First of all, I should say that I didn’t actually hike Fern Canyon on this coastal trip. Secondly, there are a surprising number of places in California called Fern Canyon; Huell Howser visited one such trail in Humboldt County’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and there are two that I know of in Mendocino County. The name itself sounds so […]
The loop trail through the Pygmy Forest forms a huge contrast from previous sections of the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle State Reserve. Leaving behind the deeply shaded coastal redwood path and soft forest floor, I found myself on a narrow boardwalk in full sunlight lying above highly acidic, poorly draining soil. I was surrounded by a profusion of trees […]
The small coastal town of Point Arena has become one of my favorite places to stay and explore the Mendocino coast; and the Big Guy likes it too, because he can reliably find a nice, secluded spot along the shore to cast a line within the Stornetta Public Lands. With miles of trail covering a variety of terrain and beautiful […]
Yes, I did shoot an awful lot of photos on my hike up the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle in Mendocino County; I used three different cameras and walked very slowly. And even though several of my images were not good enough to share, that still left me with plenty of pictures I’m quite happy with. Today, I present a […]
Here are some more images from my October 2023 hike along the Ecological Staircase trail in Mendocino County near Fort Bragg. The trail starts at Jug Handle State Reserve parking lot and ends at the Pygmy Forest. The path leads through a former homestead site and land formerly owned by a timber company which was last logged in 1961.
When we headed over to the Mendocino coast last October, we found ourselves staying in a place that was new to us. Rather than Point Arena or farther north in Mendocino, we opted for a more central location — in the vicinity of the tiny town of Albion, near the Navarro River. At first I was concerned that our lodgings were so small, basically one room. But I actually loved staying here and wouldn’t mind returning sometime. Although Highway 1 was only a stone’s throw from our door, traffic noise was almost nonexistent. And while the view from our rear balcony included a small house below us on the same property, we felt comfortably secluded, with magnificent ocean vistas and a beautiful sunset just about every night.
I’ve discovered that the small town of Point Arena in Mendocino County is a great place to spend a few days — or even longer — no matter what time of year. The last time we were there was in December; the weather was a bit unpredictable, and I didn’t get out and go hiking as much as I normally […]
Whenever I go hiking alone in a place like the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle Reserve, I’m never sure how much exercise I’m actually getting. I may end up walking three or four miles — and more if I have time — but I tend to go slowly as I gaze around, admiring the beauty and shooting photos. I’m perpetually […]
The first time I saw this spot along the Mendocino coast was in November 2021. The weather had been rainy that day, and the trail was much too muddy to hike so I shot a few photos before leaving. The Keesbury Bay Viewpoint is very easy to miss along Highway 1 just north of the village of Mendocino. I still […]