Tried And Tested Trails: The Loop around Point Cabrillo

Heading to the Mendocino Coast sometime soon? In order to experience the area best, you’ve got to add a couple of hikes to your itinerary. You’ve got to do at least one coastal hike and one through a Redwood forest. There’s no shortage of trails here, however, if you need tried-and-tested recommendations, here’s my first one – Point Cabrillo Light Station Coastal Trail. But first, a bit about the lighthouse that it gets its name from.

Point Cabrillo Light

Point Cabrillo Light is a good-looking little lighthouse on the Mendocino coast in Northern California. The craggy coast here has been responsible for several shipwrecks, starting with the one in 1850, which paved the way for the discovery of the coast redwoods and the lumbering of those coastal giants.

However, it was only in 1909 that Point Cabrillo Light(house) came into being and began warning ships of the rocky dangers in the area. Situated on a sandstone headland north of the city of Mendocino and south of that of Fort Bragg, this lighthouse has found a place in the US National Register of Historic Places. Built of wood and standing tall on a concrete base, this lighthouse is only 25m in height. It still stands tall on the coastal rocks of the headland, and makes a postcard-perfect sight on the Mendocino Coast.

It’s a picturesque structure, and that’s reason enough to go see it. If you need more reasons to visit, let me tell you that it is an active lighthouse, it houses a museum, beside it are the buildings that used to be the homes of the lighthouse (masters), and then, there’s a short, easy and delightful coastal trail.

Another important detail to be noted about this place is that to get to it, you will have to do a bit of walking, so go prepared to do close to a mile, even if you’re not planning on hiking the trail behind the lighthouse. Unless, of course, you have a disability parking permit that allows you to park close to the lighthouse. Otherwise, you are going to be parking at the Point Cabrillo Visitor Center and walking down to the coast.

The Coastal Trail

The trail starts at the parking lot of the Point Cabrillo Visitors Center. You can take either the paved one that also serves as the road to the lighthouse, or the unpaved one on the north end of the lot. The latter is the way to go if you’d like a longer hike or a more ‘proper’ one.

If you take the paved path/the road, you pass several little interactive signs with fun facts about the coast and whales you are likely to spot from the area if you’re visiting during the migration seasons of these sea mammals. You will also pass the Head Lightkeeper’s House and Assistant Lightkeeper’s House.

After stepping into the museum, you can take the trail that runs behind the lighthouse to get a better view of the dramatic coastline, the sandstone rocks it sits on, some tide pools and of course, the vast Pacific Ocean. This part of the trail runs along the edge of the headland, so as you walk, you can listen to the waves crash on the rocks, all along the hike. You might even overhear some seals in the middle of their loud conversations.

Now, if you’d like a longer hike, you can take the trail that leads left and further along the coast and loop back, ending the hike at the north end of the lot. If you’d like to keep it short, you can just take the trail that loops back to the lighthouse and walk back the way you arrived.

Things to know before you go

A visit to this lighthouse includes a bit of walking unless you have that blue permit on your car.
If you’re visiting in the hot months, make sure you’ve sunscreened yourself, and you’re carrying some water. There isn’t a lot of shade here; this headland is covered in coastal grassland.
Look out, listen for, and enjoy the critters of the Coastal Prairies.
The walk is short and easy, and comes with some great views.
The lighthouse keepers h o mes also serve as vacation rentals, if you’d like to stay overnight in the area. Your options here are limited, so make sure to book well in advance.