Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tips for Travelers
Distance from San Francisco:
Distance depends on the route,
but Mendocino is about 155
miles (200 km) from San
Francisco.
Duration of journey: Allow 10 to
12 hours for the one-way journey,
following the tour as described.
This takes in all detours but
excludes stops.
Getting back to San Francisco:
Take Hwy 1 south to Navarro
River, then Hwy 128 to
Cloverdale. From here, follow US
101 south.
When to go: Summer is the peak
tourist season, but fall has the
best weather, with sunny days
and lovely sunsets. Winter is wet
and mild, and gray whales are
often seen offshore. In spring the
hills are ablaze with wildflowers.
Where to stay and eat: A range
of accommodations, including
campsites, and services are
available along the route. Fort
Bragg, Little River, Manchester,
Jenner, Hopland and Boonville
make good stopovers on your
journey, and Mendocino has
lovely bed-and-breakfast
establishments.
Visitor information: Visit
Mendocino County, 120 South
Franklin Street, Fort Bragg.
Te l (866) 466-3636.
visitmendocino.com
A “Skunk Train” on its way through the redwood forest
manager, Alexander Rotchev, is
still intact, and other buildings
have been carefully reconstructed
within a wooden palisade.
The highlight is the Russian
Orthodox chapel, built
from local redwood
in 1824. The park,
which has a visitor
center, is open
from 10am to
4:30pm. Beyond
Fort Ross, Hwy 1
snakes along the
coast, passing
through several
coastal state parks,
including the Kruse
Rhododendron
Reserve 6 .
The best time to visit
is during April and
May, when the
flowers are in
bloom. This
stretch of coast
is ruggedly
beautiful,
with windswept headlands and
hidden coves.
Point Arena and Manchester
State Beach
The drive continues through
open meadows and cypress
groves to Point Arena 7 . Here
visitors can climb up the 147
steps in the old lighthouse for a
spectacular view of the coast.
Manchester State Beach 8
hugs the coastline for the next
5 miles (8 km), and from here
you can take a detour of about
three hours to visit northern
California's breweries. Among
the best brews are Red Tail Ale
from Mendocino Brewing in
Hopland 9 on US 101, and
Boont Amber, made in
Boonville 0 in the heart of the
Anderson Valley. Both have
pubs on the premises.
Three miles (5 km) south of
Mendocino on Hwy 1 is Van
Damme State Park q , a
redwood forest with several
good hiking trails. Mendocino
Headlands State Park w is
a bit farther along
the highway -
29
175
128
29
a greenbelt area where no
development is allowed.
Mendocino e itself is tucked
away west of the highway, on a
rocky promontory above the
Pacific. The town has retained
the picturesque charm of its
logging days, and although
tourism is now its main industry,
it remains unspoiled by
commercialism, and is a thriving
center for the arts, ideal for a
stroll around.
Napa
San
Pablo
Bay
SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco
Bay
19th-century buildings in Mendocino e
 
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