Coastal state park with forest trails, tide pools, and boardwalk access to Laguna Point. Includes Ten Mile Dunes, wildlife viewing platforms, and regular sightings of harbor seals and migratory birds.
MacKerricher State Park runs along the Mendocino Coast just north of Fort Bragg — a mix of rocky shoreline, forest trails, and inland wetlands. A paved road leads through the park to the boardwalk at Laguna Point, where a flat loop takes visitors out over the bluffs. Harbor seals haul up on nearby rocks, and bird activity changes with the seasons — pelicans, gulls, and shorebirds most of the year, with migratory species passing through in spring and fall. To the north, Ten Mile Dunes stretch beyond the main day-use area — low rolling dunes covered in grasses and coastal plants, with narrow paths winding inland. The terrain stays soft underfoot and exposed to wind, but the area stays quiet and rarely crowded. Tide pools along the rocks near Laguna Point reveal sea stars, crabs, and anemones at low tide. Black sand beaches lie farther south along the coastline, though steep slopes and surf conditions make swimming uncommon. Velella Velella — small, translucent jellyfish-like creatures — sometimes wash ashore in large numbers and leave the sand slick underfoot. The park includes forest trails and wetlands accessible by foot or bike, with boardwalk sections connecting marshy areas near Cleone Lake. Kayak fishing is permitted in calmer conditions, with occasional rockfish caught offshore. Campgrounds sit within the park’s interior — shaded by trees, outfitted with showers and restrooms, and close to both coastal and inland access points. MacKerricher’s layout makes it easy to move between the dunes, headlands, and wetlands without leaving the park. Day visitors often combine short hikes with tide pooling or wildlife watching, especially around sunrise and sunset.
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