Mendocino Beaches near Lighthouse Inn at Pt. Cabrillo
Our Mendocino beaches provide exciting adventures for every type of traveler. Use the handy Mendocino beach guide below to plan your day in the sand. Whether you're into scuba diving, tide-pooling, or sandy strolls, there is something for everyone on the Mendocino coast.
Glass Beach has a long and colorful history among Mendocino Beaches. Until 1967, this small piece of coastline is located in Ft. Bragg was a Public Dump. It has been completely cleaned up and reclaimed by Mother Nature, except for the millions of pieces of glass, tumbled and polished smooth by the waves of the Pacific Ocean . This Mendocino beach is a great location for tide-pooling and searching for unique pieces of glass. This sea-front wonder is a charming place to bring the family. Stick around to watch the sunset along the strand of beach. Observe the amazing spectacle as the sun reflects itself in the millions of smooth pieces of glass. To get there, take the short dirt trail from the parking area at the end of Elm St in Ft. Bragg - just 12 minutes north of the Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo.
Westport Union Landing State Beach is a scenic park with a wide variety of topography and activities. Featuring primitive bluff-top camping and small sandy beaches - this Mendocino county beach is ideal for fishing, picnicking and tide-pooling. The beach is located north of Fort Bragg near the tiny town of Westport , California and just 30 minutes north of the Inn .
Jug Handle State Reserve features a unique Ecological Terrace, a series of terraces in the rock that outline the succession of the coastline from prairie to forest, culminating in a pygmy forest of tiny stunted trees. Enjoy a walk along the self-guided nature trail and see each phase of the evolution of the Pacific Coast . Explore five wave-cut terraces formed by glacier, sea and tectonic activity that built the Coastal Range . Brochures are available to guide your walk and the parking area affords a great view from a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Another trail branches off to a sandy cove adjacent to Jug Handle Creek, while the nature trail continues through the 3 terraces that make up the Reserve.
Wildly beautiful and diverse - MacKerricher State Park spans 1,530 acres of habitat featuring beaches that are home to seabirds and sea creatures. Over 90 species of bird call the park home, and seals sun themselves on the sandy beaches. Tidepools and miles of gently sloping beach give way to sandy coves and even an offshore underwater park for shore diving and snorkeling. Located three miles north of Ft. Bragg and just 15 minutes north of the Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo, the park boasts over 9 miles of coastline - a perfect play-land in summer or winter. Watch grey whales migrate from the bluffs or observe the seals frolicking on the beach.
