Issue link: http://read.turntext.com/i/1035800
8 I N T R O D U C T I O N m e n d o c i n o c o u n t y P A G E T I T L E & M E N D O C I N O C O U N T Y S TAT E & R E G I O N A L PA R K S Go to www.Parks.CA.gov for more informations on all state parks in Mendocino County (The area code is 707 for all phone numbers below unless otherwise noted) ADMIRAL WILLIAM STANDLEY STATE RECREATION AREA , with an elevation of 1,700 feet in the Coastal Range, is located near the headwaters of the south fork of the Eel River. The park features 45 acres of redwoods and is a popular spot for salmon and steelhead fishing, hiking and picnicking. 247.3318 BIG RIVER STATE BEACH is just south of Mendocino. A logging road follows the river for many miles, making for a pleasant walk or bike ride. If you'd like a more adventurous climb, there are numerous side trails all along the way. 937.5804 mendocinofun.com/big-river CASPAR HEADLANDS STATE BEACH has miles of undeveloped beach adjacent to two acres of headlands and a panoramic ocean view. This is a good beach to watch for migrating gray whales and to go fishing. Caspar Headlands State Reserve is near the town of Caspar; the three-acre reserve contains a small strip of rugged coastline featuring sculpted rocks, wildflowers and great surf. 937.5804 GREENWOOD STATE BEACH is just south of the small town of Elk where you can soak up the sun, go swimming or have a picnic lunch on the coast. The former post office turned visitors center houses artifacts from the town's lumber history. 937.5804 GUALALA BOWER REGIONAL PARK is a small pine and redwood park featuring a duck pond, outdoor theater, baseball field, children's playground and a nice walk in the park if you're looking for a little nature walk but not able to go on a big hike. 785.2377 www.co.mendocino.ca.us GUALALA POINT REGIONAL PARK has 200 acres of peaceful meadows, 2.9 miles of coastal bluff trail, dramatic coastal forests and sandy beaches. Gualala River runs lazily through the park and offers limited seasonal fishing along with relatively flat hiking trails, picnics and camping. Gualala Point Beach is easily reached by trail. Sonoma-County.org 785.2377 INDIAN CREEK COUNTY PARK is the quiet "getaway" spot only 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean and the only park in the County Parks system that allows overnight camping. In addition, the Indian Creek Park offers running water, picnic tables, clean restrooms, camp fire pits, BBQ grills and a resident caretaker. www.co.mendocino.ca.us 463.4441 LOW GAP PARK in the west hills of Ukiah is 80-acres situated along Orr Creek with restrooms, parking, and a 1-plus acre off-leash dog park. 734.6050 www.co.mendocino.ca.us MACK ERRICHER STATE PARK offers a variety of habitats including beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest, wetland and tide pools along the shore just three miles north of Fort Bragg. Seals live on the rocks off the coast. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone Lake, a freshwater lagoon. The nearby headland is a good lookout for whale watching. Hiking, biking, horse back riding and fishing are popular here, and there is a wheelchair accessible nature trail. Call 964.9112 (park). 964-7669 (horseback riding). HENDY WOODS features virgin old growth coastal redwood groves and camping near Anderson Valley wineries. Enjoy the Navarro River, hiking, picnicking, camping, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. 895.3141 http://www.hendywoods.org/ MAILLIARD REDWOODS STATE NATURAL RESERVE is just south of the Anderson Valley and along the Garcia River watershed where you can drive through the hills a few miles from Highway 128 to see what the area may have looked like before logging. 937.5804 MANCHESTER STATE PARK has nearly 18,000 feet of ocean shoreline running 5 miles southward toward Point Arena. Discover a beach with an abundance of driftwood, sand dunes, wildflowers and rich grasslands among pastoral scenery. Excellent steelhead fishing in its two streams, Brush Creek and Alder Creek. 937.5804 JUGHANDLE STATE RESERVE on the Mendocino coast is a 769-acre park featuring a 2.5-mile self-guided nature trail called The Ecological Staircase, which explores five wave-cut terraces formed by glacier, sea and tectonic activity that built the coastal range. 937.5804 MENDOCINO HEADLANDS STATE PARK , near picturesque Mendocino, offers grass-covered headlands and a beach with access from the mouth of the Big River south of town. The Ford Museum features weekend lectures on area wildlife and a scale model of 1890 Mendocino. Enjoy interpretive walks led by docents. 937.5804 MENDOCINO WOODLANDS OUTDOOR CENTER is set in the heart of the redwood forest nine miles east of Mendocino where 200 buildings were built by skilled workers of the WPA and the CCC in the 1930's. Many buildings feature walls of old growth redwood, hand-hewn beams and stone fireplaces. 937.5755