I’ve spent a fair amount of time along the Sonoma coast in Northern California ever since the mid 1980s, and it has always seemed to me the epitome of a rugged and rocky shoreline. But after recently spending a week a little farther north in Mendocino, I’m beginning to realize I ain’t seen nothing yet! I stumbled upon this particular spot while exploring the Stornetta Public Lands, not far from the Point Arena Lighthouse. This whole stretch of coastal cliffs is full of sea caves and mysterious holes in the ground (I’ll share more about those holes in a future post). I’m not sure if this location actually has a name, but I started calling it the Dragon’s Nose after noticing the twin openings in the seaward rock face.

I had ventured off the trail and in among a grove of Bishop pines covered in Spanish moss, only to find that below my feet the waves had intruded through the rocky cliffs and formed a sort of churning punchbowl. It was such a lovely yet treacherous scene that I had trouble tearing myself away.