The best running trails in Mendocino Headlands State Park

This beautiful 720-acre park is home to stunning and majestic towering redwoods. It offers sizeable private group camping facilities with full-service cabins, accommodating up to 200 people. The day-use area features eight miles of hiking and biking trails, along with over 25 miles of routes leading to the adjacent Jackson Demonstration State Forest.

Enjoy endless views of the Pacific Ocean and incredible California cliffs as you hike in Headlands Park. The large park is wild and windy but incredibly beautiful and can be easily explored via the flat, 8-foot-wide trail that traverses the Headlands.

Surrounding the town of Mendocino is Mendocino Headlands State Park, with rocky shorelines, an abundance of hiking trails, windswept foothills, panoramic ocean views, and chances to see whales in the ocean. Some of the best hiking trails stretch along the cliff, a prime spot to see the arches and rocky sea caves that dot the cliffs. Take the stone stairs that lead to the remote but beautiful Portuguese beach. Or take the cliff path down to Big River Beach, the perfect place to sit with a book and do nothing for a while.

Mendocino Headlands State Park is a California state park in Mendocino. It consists of 347 hectares (1.4 km2) of undeveloped sea lips and islets surrounding the town of Mendocino, two beaches (Big River Beach and Portuguese Beach), and the much larger Big River Unit, which stretches eight miles (13 km) along both banks of the nearby Big River. The park became operational in 1974 after several years of citizen concern and discussion about the possibility of blufftop development. The Big River Unit was added in 2002.

The Fern Canyon Scenic Trail is a vibrant and fern-filled forest. It feels like stepping into a world from a time long ago as you look up at the towering giants of the forest and down at the lush fern-covered ground. Along the trail, you'll encounter charming bridges and the soothing sounds of the nearby creek.

Explore the Pygmy Forest Discovery Trail, a short 300-yard loop boardwalk at Van Damme's eastern end, just two miles inland from Highway One. Over the course of 300,000 years, the forces of nature, including poor acidic soil and hardpan, have created a miniature wonderland resembling a bonsai forest. As you stroll along the boardwalk, you'll encounter interpretive panels that reveal the fascinating story behind these diminutive trees. Here, you'll find Bollander pine (exclusive to the pygmy forest), bishop pine, dwarf manzanita, and Mendocino cypress. Trees that would typically grow over 100 feet tall elsewhere are only a few feet tall here, with trunks as thin as a quarter-inch. The boardwalk hovers just above the forest floor to protect the nutrient-rich lichen. In some spots, you'll be eye-level with these ancient, tiny treetops. Don't miss the chance to explore this living testament to nature's forces!

Visit the Sinkhole and see a special place formed by the powerful waves of the Pacific Ocean. Look at the blowhole, where the sea has made a hole in the headland, showing the ocean below. There's a fenced path that goes around this cool spot, so you can take a look from all angles.

Here, you're treated to breathtaking views of Portuguese Beach, spread out below the towering cliffs. It's a great place to pause, take a break, and enjoy the picturesque town above.