Van Damme State Park, California state park in Mendocino County, United States.
Van Damme State Park is a protected coastal area in California with forests, beach access, and hiking paths along Little River. The property covers hundreds of acres and connects multiple ecosystems, from pine-covered ridges to rocky coves and sandy shores.
Charles F. Van Damme (1881–1934) was born in the area and bought the land that became the park with profits from a San Francisco ferry business. On his death the property passed into the California state park system. Spring Ranch, a separate 160-acre blufftop parcel with restored 1860 barns, was purchased by the state in 1996.
The park carries the name of Charles F. Van Damme, born in the area in 1881, who bought the land with profits from a San Francisco ferry business. Spring Ranch, a 160-acre parcel north of Little River, holds restored barns from 1860 that the state acquired in 1996. The pygmy forest trail, on a boardwalk, passes stunted cypress, pine and rhododendron.
The park offers designated camping areas and a parking lot with direct access to Little River Beach and trailheads. Paths vary in difficulty, with some routes passing through dense vegetation that can be muddy after rain.
Two separate pygmy forest areas lie within the park, reached by a boardwalked nature trail; the poor soil also supports rhododendrons. On the park's north border, a 5-acre parcel is named in honor of Charlotte M. Hoak.
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