Reservation Availability

Van Damme State Park consists of 1,831 acres of beach and upland on the Mendocino Coast. The park features the lush Fern Canyon scenic trail system; the Pygmy Forest where mature, cone-bearing cypress and pine trees stand six inches to eight feet tall, and the bog, or Cabbage Patch, where skunk cabbage grows in abundance. The park's ten miles of trail go along the fern-carpeted canyon of Little River. A paved road is used by joggers and bicyclists. The beach is popular with abalone divers. Hike-in sites do not allow dogs.

MacKerricher State Park offers a variety of habitats; beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland. Tidepools are along the shore. Seals live the rocks off the park's Mendocino coast. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone Lake, a formal 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. Fishing is also popular, with trout in two fresh-water lakes. The park has a wheelchair accessible nature trail.

Hendy Woods State Park features two virgin redwood groves- Big Hendy (80 acres, with a self-guided discovery trail) and Little Hendy (20 acres). The Navarro River runs the length of the park. Located in the middle of the Anderson Valley wine district, the 850-acre park is warmer and less foggy than redwood parks along the coast. The park is well known for a fallen redwood stump that was home for a man known locally as the Hendy Woods Hermit. In the summer, swimming is popular, as is kayaking and canoeing in late winter and early spring. A wheelchair accessible nature trail leads into the heart of Big Hendy Grove. The park also features interpretive exhibits, Junior Ranger nature walks, and campfire programs.

Standish-Hickey began as a 40-acre campground acquired by the Save-the-Redwoods League in 1922. It was named to honor Edward Ritter Hickey local lumberman who died of influenza while caring for the victims of the epidemic of 1918. In the late 1950's, the Standish family donated over five hundred acres, and additional acquisitions through the years have brough the park's total acreage to 1,012. Much of the land, clear-cut and then burned over in a disastrous fire in the mid-1940's is just now regaining its former beauty.

Established in 1922 and named after Friend W. Richardson, the 25th governor of California, the park is bisected by Hwy. 101 and the south fork of the Eel River. Camping, hiking, swimming, and just relaxing are popular ctivities throughout much of the year. Fishing for salmon and steelhead is during the winter.