call the park
MacKerricher State Park
This park unit is fully open. State Parks will continue to use a monitor and adapt strategy to meet any new guidance it may receive from local and state public health officials as COVID-19 is still present and still deadly, especially for the elderly, immune-compromised and the unvaccinated.
COVID-19 Guidelines (February 16, 2022)
Recreate Responsibly
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:
COVID-19 Guidelines (February 16, 2022)
Recreate Responsibly
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:
- Know Before You Go – Prior to leaving home, check the status of the park unit you want to visit to find out what restrictions and guidelines are in place. Have a back-up plan in case your destination is crowded. Stay home if you are sick
- Plan Ahead – Some restrooms will be temporarily closed to keep up with cleaning schedules. Bring soap/hand sanitizer.
- Play It Safe – Find out what precautions you should take when exploring the outdoors, especially if this is your first time visiting the State Park System. Learn more at parks.ca.gov/SafetyTips.
- Be COVID-19 Safe – State Parks continues to meet guidance from local and state public officials as COVID-19 is still present and still deadly. Effective March 1, 2022, state guidance recommends that all individuals, regardless of vaccine status, continue masking in indoor settings, such as museums and visitor centers. Universal masking remains required in specified high-risk settings. Please plan ahead as local county guidelines may differ from state guidance and visitors are urged to follow county guidelines when required. Read the latest COVID-19 guidance at COVID19.ca.gov.
- Leave No Trace – Leave areas better than how you found them by staying on designated trails and packing out all trash. Do not disturb wildlife or plants.
Phone Number
(707) 964-9112
Max. Trailer Lengths
Trailer: Up to 35 Feet
Camper/Motorhome: Up to 35 Feet
Park Hours
Dogs Allowed?
Yes
Dogs not allowed: Seal Rookery, Virgin Creek Beach, Ten Mile Beach and Dunes (Inglenook Fen- Ten Mile Dunes NP).
E-Bike Locations
EV Charger LocationsDriving Directions to MacKerricher SP
The park is three miles north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1. From the intersection of Mill Creek Dr (Cleone Heights Dr) & Hwy 1, proceed W toward park entrance. The park includes land W of Cleone and a strip of beach between Fort Bragg and Ten Mile River.Visitors will be able to reserve campsites and lodging six months in advance from the current date. Bookings may extend from the arrival date to the desired departure date – based on availability and the park’s maximum stay rules.
Upcoming Park Events
No events scheduled at this moment.
BOATING
Boating
Boating
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Hike or Bike Campsites
RV Dump Station
RV Access
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Hike or Bike Campsites
RV Dump Station
RV Access
TRAIL USE
Bike Trails
Hiking Trails
Horseback Riding
Bike Trails
Hiking Trails
Horseback Riding
DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Fishing
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Scuba Diving/Snorkeling
Beach Area
Vista Point
Nature & Wildlife Viewing
Windsurfing/Surfing
Family Programs
Geocaching
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Fishing
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Scuba Diving/Snorkeling
Beach Area
Vista Point
Nature & Wildlife Viewing
Windsurfing/Surfing
Family Programs
Geocaching
OTHER FACILITIES & VISITOR INFORMATION
Parking
Restrooms / Showers
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Parking
Restrooms / Showers
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
No Drones Allowed in Park
- The noise and sight of drones can alter other people’s enjoyment of nature
- A drone hovering nearby can feel intrusive and threatening.
- Drones can capture photographs and video without someone’s permission
- Drones mimic the behavior of predatory birds and can frighten wildlife
For these reasons State Park units in the Sonoma-Mendocino Coat District do not allow launching, landing or the operation of drones on State Park property.
Camper Information
All reservations are made through reservecalifornia.com or by calling 1-800-444-7275. For further information please contact the Sonoma Mendocino District Office at (707) 937-5804 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
All reservations are made through reservecalifornia.com or by calling 1-800-444-7275. For further information please contact the Sonoma Mendocino District Office at (707) 937-5804 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
MacKerricher State Park offers a variety of habitats; beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland. Tide pools are along the shore. Seals may be seen on the rocks off the park's coastline. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone Lake, a former tidal lagoon. During winter and spring, the nearby headland provides a good lookout for whale watching. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians and bicyclists. The park has a wheelchair accessible nature trail. 
Location/Directions
The park is three miles north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1, near the town of Cleone. The park encompasses much of the land west of Cleone and a strip of beach between Fort Bragg and Ten Mile River.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended.
About the Park
The park is the only one in the park system that was at one time part of the Mendocino Indian Reservation.
It is the only park unit that was part of the Union Lumber Company's vast timber and shipping holdings in northern Mendocino County. A small, independent logging and shipping operation began here, and then was absorbed by the larger corporation. MacKerricher, known historically as Cleone, thus followed a pattern common to many of the small areas in the region. The park was officially opened in 1952; land was added along the Ten Mile beach until 1977.
Accessibility
Several accessible facilities at MacKerricher include a boardwalk at Laguna Point and Haul Road.
Assistance may be needed with restroom, shower, and other facilities. A beach wheelchair is available for use by calling (707) 937-5721 to reserve it at least seven days in advance. Accessibility at the park is continually improving. For updates on accessibility in any California state park, click the Accessible Features link at the top of this page.
Additional Visitor Services
- Pacific Environmental Education Center (Environmental Education Program)
- Ricochet Ridge Ranch (Guided horseback tours)
- Pay Showers for registered campers available
Six Things We'd Like You to Know...
The restoration work planned for the Ten Mile Dunes area is to remove 2.7 miles of remnant haul road, remove two culverts and to hand-pull European beach grass. Both the road and the non-native invasive beach grass continue to degrade natural processes and habitat that are critical to the imperiled plant and wildlife species found there.
Six Things We'd Like You to Know About the Ten Mile Dunes Project
MacKerricher State Park
The Ten Mile Dunes complex at MacKerricher State Park contains a unique, relatively pristine native dune and wetland ecosystem. The effects of climate change over the past several thousand years have been recorded by sediment deposits along the coast. Recurrent periods of dune formation and sea level oscillation have been associated with the Ice Ages and more recent climatic events. These shifting sands of time produced enclosed areas of water ponding that became vegetative microclimates such as Inglenook Fen and Sandhill Lake.
The Ten Mile Dunes complex at MacKerricher State Park contains a unique, relatively pristine native dune and wetland ecosystem. The effects of climate change over the past several thousand years have been recorded by sediment deposits along the coast. Recurrent periods of dune formation and sea level oscillation have been associated with the Ice Ages and more recent climatic events. These shifting sands of time produced enclosed areas of water ponding that became vegetative microclimates such as Inglenook Fen and Sandhill Lake.
(Photograph Copyright 2002-2009 by Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman)