Local LanguageMendocino CountyMendocino County Northern California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841.
Mendocino county seat is
Ukiah.
Mendocino County is noted for its distinctive Pacific Ocean coastline, Redwood
forests, wine production, microbrews, and liberal views about the use of cannabis and support for its legalization. It is estimated that roughly one-third of the economy is based on the cultivation of marijuana.
The notable historic and recreational attraction of the "Skunk Train" connects Fort Bragg with Willits in Mendocino County via a steam-locomotive engine, along with other vehicles.
Stroll historic village streets or hike dramatic bluffs in this inviting coastal getaway.
One part New England fishing village, one part wild and wave-thrashed
California coast, the town of Mendocino stands out as undeniably
appealing destination, and one of the best ways to explore it is on
foot. Walk the village streets to explore galleries where the
shopkeepers are probably artists too. Browse for handcrafted items in
locally owned boutiques and gift shops. Pop into coffee bars for a latte
and a still-warm scone. Settle by the fire in a grand Victorian-era
home that now houses a restaurant specializing in just-caught seafood
and locally produced organic produce and wines. Visit the 1854 Ford House Museum
to learn more about the town’s colorful history as a rollicking lumber
town. If you can stay the night, choose from Mendocino’s outstanding
selection of bed-and-breakfast inns and seaside salt-box cottages, many
of them pet-friendly. Get the Redwood
Highway 101 Map.
Mendocino’s natural setting is equally as compelling as its village—and fortunately, just as navigable. Now protected as Mendocino Headlands State Park,
the dramatic coast here are laced with paths that offer postcard views
of wave-carved arches, secret beaches, creature-filled tidepools, and,
during peak migration months (usually December to April), plenty of gray
whales offshore. Take a walk along the cliff-hugging Mendocino
Headlands Trail heading southwest of town; it’s a meandering 2½-mile
out-and-back hike, with gorgeous views, the mouth of Big River, elegant
stands of rare Bishop pines, and a natural blowhole.
See the spectacular Smith River snaking beneath immense redwoods.
Free-flowing. It isn't a term that was even needed a few centuries
ago. But now, with dams and diversions changing the natural watercourses
of most of the rivers in the West, it's a term that applies to the tiny
number of rivers that don't get blocked or changed as they flow. At Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park,
the beautiful Smith River, the last major free-flowing river in
California, glides beneath immense coast redwoods as it heads to the
sea. Lovely Mill Creek, a major tributary of the Smith, also flows here,
and though its name hints at the logging past of this region, much of
the protected forest in the park is untouched old-growth forest, with
huge trees soaring above a stunning understory of ferns, rhododendrons,
and other native plants. Wander trails here and you'll be planning your
next visit before you even leave.
|