoods League
If you only do one thing: See the Redwoods
So, “the Redwoods” is not a singular place, but rather a park system that’s run by both the state and the federal governments. Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve is part of that system, and it features a magical trail that will take you through old growth coastal redwoods and to a 367.5-foot redwood that was once thought to be the tallest tree on earth. Although that bad boy has since been unseated by some of its colleagues elsewhere, the trees in question are still downright amazing and only about an hour or so east of Mendocino. There’s a short version and a long version of the reserve’s two-mile loop, so if you’re staying on the coast, you can still make a day trip inland to bathe in the lush fern forest and crane your neck up at these gentle giants. They’re giving Lord of the Rings. They’re giving The Land Before Time. They’re honestly making us want to purchase one of those trippy blacklight posters from the ‘90s and reorient our entire personalities around toadstool imagery and the Grateful Dead. Such is the power of nature.
Fill the weekend with
Botanical Gardens
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens boast an epic array of manicured plant life, though the collection of more than 100 rhododendron species is a definite star of the show. Highlights obviously depend on the time of year, but regardless of when you visit, take a short walk (definitely would hesitate to call this a hike, even though the surroundings are beautiful) to a coastal bluff surrounded by native flora and wild mushrooms. There’s a cafe serving a locally beloved ice cream brand and coffee, so you could make a whole afternoon of it, if desired, especially if you’re a bird watcher.
Whale Watching
Every year between November and April, California gray whales migrate from their feeding grounds in Alaska toward the warm waters of Mexico. Lucky visitors can catch them from a high vantage point along the coast as they pass by the Mendocino County coastline, such as trails surrounding the Point Arena Lighthouse. If you want to leave less to chance and get a closer look, there are also tons of whale-watching charters throughout the region. In March, there are also several festivals dedicated to the leviathans and their epic journeys.
Kayaking
Kayak Mendocino offers a variety of tours to choose from, but the most popular will have you paddling into sea caves, where you’ll meet friendly harbor seals and sea stars. Don’t let the views from US 1 freak you out; even though the waves in the Pacific look potentially pulverizing, this tour is designed to go through calm waters. But for bonus points: Go whale watching from a kayak.
Where to Eat and Drink in Mendocino County
Lunch: You’re in California, where a basic salad has the potential to be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted. The Mendocino Cafe has salads, and is a great spot for a casual lunch either indoors or out. Again: You should be seeking roughage in all its various forms, but admittedly, there’s a steak and brie melt here that is hard to forgo.
Dinner: The Harbor House Inn, a two Michelin-starred restaurant with ocean views and an ethos that includes getting as many ingredients from their own land and tide pools as possible, is a splurge—the tasting menu is more than $200 per person, and that’s without the wine pairings—but worth it. Let chef Matthew Kammerer and his staff show you the absolute bounty of the Mendocino coast, including through plates made of abalone shells and tables crafted from naturally felled redwood trees. Because there’s an array of microclimates in the area, there’s a ton of in-season produce they can choose from, so you’ll get everything from rockfish to alpine strawberries to douglas fir tea on the same night while you watch deer and hummingbirds flit past your table.
Drinks: The most popular brewery in Mendocino County is probably Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville. It’s worth going there just to ask people about Boontling, the local argot, which has more than 1,000 words and fewer than 100 speakers by the latest count. But besides being known for calling guns “equalizers” and describing angry people as “can-kicky,” the people of Boonville are known for their beers, and for a brewery replete with an on-site disc golf course that’s open every day.
Hotels in Mendocino County
Mendocino County is huge—remember, some of these spots are an hour apart—so there’s a huge variety in terms of where to stay. But if you’re here, you probably want views of some water, whether it’s the churning Pacific or the tranquil Noyo River. It just depends on how far you’re willing to drive up the coast without stopping, and how much you’re willing to spend.
Budget: Going from a place like Elk—or Mendocino proper—to Fort Bragg can give you a bit of whiplash. All of a sudden, it feels like New England! The Noyo Harbor Inn is a great, low-key place to stay after spending an afternoon combing the nearby glass beach, or hanging out at the botanical gardens. Plus, Sea Pal Cove, walking distance in Noyo Harbor, serves some of the best fish and chips on the west coast. Enjoy it while staring out at the river and being serenaded by its many seals, along with the other in-the-know folks who’ve lined up for food before the place even opens.
Splurge: If you’re driving from the Bay Area, you’re going to hit the teeny-tiny community of Elk at about the three-hour mark—right where it makes sense to take a break. Get a room at the Sacred Rock Inn, which is dead quiet, appointed with mid-century modern charm, and right on the coast. You’ll have the option of ocean views, as well as two-story suites with private outdoor space and giant Jacuzzi pools that overlook the crashing waves. There’s also an outdoor hot tub and free yoga classes available to all, although the Inn is adults only (see: the dead quiet part).
