Mendocino Headlands State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mendocino Headlands State Park |
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Ford House Museum
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 Mendocino Headlands State Park
Location in California
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mendocino County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Mendocino, California |
| Area | 347 acres (140 ha) |
| Established | 1974 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Mendocino Headlands State Park is a beautiful California State Park located in Mendocino, California. This park protects 347 acres (1.4 km2) of amazing coastal land. It includes rocky cliffs called headlands and small islands near the town of Mendocino.
The park also features two lovely beaches: Big River Beach and Portuguese Beach. A much larger part of the park, called the Big River Unit, stretches for eight miles (13 km) along both sides of the Big River.
This special park started in 1974. People in the area wanted to protect the beautiful bluffs from being built on. The Big River Unit was added later in 2002, making the park even bigger.
Contents
Exploring the Mendocino Headlands
The headlands are rocky cliffs that look out over the huge Pacific Ocean. They surround the charming town of Mendocino. Some parts of the headlands are narrow and covered with blackberry and rose bushes.
Further west and north of town, the headlands become wider. This area is a California coastal prairie, which is a type of grassland near the ocean. You can find many footpaths here, perfect for exploring.
Ford House Museum: Park Headquarters
The Ford House Museum is an important part of the park. It serves as the park's main office and visitor center. You can find it at the eastern end of Mendocino, right on Main Street.
Inside the museum, you can learn all about the history and nature of the Mendocino area. There are videos and information about the town's past, especially when logging was a big industry. You can also learn about the amazing journey of gray whales. A cool scale model shows what the town looked like in 1890. The museum also offers guided walks on the headlands.
Fun on the Headlands
The Mendocino Headlands are also a place for special events. For example, the Mendocino Music Festival takes place here every July. It's a great spot to enjoy music with ocean views.
Discovering Mendocino's Beaches
Mendocino Headlands State Park has two beaches that everyone can visit. They are perfect for enjoying the sand and waves.
Big River Beach
Big River Beach is located where the Big River meets the Pacific Ocean. It's a wide, sandy beach south of the town. Often, a calm lagoon forms here where the river water mixes with the ocean.
You can get to Big River Beach by walking from the east end of Mendocino. There's also a parking lot on the other side of State Route 1. This parking lot also serves the Big River Unit.
Portuguese Beach
Portuguese Beach is a smaller, hidden cove. It sits below the headlands at the west end of Main Street. From the end of the street, a path along the cliffs leads to a staircase. This staircase takes you down to the sandy cove.
There are many other small coves below the northern headlands. However, these can only be reached by boat.
The Big River Unit
The Big River Unit is a huge part of Mendocino Headlands State Park. It covers 7,334 acres (30 km2) of land along the banks of the Big River. This unit is south of the town of Mendocino.
It includes 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of wetlands. It also has the longest undeveloped estuary in Northern California. An estuary is where a river meets the sea, and its waters mix.
How the Big River Unit Was Created
This part of the park was created on July 30, 2002. A group of people, including donors and non-profit groups, worked together. They raised over 25 million dollars to buy the land. They bought it from the Hawthorne Timber Company. Then, they gave it to the California State Park system to protect it.
You can still see parts of the historic Mendocino Lumber Company sawmill here. These remnants remind us of the area's past.
Exploring the Big River Unit
You can reach the Big River Unit from State Route 1, just south of Mendocino. There aren't many fancy facilities here. However, there are great hiking paths on both sides of the river.
You can also use canoes and kayaks to paddle through eight miles (13 km) of beautiful forest. It's a peaceful way to see nature.
Connecting to Other Parks
At the mouth of the river, a footpath goes north under the Highway 1 bridge. This path leads to Big River Beach and the town of Mendocino.
Inland, north of the river, the Big River Unit connects to Mendocino Woodlands State Park. The hiking path on the north bank of the river lets you walk from one park to the other. On the south side of the river, you'll find Van Damme State Park.
