22 Best Sights in The North Coast, California

Some of Earth's tallest trees tower over this magnificent 32-mile stretch of two-lane blacktop, also known as Highway 254, that follows the south fork of the Eel River through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The highway runs more or less parallel to U.S. 101 from Phillipsville in the south to the town of Pepperwood in the north. A brochure available at either end of the highway or the visitor center, 2 miles south of Weott, contains a self-guided tour, with short and long hikes through various groves.

A trail at Founders Grove passes by several impressive trees, among them the fallen 362-foot-long Dyerville Giant, whose root base points skyward 35 feet. The tree can be reached via a short trail that begins 4 miles north of the visitor center. About 6 miles north of the center lies the 10,000-acre Rockefeller Forest, containing the world's largest concentration of old-growth coastal redwoods.

Guides helming vintage Land Rovers conduct spellbinding tours of this sanctuary for zebras, giraffes, antelopes, and other endangered African hoof stock. The self-guided tour in your own car costs less, but the guided one, slightly more expensive, is recommended for the personal touch and closer-up access and timing to giraffe-feeding time.  Reservations are a must for visits to the preserve, which maintains three cottages for overnight stays.

Its lead artisan's star turn on the cable-TV series The Craftsman has brought welcome attention to this woodshop specializing in Victorian-era architecture. The craftspeople here use antique tools—printing presses and lathes among them—to create gingerbread trim, fence pickets, and other Victorian embellishments. Visitors on guided and self-guided tours can watch the workers in action.

A 3-mile, easy-to-walk trail leads across the spectacular seaside cliffs bordering Mendocino. The restored Ford House, built in 1854, serves as the visitor center for the park and the town. The house has a scale model of Mendocino as it looked in 1890, when it had 34 water towers and a 12-seat public outhouse.

At this ranch with a contemporary-barn tasting room and vineyard-view patio, you can sample Sauvignon Blanc, velvety Pinot Noirs, and other wines paired with award-winning artisanal cheeses made on the premises from goat and sheep milk. Engaging farmstead tours pass through the barn and by the creamery; the adorable animals win most guests' hearts. Reservations are required for the tour and suggested for tastings, though walk-ins for the latter are accepted when possible.

For an outstanding view of the ocean and, in winter, migrating whales, take the marked road off Highway 1 to this 115-foot lighthouse completed in 1908. On tours (last one at 3 pm), the 145-step climb rewards participants with a 360-degree panorama. The ground-level museum displays the original Fresnel lens and other maritime artifacts. Six cottages with full kitchens can be booked for overnight stays.

Stroll 100 feet above the forest floor on California's oldest zoo's aerial walkway through old-growth and newer redwoods. Favorite wildlife viewing areas back on the ground include a walk-in aviary. A bear and coyote exhibit was set to open during 2023.

The park's gorgeous sandy coves stretch for 17 miles from Bodega Head to 4 miles north of Jenner. Bodega Head is a popular whale-watching perch in winter and spring, and Rock Point, Duncan's Landing, and Wright's Beach, at about the halfway mark, have good picnic areas. Rogue waves have swept people off the rocks at Duncan's Landing Overlook, so don't stray past signs warning you away. About 2 miles north, calmer Shell Beach is known for beachcombing, tide-pooling, and fishing. Walk part of the bluff-top Kortum Trail or drive about 2½ miles north of Shell Beach to Blind Beach. Near the mouth of the Russian River just north of here at Goat Rock Beach, you'll find harbor seals; pupping season is from March through August. Bring binoculars and walk north from the parking lot to view the seals. Lifeguards are on duty at some beaches during summer, but strong rip currents and heavy surf keep most visitors onshore. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

The Native American wing of this museum contains a beautiful collection of northwestern California basketry. Artifacts from Eureka's Victorian, logging, and maritime eras fill the rest of the space.

Dick Taylor specializes in small-batch dark chocolates made with beans from Africa and Central America. His factory store's on-site café serves dense European-style "drinking chocolates," along with hot chocolates, addictive fudge pops, and other delights. Book a tour (with tasting) through the company's website.

The town of Ferndale, best known for its colorful Victorian architecture, much of it Stick-Eastlake style, is worth the 20-mile drive south from Eureka or north from the Avenue of the Giants. Many Main Street shops carry a self-guided tour map highlighting the most interesting historic buildings. Gift shops and ice-cream stores comprise a fair share of the businesses here, but Ferndale remains a fully functioning small town, and descendants of the Portuguese and Scandinavian dairy farmers who settled here continue to raise dairy cows in the surrounding pastures. If it's open, pop into the two storefronts of the Blacksmith Shop ( 455 and 491 Main St.  707/786–4216  www.ferndaleblacksmith.com), which celebrates the survival of the traditional blacksmithing arts in the area.

