The Visitor's Center is historic Ford House , home of one of the founding families of Mendocino town. The Park stretches around three sides of the community and includes a wonderful path, some great places to enjoy a picnic lunch, and a large beach at the mouth of Big River. Other parks in the area include Van Damme State Park, Russian Gulch, State Park, Caspar Headlands State Reserve, Caspar Headlands State Beach, Mendocino Woodlands Outdoor Center, Jug Handle State Reserve, Westport-Union State Beach, Mackerricher State Park, Hendy Woods State Park, Navarro Redwoods State Park, Montgomery Woods State Reserve, Mailliard Redwoods State Reserve, Greenwood Creek State Beach, Schooner Gulch State Beach, and Manchester State Park. If you are lucky you will catch a glimpse of a whale migrating to or from the spawning grounds down south or the summer feeding grounds in the far north. In the early morning or late afternoon our deer will be out feeding in the meadows and hillsides.
Birds love our world and a wide variety of species move through the area in the annual migrations.
The rangers in each of the parks are experts on the animals in their areas and they will be happy to tell you about the cast of characters that are visiting at the particular time of your visit and where to best find them. They can also tell you about the plants and flowers that flourish in these natural gardens. The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are in a category by themselves. These gardens consist of forty seven acres cared for by the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District. Two creeks flow through the gardens and more than three miles of trails provide easy access to the natural and formal areas.