Whether you drive all or just some of the intoxicating Highway 1 hugging the Mendocino County coast, you’re sure to find many places to pull over and get some sand between your and Buster’s toes. Go slow, stop often and be sure to check out these highlights.
Start in Fort Bragg, where you can treat your pent-up pup to a leash-free romp on compact Noyo Beach or roomier Seaside Beach. Three miles north of town, MacKerricher State Park is a rarity in the California State Parks system in that it is more dog-friendly than most, with canine companions allowed on leash in most of the park, including dirt trails and some beaches.
Just 10 miles south of Fort Bragg, the much-photographed Mendocino village, with its wealth of Victorian architecture, serves as a jumping-off point to dog-friendly Big River State Beach, Mendocino Headlands State Park and Van Damme State Beach. Gualala beckons with still more dog-friendly sand spots, among them Gualala Point Regional Park and Beach on the Mendocino/Sonoma county line, and Cook’s Beach, accessed via the Bonham Trail just north of town.
