Things to Do
Restaurants
During the slower winter season, some places close for a month to give staff a break. During tourist season, some places get so busy they stop allowing take-out. It’s best to make a reservation before you arrive. Here are some of our favorite eateries in the area.
Luna – 955 Ukiah St. – Northern Italian cuisine (Tue-Sun) – 707-962-3093
Café Beaujolais – 961 Ukiah St.- French cuisine (Wed-Sun) – 707-937-5614
Fog Eater Café- Albion and Kasten – Vegan (Wed-Sun) – 707-397-1806
Trillium – 10390 Kasten St. – (Fri-Tue) – 707-937-3200
McCallum House – 45020 Albion St., (Thurs- Mon 4:30-8pm) 707-937-0289
Patterson’s Pub – 10485 Lansing St. – English pub – 707-937-4782
Mendocino Café- 10451 Lansing St. – International – 707-937-6141
Frankie’s – 44951 Ukiah St. – Pizza, Ice cream – 707-937-2436
Good Life Café – 10483 Lansing St. – Deli\cafe – 707-937-0836
Flow – 45040 Main St. – Waterfront Bar & Eatery – 707-937-3569
Princess Seafood Market 32096 N Harbor Dr. – (Fri-Mon) Closes @ 5pm
KW SaltWater Grill – 542 N. Main St. – (Tue-Sun)- 707-900-1667
Noyo Harbor Inn – 500 Casa Del Noyo – (Th-Sun)- 707-961-8000
Piaci Pizza – 120 W. Redwood – Pizzeria – 707-961-1133
Jenny’s Giant Burgers – 940 N. Main – Burger n Fries – 707-964-2235
Off the Hook – 118 E Redwood Ave – Sushi – 707-964-3188
Little River Inn – 7901 CA-1 – American cuisine – 707-937-5942
Ledford House – 3000 CA-1 – Cal-Med cuisine – 707-937-0282
Activities & Attractions
So many places, not enough time. Here are some of our favorite places to visit on the coast and in the surrounding area.
The Kelley House Museum is a historic home and research center located in Mendocino, California. Housed in a beautifully restored Victorian home built in 1861, the museum overlooks the Pacific Ocean and serves as a vital keeper of the Mendocino Coast’s rich history, from its Indigenous communities and logging town roots to its vibrant artistic present. The Kelley House is known for its docent-led tours and special events.
Historic village walking tours: Knowledgeable docents lead tours of the Mendocino Historic District, sharing engaging stories about the village’s pioneer homes, water towers, and unique architecture.
Specialty walking tours: The museum offers unique tours for various interests, including a “Murder, She Wrote” tour focusing on filming locations and a “Haunted Mendocino” tour.
The Ford House Museum in Mendocino is a historic mid-19th-century home that serves as the official Visitor Center for the village of Mendocino and the gateway to Mendocino Headlands State Park. It is not connected to the Ford automotive family.
The house was built in 1854 for Jerome B. Ford, a founding father of Mendocino, and his wife, Martha. Ford was instrumental in establishing Mendocino’s logging industry, setting up the first sawmill in the area with his business partners.
The museum features displays on Mendocino’s history, including its early logging days. One of the main attractions is a scale model of the village of Mendocino as it was around 1890. Visitors can see old tools, photos, and other artifacts that illustrate what life was like in the mid-19th century. Knowledgeable staff and friendly docents are available to share stories and information about the house and the area. As the visitor center, the Ford House offers brochures, maps, and information on local attractions, lodging, and events along the Mendocino coast.
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a 47-acre, nonprofit botanical garden known for its clifftop ocean views and extensive rhododendron collection. Located in Fort Bragg, the garden features manicured sections, native flora, trails, and is home to more than 180 bird species.
The gardens offer a wide variety of flora within distinct sections:
Coastal Bluffs: Paths lead through a coastal pine forest to stunning bluff-top views of the Pacific Ocean.
Rhododendron Collection: The gardens are famous for their rhododendrons, with over 1,000 different varieties, including some that are endangered in the wild. Spring is the peak blooming season.
Dahlia Garden: Blooming from June through October, with a peak in August and September, this colorful garden is a popular spot for photos and weddings.
Heath and Heather Collection: This section is considered a national treasure.
Heirloom Rose Garden: A collection of heritage roses provides sweet fragrance throughout the garden.
Succulent Garden: A specialized area showcasing a variety of cacti and other succulents.
Demonstration Organic Vegetable Garden: This working garden donates thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually to the local food bank.
Parrish Family Home and Cemetery: A 19th-century home, orchard, and cemetery offer a glimpse into the property’s history.
The gardens host a variety of annual events, including:
Art in the Gardens: A summer festival featuring art, music, food, and wine.
Festival of Lights: A holiday event where the gardens are decorated with lights.
Rhododendron Show: An annual juried show held in the spring.
Mushroom Walks: Guided walks during the late fall to identify wild mushrooms.
Bird Watching: Hosted monthly with experts from the Audubon Society.
Located about 100 miles north of San Francisco, the valley runs for 15 miles along Highway 128 and is often considered a less crowded, more rustic alternative to Napa.
You can enjoy farm-to-table experiences at places like Pennyroyal Farm, which features a creamery and winery, or the Philo Apple Farm. Sample local beer and cider: In Boonville, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company has a tasting room with outdoor spaces, and Gowan’s Oak Tree farmstand in Philo offers fresh fruits, vegetables and hard cider.
A ride through Anderson Valley includes a close encounter with virgin redwoods. Hendy Woods State Park in Philo runs parallel to Hwy 128 and one of the most accessible stands of virgin redwood trees in the county.
Mendo Land Trust. This group of preservationists have quietly created some of the best hiking destinations along the coast. Visit their website to download their Coastal Trail Guide, which covers the entire county coastline.
