Mendocino County in spring is an emerald wonderland that begs to be admired, and there’s no better way to do so than to don a pair of hiking shoes and take to the hills.
While many Mendocino visitors stay glued to the coast during their visits, to do so is to miss out on star canine attractions such as Cow Mountain Recreation Area, 27,000 acres of rugged terrain administered by the Bureau of Land Management near Ukiah; the Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest; and Stornetta Public Lands, a 1,132-acre coastal haven near Point Arena.
Dogs are allowed to run free under voice control at all three places—a privilege that could be revoked should too many canines collide with the bovines sharing the landscape. Another great find for outdoorsy types: Lake Mendocino Recreation Area, offering 300 campsites, boat-in camping, a 700-acre wilderness area and 15 miles of hiking trails managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
