Day Trips
There are plenty of great things to do and see in our area.
Here are some examples of day trips around the campground.
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Tour I: Redwoods and Wine Picnic Tour
Sample the backroads and taste some of the premium wines of Northern California
on this 70-mile circle tour to the Anderson
Valley wineries. The tour passes through sheep ranches, redwood groves,
fruit orchards and vineyards. It returns along the coastal headlands. Be sure
to pack a picnic basket with supplies from our well-stocked store before you
begin.
Just south of Manchester Beach KOA you leave Highway 1 to travel east on Mountain View Road. A steep climb over the ridges leads to Boonville, with a stop to walk at Faulkner County Park. (A car or van will do, don't take your RV or trailer).
The town of Boonville, center of the sheep country, fruit orchards, and wineries, is also well-known for having its own lingo - "Boontling" - a language that grew in the isolated valley in the 1880's. (An alternative to Mountain View Road is north to Philo-Greenwood Road at Elk, not as steep as Mountain View Road.)
From Boonville, travel north on Hwy 128 toward Philo. Along this stretch is a fruit stand featuring local produce and cider for your picnic basket and 12 winery tasting rooms. This is the heart of Anderson Valley, hosting vineyards described as the "rainiest viticultural region in California." Virtually all of the wineries invite you to set up a picnic lunch at their complimentary patio tables overlooking the vineyards. Ask in the KOA office for maps and a list of the Anderson Valley wineries.
An alternate spot for a pleasant picnic and redwood hike is Hendy Woods State Park, at the intersection with Philo-Greenwood Road. Either Highway 128 or Philo-Greenwood Road can be used to return to the KOA. Philo-Greenwood Road passes through apple orchards along a ridge to rejoin Highway 1 at the coastal town of Elk. Highway 128 continues through Anderson Valley along the Navarro River, through the Navarro Redwoods State Park, until it meets Highway 1 at the Navarro Bridge. Turn south and enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery as you return to the campground.
Tour II: Coast Highlights
Shop and Tour Historic Mendocino
Journey along one of the most spectacular coastlines in California to the
quaint "Victorian" village of Mendocino, a thriving artist's colony
with many interesting shops, galleries, and restaurants.
ELK and Cuffy's Cove, just 12 miles north, is an old lumber mill town and "doghole port". A trail down to a pleasant, uncrowded beach is located adjacent to the Greenwood Beach State Park lot on the west side of the highway in town. A walk along the headlands offers an excellent outlook on Cuffey's Cove and the scenic sea mounts. Stop in the Elk Visitors Center and Museum to learn more about the "doghole" ports.
Just north of Elk, look back for an outstanding view of Cuffey's Cove and the whole coastline. The headlands north of Elk provided the setting for the movie "Karate Kid III" and Heritage House near Little River hosted "Same Time Next Year".
MENDOCINO Village was founded in 1852 and has been declared a California Historical Preservation District, where all changes to architecture and land use must be amenable to the historical heritage of the town. There are a number of outstanding art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. Several well-known marine artists and furniture builders live and display their work in town, as do many other artisans and performing artists.
The Ford House museum offers an introduction to Mendocino. Soon you'll be touring the back streets and "nooks & crannies" for some interesting shops and refurbished historical homes. The Blair House serves as the location for "Murder, She Wrote." Don't miss a trip out to the headlands just west of town for outstanding coastal views and just maybe spot a whale. A pleasant nine-hole golf course is located just east of the highway in Little River, and a canoe rental is located on Big River.
Restaurants -
In Mendocino try Cafe Beaujolais for dinner or the Mendocino Hotel for lunch
or dinner. Also good for a snack is the Mendocino Cookie Company, Mendocino
Bakery, and the Mendocino Ice Cream Company. Along the way or on your return
trip we also recommend the Albion River Inn or Ledford House in Albion, or
the Roadhouse Cafe, Greenwood Pier Cafe, or Bridget Dolan's Irish Pub in Elk.
Tour III: Botanical Gardens and Noyo Harbor and Skunk Train
Take a ride on a working railroad, tour some outstanding gardens and nurseries,
experience the sights, sounds, and taste of the fishing harbor, or hike through
an ecological and geological wonder.
Skunk Train
Whole or half-day tours are available daily on the Skunk Train, a historic
working railroad winding its way from Fort Bragg to Willits. Ask for a brochure
and make your reservations at our KOA office.
Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
The moderate coastal climate allows the Garden to grow a wide variety of plants,
ranging from tropical orchids to cactus. Great collections of fuchsias, dahlias,
ivy, and rhododendrons are on display, located on the headlands on the ocean
side of Highway 1, just south of Fort Bragg. A pleasant restaurant is located
at the entrance, and a sheltered ocean overlook can be used as a picnic spot.
A retail nursery offers some bargains and unique specimens. Allow at least
two hours.
Noyo Harbor
Plan on a seafood lunch or dinner, or purchase some fresh fillets or crab
in Noyo Harbor. One of the largest and most productive harbors on the Northern
California coast, Noyo Harbor is an exceptionally picturesque spot to spend
some time.
Jughandle Ecological Staircase and Pygmy Forest
Jughandle State Reserve features this marvelous living geological and ecological
museum. Five wave-cut terraces formed beneath the ancient seas now arise from
the shore in a staircase formation. Each step is about 100 feet higher and
100,000 years older than the one below it, and each supports a different and
distinctive assortment of plants, animals and soil.
Starting at the tidepools at the waters edge where the marine animals thrive; hike all the way to the Pygmy Forest where the clay soil is so poor that even old-growth redwoods appear as small trees. Ranger-led walks or self-guided maps are available at the entrance.
Tour IV: South Coast Highlights: Gualala, The Sea
Ranch, Fort Ross
A southerly drive from the KOA along Highway 1 will take you through the Sea
Ranch to historic Fort Ross. The tour takes you along some spectacularly scenic
coastline and overlooks, through an exclusive coastal housing development
noted for its architecture, and finally to a reconstruction of the old Russian
settlement at Fort Ross.
Point Arena Cove, Mote Creek, Whiskey Shoals, Schooner Gulch Beach and Bowling Ball Beach are all excellent, interesting, and free beach access points, but save them for the return trip, or another day.
St. Orres Inn, between Anchor Bay and Gualala, look for the "Russian" architecture of St. Orres Inn and restaurant. The turnip-style domes serve as a reminder of the Russian heritage of this section of the California coast.
Gualala - This town with the strange name, pronounced "Wa-La-La", serves southern Mendocino County and the Sea Ranch as a regional shopping center. Just south of the town at the Gualala River is a long, accessible beach; a great spot to watch the waves, look for whales or collect driftwood.
The Sea Ranch - This country home community is well-known for its special style of architecture, more or less a contemporary adaptation of the New England "salt box" style. On the east side of the highway, watch for a tiny jewel of a chapel, open daily for meditation for the weary traveler.A beautiful, challenging 9-hole Scottish style golf course is open to the public on the Sea Ranch.
Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve - Be sure to take the side road to this pleasant little park if the rhododendrons are in bloom.
Fort Ross - Originally settled in 1812 as a Russian trading post, then sold to Cap't John Sutter (of Sutter's Mill) in 1841 after the colony was abandoned, Fort Ross is a "must see." The park has numerous interpretive and historic exhibits, and reconstruction / replicas of the original 1825 Russian Chapel and Fort buildings. The old Call Ranch House and garden, and some of the original Russian orchards can also be toured. Plan some extra time to walk down to the cove and beach.
Video Tour
View an 18-minute video showing these four recommended one-day tours. Check
the video out from the KOA office. We will also mail it to you or your friends,
and only ask that you return it.