There are many state parks in the area as well. Mckerricher, Jug Handle, Russian Gulch, Big River, Van Damme and they all offer something different and unique. From private coves to scenic waterways and even a lighthouse. There’s a lot to explore within a short distance from the inn.
Russian Gulch Waterfall – a 36-foot cascade located inland within Russian Gulch State Park, just north of the village of Mendocino, California. Visitors can reach the secluded waterfall by hiking through the beautiful Fern Canyon Trail (approximately 5 miles), a redwood forest filled with lush ferns and mosses. The Loop Trail will add about 1.5 miles to the trip. Note: Dogs are not permitted on the Fern Canyon Trail or any trails east of Highway 1.
If you’re short on time, the Northeast entrance of Russian Gulch Park on Road 409 shortens the trip to less than 2 miles. From the inn, continue on HWY 1 North, past the main park entrance, about 2 miles until you reach road 409 and turn right onto the 409. Follow this road several miles until the pavement ends and find a parking spot. On you right, there will be a fire road gate. This is the north boundary entrance to Russian Gulch Park. Follow this fire road and soon you will pass a horse camp on your left, continue going straight. Pass through a second gate and watch for the single track trail on your left. Take the single track trail and follow it until rejoins with a fire road. Go left, downhill on the fire road. Follow this path approximate 3/10 mile and you will reach the waterfall. Watch your step on the carved rock steps.
Spring Ranch – This old farm once belonged to the local butcher shop on Main Street. A large portion of the property operates as the Spring Ranch Coastal Preserve, a 350-acre oceanfront area featuring meadows, forests, and rustic historic barns. This section of the ranch is accessible to the public and connects to the neighboring Van Damme State Park.
Hiking trails: You can explore the preserve via trails that wind past the barns and go above a rocky intertidal shelf.
Wildlife viewing: Visitors can spot wildlife, including seals on the rocks at low tide, and watch for whales during their spring and fall migrations.
Access: Head south on Hwy 1 about 1.5 miles. The dirt parking lot is on the right, just after the road sign marker for Gordon Lane. Park in the lot and take the trail leading west, away from Hwy 1. Follow this trail down several ecological steps until you reach the ocean. The coastline in either direction has walking trails. During low tide, seals can be seen by going all the way to the right (north) once you reach the coast. Plan for wind and lots of sun.
Glass Beach – located in Ft. Bragg it’s the byproduct of the ocean being used as a dump for debris from the 1907 earthquake that also hit San Francisco. If you follow the crowd, you will be underwhelmed with glass beach, but take this route instead to see remnants of the original dump site. Park at the Glass Beach lot and take the paved trail. Do not veer right with all the others, keep going straight. When you get to the Cliffside, look for two large concrete drain pipes. The area beneath these pipes, where the water from this drain pipe is landing is the place you want to explore. You can scurry down the cliff fairly easily by going down to the area to the left of the drain pipe. Going at low tide will reveal a molten metal beach area with a lot of small ceramic pieces embedded in the mass. The dump was periodically set afire to space available and the contents became metamorphic trash. Watch out for metal and glass. Wear safe shoes and be careful where you put your hands.
Big River – is known for its serene, undeveloped estuary and rich natural and logging history, and it is now a popular spot for various recreational activities. The lower sections of the river are protected within Mendocino Headlands State Park and the Big River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area.
The tidal, lower section of the river is a tranquil, brackish estuary, perfect for exploring by canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard. You can rent boats from local companies, such as Catch-A-Canoe, located on the river’s south bank.
Hiking and biking: The Big River Trail is a multi-use path that follows an old haul road for about 10 miles inland along the river. The path is mostly flat and offers views of the estuary, redwoods, and forest, and is popular with hikers, bikers, and runners.
Wildlife viewing: The estuary is a protected habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. Visitors can often spot harbor seals, river otters, and more than 100 species of birds, including osprey and great blue herons.
Beach activities: Big River Beach, where the river meets the ocean, is a beautiful, sprawling stretch of sand. It is great for walks, sunbathing, and building sand forts. The water is shallow and calm on the beach’s north side, making it a safe place to swim.
E-Bikes. The village is very accessible for e-bikes. However, the state parks only allow certain ebikes on certain roads\trails. Click here for State Park e-bike policy.
Skunk Train and Rail Bikes. The nickname “Skunk Train” originated in 1925, when the California Western Railroad introduced gasoline-powered motorcars to its passenger service. The combination of the gas engine and the crude-oil-burning pot-bellied stoves for heating created a pungent, noticeable odor. Locals joked that you could “smell ’em before you can see ’em,” and the name stuck. Today’s diesel-electric engines don’t produce the same stench, but the beloved nickname remains.
The Skunk Train offers a variety of routes and experiences departing from two historic depots: Fort Bragg and Willits.
Pudding Creek Express: Departing from Fort Bragg, this shorter, 7-mile roundtrip journey travels along the Pudding Creek Estuary. It includes a stop at Glen Blair Junction, a forest retreat where passengers can enjoy a hike or have a picnic.
Wolf Tree Turn: This scenic, seasonal ride from Willits covers a 16-mile, 2-hour roundtrip, passing over the line’s highest point and through a tunnel to the Noyo River Canyon. At the turnaround, passengers can see the ancient, towering “Wolf Tree” redwood.
For a more active and intimate experience, the Skunk Train offers electric-assisted railbike tours that allow passengers to pedal side-by-side on the tracks.
Railbikes on Pudding Creek – A 7-mile, 2.5-hour roundtrip tour that follows the same picturesque route as the train, with a stop at Glen Blair Junction.
Moonlight Railbikes to Glen Blair Bar – A seasonal night-time trip to a secluded bar set up in the redwoods, with live music, firepits, and games.