Van Damme State Park offers several California Coastal National Monument perspectives, including from adjacent headlands, the sandy beach, and on the water. Seasonal camping allows for the prolonged appreciation of spectacular sunsets. Concessionaires for kayak tours are right at the parking lot.

Exploring inland the park offers the Fern Canyon scenic trail system, and the Pygmy Forest where mature, cone-bearing cypress and pine trees stand six inches to eight feet tall.

Apart for the thrilling variety of idle or active recreation opportunities here, this park offers rich interpretation and historical resources connected with the redwood lumber industry.

Van Damme State Park and Beach is 3 miles south of the town of Mendocino.

On the east side of Highway 1 beyond the entry station to Van Damme State Park is a small visitor center that focuses on the park’s marine environment and includes a diorama depicting the underwater environment as seen by divers.

The drive south from Van Damme State Park to the Navarro River provides the opportunity to glimpse California Coastal National Monument rocks and sea stacks through the trees along this forested portion of the coast. The Arch of the Navarro rock cluster is situated on the north side of the mouth of the Navarro River but is not visible from Highway 1.

Year-round

Fees: None