Goddess of the Gardens

BONUS MAY, 2023: Upcoming events Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens include the Rhododendron Show (May 6-7); guided Rhododendron Walks (Saturdays through May); meditation, yoga, and more.

It’s what you call a Garden with a View! Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a double-whammy of stunning flora—especially rhododendrons—and coastal views. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens makes a splash in more ways than just its fantastic flora. This exquisite garden by the sea comprises 47 acres, including a bluff-side hiking trail and picnic areas.

Pathways lead to garden collections that mesmerize, from roses to rhododendrons—a star attraction in hundreds of fragrant species, including the 40-foot-high big leaf and the “Noyo Chief”—Fort Bragg’s official flower, identified by its vibrant red trusses. But there’s plenty more: Blossoms like camellias, irises, and dahlias are favorites, and succulents assure visitors that even cacti grow on the Mendocino Coast. A stroll through the Parrish Family Homestead features a farmhouse with apple and cherry orchards, ponds, and a cemetery.

Stroll beyond the lovingly tended gardens to see a wilder side, where a hiking trail overlooking the Pacific brings stunning scenery as cliffs drop dramatically to the waves below. Along the Coastal Bluff Trail you’ll find the Cliff House, a shelter perched on ocean’s edge.

BEER GARDEN BONUS: North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg has won lots of awards, and the proof is in the taproom. Pair any number of their ultra-premium pours with the pub menu.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is on the ocean side of Highway One, 2 miles south of Fort Bragg and 7 miles north of Mendocino. North Coast Brewing, 444 N. Main St. Fort Bragg. No dogs.