Mendocino Headlands State Park

Mendocino Headlands State Park is a 347-acre preserve protecting undeveloped coastal bluffs and prairies along the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The land features dramatic cliff edges, grassy headlands, and small rocky outcrops where the shore meets the water.

This coastal area became a state park in 1974 when California sought to protect it from commercial development. The preservation effort responded to growing pressure to develop Northern California's shoreline during that period.

The Ford House Museum, located on Main Street, exhibits a scale model of Mendocino from 1890 and documents the region's logging heritage.

You can reach Big River Beach and Portuguese Beach through marked footpaths and parking areas near State Route 1. The best conditions are during clear weather when the bluffs are fully visible and paths are easy to walk.

The park contains the longest undeveloped estuary in Northern California, stretching eight miles along both banks of Big River. This ecologically important area remains untouched by human structures and gives visitors a rare look at the region's original shoreline ecology.

Location: Mendocino County

Inception: 1974

Website: https://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442

GPS coordinates: 39.30450,-123.79900

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:46