Mendocino County has such a beautiful coastline that it can be frustrating when we often find access blocked by private property and “No Trespassing” signs. I’m really grateful that the California Coastal Commission is always working to protect the state’s coastal habitats and to improve access to beaches and bluffs. Whenever we get over to the coast for a few days we try to find a place to stay that has access to some sort of trail; so it was a happy surprise to discover this path leading to Manchester Beach basically across the street from us on our last visit in mid November. We must have driven past this trailhead many times without ever knowing it was there. And while I certainly enjoyed exploring the beach, in this case it’s true that half the fun is in getting there! I’ll be sharing more photos from Manchester Beach in a future post.

Coyote brush