Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Manchester
Follow Hwy 1 for about 7 miles north of Point Arena, through gorgeous rolling fields
dropping down from the hills to the blue ocean, and a turnoff leads to
Manchester State
Beach
, a long, wild stretch of sand. The area around here is remote and beautiful (only one
grocery store), but it's a quick drive to Point Arena for more elaborate provisions.
north, arranges two-hour horseback beach ($60) and mountain ($50) rides; reservations re-
commended.
Mendocino Coast KOA
( 707-882-2375;
www.manchesterbeachkoa.com
; tent/RV sites
from $29/49, cabins $64-78; )
is an impressive private campground with tightly packed
campsites beneath enormous Monterey pines, a cooking pavilion, hot showers, a hot tub
and bicycles. The cabins are a great option for families who want to get the camping ex-
perience without roughing it.
A quarter-mile west, the sunny, exposed campground at
Manchester State Park
(
www.parks.gov.ca
;
tent & RV sites $29-39)
has cold water and quiet sites right by the ocean.
Sites are nonreservable. Budget cuts have all but eliminated ranger service.
Elk
Thirty minutes north of Point Arena, itty-bitty Elk is famous for its stunning cliff-top
views of 'sea stacks,' towering rock formations jutting out of the water. Otherwise, it's one
of the cutest yet gentrified-looking villages before Mendocino. There is
nothing
to do after
dinner, so bring a book if you're a night owl. And you can forget about the cell phone, too;
reception here is nonexistent. Elk's
visitor center
(5980 Hwy 1; 11am-1pm Sat & Sun mid-
Mar-Oct)
has exhibits on the town's logging past. At the southern end of town,
Greenwood
State Beach
sits where Greenwood Creek meets the sea.
Tucked into a tiny clapboard house looking across the road to the ocean, the
Elk Studio
cluttered with tons of local art - everything from carvings and pottery to photography and
jewelry.
