Things to Do in Mendocino and the Redwood Coast
Headland villages, lighthouses and the tallest trees on earth.
See top-rated activities »The Best Northern California Coastal Towns and Redwood Parks
North of the Golden Gate, Highway 1 leaves the suburbs behind and becomes a slow, curving road above a rugged shore. Several of the best Northern California coastal towns are strung along it. Bodega Bay is a fishing harbor known from Hitchcock's The Birds. Mendocino, about three hours from San Francisco, is a village of 19th-century wooden houses and water towers on a headland, surrounded by Mendocino Headlands State Park and its blufftop trails. The Point Cabrillo Light Station, just north, is a restored 1909 lighthouse on a grassy point that is good for whale watching in winter and spring.
Fort Bragg, ten miles up the road, is a working town with a harbor in Noyo, Glass Beach, where old dumped glass has been worn into colored pebbles, and the Skunk Train, a historic railroad that runs short excursions into the redwood forest. Inland, the Anderson Valley produces pinot noir and sparkling wine in a quiet valley of farms and small tasting rooms.
Farther north, Highway 101 enters Humboldt County and the redwood country proper. The Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile old road parallel to the freeway, runs through Humboldt Redwoods State Park and some of the largest groves of old-growth coast redwoods left. Ferndale is a Victorian dairy town of ornate storefronts, and the tiny harbor town of Trinidad sits above a cove of sea stacks. Redwood National and State Parks, near the Oregon border, protect the tallest trees in the world, along with elk herds, fern canyons and empty beaches. These are some of the best Northern California coastal towns for slowing down, and they make a fine end to a Northern California road trip before heading home or north into Oregon.
Don’t Miss
Blufftop trails around the village, with sea arches, hidden beaches and wildflowers in spring.
A restored lighthouse and keepers' houses on a headland preserve, with a small museum and whale watching.
Short train rides and rail bikes through the redwoods from Fort Bragg and Willits.
Coves where decades of discarded glass have been tumbled into smooth colored pebbles; look, but leave the glass.
A 31-mile road through Humboldt Redwoods State Park and its old-growth groves.
Old-growth redwood forests, Roosevelt elk and Fern Canyon on the far northern coast.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Mendocino and the Redwoods
Viator
Viator
Viator
ViatorTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 28, 2026. Best of NoCal may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Get free trip quotes »Mendocino and the Redwoods — FAQ
How far is Mendocino from San Francisco?
About three hours by the fastest route, through Highway 101 and the Anderson Valley on Highway 128. The coastal route on Highway 1 is more scenic but closer to four or five hours.
Where can I see the tallest redwoods?
Redwood National and State Parks near Orick and Crescent City and Humboldt Redwoods State Park along the Avenue of the Giants have the largest old-growth groves. Muir Woods is the closest grove to San Francisco.
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