A multiuse path, much of it flat and steps from the rocky and highly photogenic shoreline, stretches the length of Fort Bragg. An enjoyable section lined with benches created by local artists follows the coast north about 2 miles between Noyo Headlands Park in southern Fort Bragg and Glass Beach. You can continue into MacKerricher State Park from the beach.

With its reconstructed Russian Orthodox chapel, stockade, and officials' quarters, Fort Ross looks much the way it did after the Russians made it their major California coastal outpost in 1812. Russian settlers established the fort on land they leased from the Kashia people. The Russians hoped to gain a foothold in the Pacific coast's warmer regions and to produce crops and other supplies for their Alaskan fur-trading operations. In 1841, with the local marine mammal population depleted and farming having proven unproductive, the Russians sold their holdings to John Sutter, later of gold-rush fame. The land, privately ranched for decades, became a state park in 1909. One original Russian-era structure remains, as does a cemetery. The rest of the compound has been reconstructed to look much as it did during Russian times. An excellent small museum documents the history of the fort, the Kashia people, and the ranch and state-park eras. No dogs are allowed past the parking lot and picnic area.

The easiest access to the sandy shore below Elk's cliff-top lodgings is at this state beach, whose parking lot sits across Highway 1 from the town's general store. A trail leads from the lot down to the shore, where the waves crashing against the huge offshore rocks are the perfect backdrop. Amenities: parking (no fee). Good for: sunset; walking.

Two groves of ancient redwoods accessible via short trails from the parking lot are the main attractions at this 945-acre park also perfect for a picnic.

This park starts at Glass Beach, its draw an unfortunately dwindling supply of sea glass best spotted at low tide. Beginning with rocky headlands that taper into dunes and sandy beaches, MacKerricher stretches north for 9 miles, its cliff tops excellent for whale-watching from November through April. Fishing, canoeing, hiking, tide-pooling, jogging, bicycling, beachcombing, camping, and harbor seal watching at Laguna Point are among the popular activities, many accessible to the mobility-impaired.  Be vigilant for rogue waves—don't turn your back on the sea. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

Narrow Orr Springs Road winds 13 miles west from Ukiah to this secluded park whose 2-mile loop trail leads to serene old-growth redwood groves. Only the intermittent breezes, rustling of small wildlife, and calls of resident birds punctuate the prehistoric quiet of the most remote one. The reserve (no dogs allowed) is a place like few others in all of California.  From the town of Mendocino you can access the park by taking the Comptche Ukiah Road to Orr Springs Road.

Completed in 1909 and noteworthy for its original, third-order Fresnel lens that glows like a jewel day or night, the still-active station inhabits a breezy plateau 3 miles north of Mendocino village. Dirt and paved paths lead ½-mile downhill from the parking lot to the station. The lighthouse museum and other historic buildings are worth a peek if open, but the park merits a visit for its views alone.

Estate Pinot Noir and sparkling and still Pinot rosés are the flagship wines of this Humboldt County producer, which also makes whites and reds from several other Northern California appellations and Oregon's Willamette Valley. The downtown tasting room—exposed beams, white walls, polished concrete floor—and its spacious gravel outdoor patio areas are highly social and family-friendly. 

A reproduction train travels a few miles of the route of its 1920s predecessor, a fume-spewing gas-powered motorcar that shuttled passengers along a rail line dating from the 1880s logging days. Nicknamed the Skunk Train, the original traversed redwood forests inaccessible to automobiles. There are also excursions from the town of Willits and seasonal and holiday-theme tours.

For a separate fee you can pedal the same rails as the Skunk Train on two-person, side-by-side, reclining bikes outfitted for the track, an experience many patrons find more diverting (albeit pricier) than the train trip.

On a forested plateau almost 200 feet above the surf, this park—until 2021 known as Patrick's Point—offers stunning views of the Pacific, great whale- and sea lion–watching spots, campgrounds, picnic areas, bike paths, and hiking trails through old-growth spruce forest. There are also tidal pools at Agate Beach, a re-created Yurok Indian village, and a small visitor center with exhibits. It's uncrowded and sublimely quiet here. Dogs are not allowed on trails or the beach.

Best known for its quiet beach, a prime diving spot, this park is also popular with day hikers. A ¼-mile stroll on a boardwalk leads to the bizarre Pygmy Forest, where acidic soil and poor drainage have produced mature cypress and pine trees no taller than a person. Hike the moderate 4¼-mile Pygmy Forest and Fern Canyon Loop past the forest and sword ferns that grow as tall as 4 feet. The visitor center has displays on ocean life and the historical significance of the redwood lumber industry along the coast.