Mendocino Weekend Itinerary

Are you looking for a quick weekend getaway from San Francisco? Then look no further than Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and the northern California coast. In this post, I’ll talk about how to get there, what there is to do, and why visiting Mendocino and Fort Bragg is worthwhile. There is enough to enjoy a weekend trip and spend 2 to 3 days in the area. One of the highlights of the area is the Fort Bragg glass beach, but if you’re looking for some quiet time in nature, there’s even more beyond that to explore and enjoy. Read on to plan the perfect weekend trip to this quiet, coastal region.

How to get there

The most scenic route you can take, if you don’t want to do the whole thing on route 1, is to take 101 to 128, and cross westward on beautiful windy roads, past vineyards, up to Boonville in Anderson Valley. Take a break here to stretch your legs, and either take an official tour of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company brewery (a few offered each day, check their website for specifics), or for a faster stop you can just visit the tasting room, with over 15 signature beers on tap. There is a cute beer garden out back with corn hole, and past that you can play horseshoe toss, stare at the cute goats or even play a round of frisbee golf (how many breweries are also home to frisbee golf courses?). If you are a true Anderson Valley fan, there is also a shop with clothes and tumblers, and you can buy growlers and their signature collections in a variety of sizes. Basically, you can’t go wrong here. They don’t sell food but you can go into Boonville (just down at the next light) and pick up sandwiches and bring them over. 

After you stock up on your booze and frisbee golf regalia, you can start the last leg of your journey up to Mendocino County. 128 snakes along for another 30 or so miles until you hit the coast, and from there you can enjoy a scenic ride up route 1. Depending on how much of a rush you are in (and if it is still light out), definitely make another stop at the Point Cabrillo Light Station. There are a few trails here, but the main one which is about half a mile takes you down to the lighthouse and gorgeous views of the coast. There is a little aquarium (okay, fish tank in an old barn) as well as a little museum devoted to the families of yore who used to live and work the station. The light atop the lighthouse still functions (and shines bright like a diamond!). If you are really enamored with the place, you can even rent out one of the cottages next to the lighthouse, and pretend to have stepped back in time a good 100 years or so. If you are lucky, on your hike back up to the car the sound of sea lions will carry over the wind!

Where to stay in Fort Bragg

I stayed in Fort Bragg that evening, which is another 15 miles or so up the road. Fort Bragg has long had a grungier reputation than Mendocino, and I can sort of see why – Mendocino is like Nantucket, with old timey buildings and expensive restaurants with views of the sea – and Fort Bragg has more of a home grown feel. However, the downtown is pretty cute and certainly is beginning to give Mendocino a run for its money. There are a number of cozy bed and breakfasts along the coast worth checking out for this getaway.

Where to eat in Fort Bragg

Some of the restaurants I really enjoyed in Fort Bragg are:

• Dinner at Raven’s Restaurant which is the vegan restaurant connected to the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino. Fantastic sunset views of the sea accompany truly delicious vegan food (I swear! And you can pretend it is even healthy for you!).
• Breakfast at Home Style Cafe which I should say – and I did not think this was possible – had the hand’s down best vegetarian omelet, hash browns and biscuits I have ever had the pleasure of savoring (and I am kind of a brunch snob, as is probably every other 20 something in the Bay Area).
• Dinner at Flow, which also has a great view of the ocean in Mendocino and is perfect for sunset. They have a great bar menu and food that can’t be beat. Mendocino is kind of sleepy at night so if you want to explore the town, go before dinner. 
• Lunch at Piaci Pub & Pizza for some delicious Italian food.

What to do in Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg Glass Beach

The most famous attraction in Fort Bragg is the Fort Bragg Glass Beach. Make sure to go at low tide to snap the best photos of the shimmering glass pieces that wash up. There is a nice 4 mile trail along the coast that picks up here as well. If you bring your bike for the weekend, this would be the place to ride it. 

Walk around downtown Fort Bragg

After getting enough photos of sand to fill a whole facebook album, I walked around downtown Fort Bragg a bit more, stopping in to see their model steam engines (they still have a functioning logging train that you can ride), various gem and glass collections (some from the glass beach of course!), and last but not least Cowlick’s, which had magical black forest and black raspberry ice cream. Granted, I had to wait in line for 45 minutes, but it was still the best ice cream I have had in awhile (and maybe the waiting helped).

Hike at Russian Gulch State Park

Head back down route 1 to Russian Gulch State Park. There are a few state parks within the same couple mile vicinity – like Mendocino Headlands State Park, Van Damme State Park, Jughandle State Reserve, and MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area. There is certainly no shortage of hiking trails in this part of the country! For the amount of time I had though, I thought Russian Gulch had it all – first, there was this awesome “Devil’s punch bowl“, which is basically a blow hole caused by crashing waves having nowhere to go within this deep cavern. You can drive almost right up to it, only having to take a 500 ft or so walk. There are also great vistas of the coast from here

Many people go to this park to visit the beach, but I ventured further back to the Fern Canyon Trail, which is at minimum a 4 mile roundtrip hike but can be made longer if you take alternate loops back. This hike takes you back (as maybe can be expected) into the canyon, among the redwoods and other beautiful trees of the region. The hike is super manageable as the path is pseudo paved and there is only incline for the last half mile. And the best part – it ends at a waterfall, which you can basically walk right up to and stand under!

Mendocino Sea Kayaking

I used Kayak Mendocino, which costed $60 dollars for about 2 hours out on the water. It was worth it because a) I felt safe b) I saw seals c) I got to kayak through CAVES and d) I got to see another blowhole (these seem to be a popular tourist attraction). There were some other options in the area so if you want a private tour or more time on the water, do some shopping around (but definitely book your reservation at least a few days in advance!).

Mendocino Skunk Train

Though I didn’t get a chance to check it out myself, another popular activity in the area is the Skunk Train, which is a scenic train ride through the giant coat redwoods. At 7 miles along, it would be a nice way to spend a few hours especially if you have accessibility issues but still want to get out into nature.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend of food, sun, surf, hiking, kayaking, and good company. It definitely felt like an escape from city life. Get yourself to Mendocino and Fort Bragg if you are looking to get away from it all!

If you’re looking for other adventures nearby, consider checking out my post about Lassen National Park or my Oregon Coast and Northern California Itinerary, which can help extend your trip.