There’s no end to the beauty on California’s North Coast. And there’s no dearth of hiking trails through the unspoiled beauty in this corner of the Golden State, either. Among the parks that preserve and showcase the gorgeousness of the area is Russian Gulch State Park. This post will show you some sights from this state park, and some from the Headlands Trail in the park. This is another trail that I would highly recommend if you’re ever in the area. Or maybe you’ll want to plan a trip to this part of CA by the end of this post.
Russian Gulch State Park
Think of rich green landscapes, lush vegetation sheltered by tall trees, coastal cypresses, ferns, and wild daisies filling all the gaps between the plants and trees, and the sound of the ocean not far off. That’s Russian Gulch State Park!
This Californian state park has got the best of several worlds: the verdure of the Pacific Northwest, protected by the tall redwoods of California, the rugged coast meeting the mighty Pacific Ocean, and pleasant weather all year round.
This enchanting sight is that of Russian Gulch Creek.
At the spot where it empties itself into the Pacific Ocean is a bridge that is one of the park’s bigger attractions — the Frederick W. Panhorst Bridge. How could it not be? Look at how majestic it is, and look at the setting it’s been placed in.
While we were in the area, we drove through a narrow road just below the bridge, rode over it, and caught some picturesque views of it from the headland just north of it.
Now, if you take that road below the bridge, it will take you to a rocky beach where the creek flows out onto a pebble beach below the landmark. This is a great place to stop and take in how imposing this concrete structure is.
Headlands Trail
When we travel, everywhere we go, we try to go a little deeper into the area to explore it a bit more by getting on a short trail if the time of the day and temperatures allow. The walk we’d picked for this state park in the North Coast was Headlands Trail, and it did not disappoint.
The headlands trail, I learned halfway into the hike, has a few different trailheads. However, I stand by the fact that the route we took was the absolute best. You’ll see why, soon. Our coastal hike started off at one of the prettiest picnic places I have ever seen. And it also gave us a grand view of the Frederick W. Panhorst Bridge:
From this picnic area/photo spot, you will find the trail snaking through some boughs, a wooded area on one side, and the ocean on the other. Walk further out, through the shrubs and a small tree tunnel, and you will find yourself on a wide-open headland crowned by a pastoral bluff.
Walk along the cliffs, and you’ll catch another sight of the Panhorst Bridge, views of the Great Pacific, lots of coastal rocks, small sea caves, and even a sinkhole called the Devil’s Punchbowl.
Things to know before you go:
- Russian Gulch State Park is 2 miles north of the town of Mendocino.
- There is an entry fee to get into the park. (You might want carry some cash. We had to put in an envelope and deposit it in a box by the park entrance, if I remember correctly.)
- Check the weather before you go. You need good weather to explore the area.
- There are a couple of trailheads to get onto the headlands trail. I recommend the one by the picnic spot. You don’t want to miss that gorgeous view you saw above.
- You might be swarmed by flies on the latter part of the trail. (It was quite excessive on that spring evening that we were there. Just go prepared for that.)
You might also want to check out:
Point Cabrillo Coastal Trail
California State Parks
More:
Mendocino County Trip Ideas
