Russian Gulch and Mendocino Headlands
A weekend trip to California’s North Coast
California’s North Coast is home to redwood forests, sweeping ocean views, and enchanting coastal towns. This spontaneous trip to Mendocino was planned in all but one hour the night before we decided to go, and I’m continually amazed by how easy it is to escape the Bay Area hustle by simply picking a direction and getting in the car.
San Francisco to Mendocino (fast route)
via Highway 101/Highway 128
I say “fast” with a bit of an asterisk, as there really aren’t any routes to Mendocino that don’t involve a bit of a windy drive. Highway 128 ambles through rolling vineyards and then majestic redwoods before hitting the coast and connecting to Highway 1.
Autumn was in full swing during our trip and we were lured into a stop at Philo Apple Farm for a jug of cold apple juice. Their farmstand is self service and operates on the honor system — after depositing some cash for our juice and picking out a few apples from their box of free fruit, we were on the road again.
Russian Gulch North Trail and Waterfall Loop Trail | 8.7 mi
Our first major stop of the trip was a lovely hike through the redwoods in Russian Gulch State Park. The lush green landscape brought back memories of our trip through Redwoods National Park earlier this year.
North Trail rises up a small canyon, flattens out, and then dips back down to join the Falls Loop Trail. The highlight of the hike is the serene waterfall at the end of the loop, a short cascade over jagged, black rock.
The downed logs near the waterfall make for a fun place to climb and explore. After stopping for a few minutes to take in the view, we turned around to finish the Falls Loop Trail and then retrace our steps on North Trail.
There are parts of this hike where the ground is carpeted with a dense blanket of sorrel that are straight out of a fairytale. There’s also no shortage of interesting sights to take in, from blooming fungi to the occasional banana slug.
After the hike, we were excited to grab a bite to eat in nearby town Fort Bragg. We headed to Cowlick’s Ice Cream for a pre-dinner snack. Undeterred by the chilly evening fog rolling in, we chose a double scoop of the honeycomb and the black raspberry chocolate chunk. Both flavors were delicious and creamy and a generous portion size.
For dinner, we picked up some BBQ to go from The Q and headed off to our camp spot right on the coast. By the time we settled in to eat, it was getting dark and so we had a romantic (?) candlelit (lantern-lit?) meal.
The next morning, we discovered that our camping neighbors were traveling with a pet goat. We watched with glee as the goat moseyed around on a short leash clipped to the back of their van.
Mendocino Headlands Trail | 2.6 mi (4–5 mi if you go out and back)
We drove back down the coast to take a nice morning walk on the Mendocino Headlands Trail. This is a leisurely stroll that hugs the coastline, providing scenic views of dramatic jagged cliffs and churning ocean waves.
Along the way, there are a handful of rock arches and the water is dotted with small rocky islands populated with birds. There were even some wild blackberries on the trail!
After walking the headlands, we looped around to explore the town of Mendocino. We enjoyed a delightful brunch at Good Life Cafe, including a pillowy, sugar crusted morning bun flavored with orange and cardamom.
The town itself is so picturesque and the main street is lined with small businesses and bed and breakfasts.
I can never resist a charming independent bookstore and Gallery Bookshop is just that. They have a lovely, eclectic selection to browse, as well as a store cat named Catsby (though sadly we did not meet the cat on our visit).
Another highlight of our downtown stroll was Papa Bear’s Chocolate Haus, offering up handcrafted chocolatey treats. They have a contactless system set up where you can view their selection of chocolates through the front window and you text your order to a phone number. The fresh raspberry white chocolate bark is a must try!
Mendocino to San Francisco (scenic route)
via Highway 1
On the return trip we took the longer, scenic route on Highway 1. This iconic drive follows the coast and takes you along seaside cliffs and rocky coves. The views honestly rival those of the perhaps more famous section of the PCH near Big Sur.
Though we didn’t have any major stops planned on this leg of the trip, we pulled out at several vista points to savor the views and enjoy some of the various snacks we’d picked up on our way.
Mendocino is the perfect distance from the Bay Area for a weekend getaway. Its stunning natural beauty features both rugged coasts and redwood forests, a testament to the diversity of nature that Northern California has to offer.
