8 Best Sights in The North Coast, California

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.

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.

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.

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.