Looking for an escape where you’re surrounded by the sea and the forest? Where you can find a quiet spot with a waterfall or enjoy wet and wild sports like ocean kayaking or abalone diving? Then it's time to explore Fort Bragg's Great Outdoors. There is something for everyone: singles, couples, dog lovers, boomers, thrill seekers, birders, photographers, hikers, campers and romantics.
The tiny seacoast town (population 7,000), located 150 miles north of San Francisco, has it all. Whether your passion is exploring interesting shops, sampling food or venturing into the great outdoors, anytime of the year is an exciting time to be in Fort Bragg. (But don't just take our word. Check out this article in Sunset Magazine about "The New Fort Bragg" and the Canada Free Press.
Here's our Events Calendar for March - April.
More ideas to help plan your trip:
Shop: from antiques, books and thrift store items to art, there are dozens of interesting shops to explore downtown.
Eat: from burgers to pizza to fine dining, Fort Bragg offers something for vegans, vegetarians and those who just love comfort food. Good, creatively prepared fresh organic dining is part of the North Coast culture.
Explore: secret beaches, redwoods, unique gardens, and biking and hiking trails are all within a 15-minute drive from downtown. From Wild to mild: There is plenty to explore in Fort Bragg. There are whales migrating year-around, great birding. If you prefer a quiet stroll, the beauty and serenity of the Mendocino Botanical Gardens will melt away your stress, while ocean kayaking outside Noyo Harbor or mountain biking in Jackson State Forest will spike your adrenalin. Scroll down for more choices.
Stay Fit: at our new C.V. Starr aquatic center, Redwood Health Club and Mendocino Sports Club, you can stay in shape during your weekend getaway or vacation.
We’re also a dog-friendly town where a pooch can get a free ice cream cone and dog parks (the C.V. Starr Center and Noyo Harbor Beach) are a popular hangout for locals and visitors. Dog Fancy Magazine loves Fort Bragg.
The New York Times also includes a great story called "36 Hours on the Mendocino Coast" which features lots of Fort Bragg attractions, restaurants, a brew pub and more.
Fort Bragg offers an array of fun-filled, festive adventures that truly capture the changing seasons. Our mild year-around temperatures (50-60 degrees) make it comfortable to visit anytime.
What are you waiting for? Book that room. Start planning your visit to Fort Bragg, California, gateway to the California Coastal National Monument.
Weekend whale talks at MacKerricher State Park will continue through the weekend of the Fort Bragg Whale Festival, March 17-18.
Knowledgeable docents talk about the annual gray whale migration and about other marine mammals seen along the Mendocino coast.
Programs are scheduled to begin every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
For more information call (707) 961-0471 or (707) 964-8898.
The Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and developing interest in the growing and culture of rhododendrons.
We meet monthly from September through May in Fort Bragg and feature interesting speakers each month on a wide variety of plant subjects. The Noyo Chapter also hosts an annual show which is open to the public free of charge each Spring.
In 2012 the 35th Annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show...
Just five miles south of the Fort Bragg City Limits, this state park and nature preserve is one of the most complete (restored) light stations in America. Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association received state and national awards for restoring eight of the nine structures to their original 1909 condition. The 100-year-old lighthouse – with its British-built Fresnel Lens operates as a Federal Aid to Navigation.
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Rules About Taking Glass at Glass Beach Below
Glass Beach is a unique beach, not because nature made it that way, but because time and the pounding surf have corrected one of man's mistakes.
Beginning in 1949, the area around Glass Beach became a public dump. It is hard to imagine this happening today, but back then people dumped all kinds of refuse straight into the ocean,...
This rare jewel, located just south of the city of Fort Bragg, boasts 47 acres of oceanfront gardens, forests, streams, fern canyons and bluffs. Visitors will be enthralled by the diversity and tranquility of the Botanical Gardens, where you can find something for every outdoor enthusiast. Manicured Gardens, dense pine forest, diverse plant collections and flower filled bluffs are just some of what awaits you when you spend a day exploring this coastal gem. Enjoy the Cliff House, located on...
One of the west coast's most scenic working harbors, Noyo Harbor is tucked into the forested hills at the south end of Fort Bragg. You may remember seeing Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell sailing out of the harbor at the end of the movie Overboard. Noyo Harbor is your starting point for a day out on the ocean, whether it's on a fishing or whale watching charter, or paddling your own kayak.
The Skunk line runs 40 miles from Fort Bragg on the coast to Willits on US Highway 101. Along the way, the tracks cross some 30 bridges and trestles and pass through two deep mountain tunnels. The half-way point of Northspur is popular lunch spot, giving passengers a chance to snack before continuing to Willits or heading back to Fort Bragg. Along the way, you pass through beautiful stretches of redwoods. To...
More than 25 years ago, the State of California declared that the Guest House Museum in Downtown Fort Bragg was a point of historical interest.
It was built mostly from coastal redwood in 1892 for Tom Johnson, a family business partner in Fort Bragg Redwood Company, as his private residence. All wood used in the structure was milled by Fort Bragg Redwood Company. Before the house was finished and by direction of the company's founder,...
Although Fort Bragg is surrounded by nature -- ocean and the 48,000-acre Jackson State Forest -- the city has created great parks inside the city limits for visitors of all ages.
The newest is the ...
The C.V. Starr Center in Fort Bragg is a beautiful, jaw-dropping indoor water park. It’s also the place for high energy work outs, exercise equipment, after-school programs, and classes where kids of all ages learn to swim and stay fit. They have meeting rooms for parties and community events, and the grounds include a dog park, a skateboard park, and places to play petanque and have picnics.
The highlight of the center has to be the ‘natatorium’ with not one, but two indoor pools...
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