The best city hikes and walks in Mackerricher State Park

Fort Bragg is a small coastal city that was originally founded as a military garrison in 1857. It later became a lumber and fishing hub. Now, it is a popular stop for cyclists and hikers who are traveling along the Pacific Coast.

There's not much glass left on "Glass Beach." It seems to have been collected by eager tourists. You have to look very closely to see even a few shards of glass. Despite the ban, the only activity tourists seem to be doing there is collecting the last pieces of glass. It was absolutely not worth it.

After crossing the famous Pudding Creek Trestle - a famous and historic trestle bridge - you reach Pudding Creek Beach. This beautiful beach is a great place to relax, sunbathe, take in the truly stunning views, and walk on the famous “squeaky sand."

Glass Beach, located in Fort Bragg, California, is a unique coastal destination known for its abundance of sea glass. The beach's distinctive feature comes from years of discarding glass bottles, ceramics, and other types of trash into the ocean. Over time, the relentless pounding of the waves smoothed and polished the glass shards, which now cover the beach in a colorful array, predominantly blues, greens, and browns. While collecting sea glass is discouraged to preserve the beach's natural beauty, the area remains a popular attraction for its scenic views, historical interest, and ecological resilience, showcasing how nature can transform human waste into something unexpectedly beautiful. There are also tide pools that are fun to explore when the tides are low.

Coastal Bluff Trail is a short loop along the outer edge of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. This lovely trail takes you through more natural areas of the gardens; you will pass through closed-cone pine forest to coastal bluff and marine zones. The plants along the coastal bluff zone bloom from March to June with plants like California poppy and seaside daisy. These coastal grasslands are undergoing restoration to protect native species by removing exotic and invasive grasses to protect the local, coastal grassland species. Visitors are urged to stay on trails to protect the fragile environment. The closed-cone pine forest is home to mature Bishop pines and important understory plants and provides critical windbreaks and wildlife habitats; without the pine forest, the rest of the gardens couldn't exist! The tall trees help protect the plants and gardens from the intense winds and weather off of the Pacific Ocean.

The Dahlia Garden is one of the popular spots at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. There are 625 individual plants representing 150 varieties of Dahlia. The average bloom time for these beautiful flowers are June through October, but they peak in August and September.

Succulent Garden is one of many gardens at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. There are many different types of succulents and cactuses here for you to enjoy from all over the world with the majority of the plants being from highland Mexico and South Africa. In the spring you can often see them blooming, which is a rare treat.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (April - October). General admission is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors (65+), $8 for juniors (6-17), and free for children under 5. Members and certain other groups enjoy discounts so be sure to visit their website for more information: https://www.gardenbythesea.org/visit/hours-admissions/. The gardens offer free parking, are dog-friendly, and feature a café and store. There are some lovely walking trails through the beautiful gardens and along the coast, making it a great place to spend a leisurely morning.