Manchester Beach and Point Arena

Manchester Beach

Manchester State Park's broad sandy beach is unusual for the Mendocino coast which is known more for its rugged shorelines. Visitors can walk for miles along the beach, enjoying the rhythmic crash of the waves and the views of nearby Point Arena. The beach is often windy. The gentle curve of the coastline catches driftwood and other debris as it washes ashore.

Day-Use Areas

Manchester State Park has two Day-Use Areas, one at the end of Kinney Road and the other on Stoneboro Road. Both are primitive with small parking lots, pit toilets, information kiosks, and trails to the beach. From March 1 to September 15 areas of beach may be fenced off for snowy plover nesting. Avoid the areas of flat sand above the high-water mark where plovers often nest.

map of MacKerricher State Park, Mendocino County, CA

Circuitous Beach Trail

The beach trail leading from the Kinney Road parking lot can be confusing since it strikes out to the north rather than simply crossing the low ridge of dunes to the beach. Eventually the trail does arrive at the beach, circumventing a somewhat inconvenient drop-off of the beach side of the dunes.

Fishing

Steelhead and salmon fishing are popular in Alder Creek and Bush Creek. Check California fishing regulations for season and restrictions.

Camping

Besides a standard campground, Manchester State Park has a group campground which may be closed during winter months. An environmental campground near Lake Davis has been closed permanently.

Point Arena

Only a mile south of Manchester State Park the jagged rocks of Point Area jut out into the Pacific. The Point Area Lighthouse stands near the edge of the cliffs, casting its warning lights seaward. The lighthouse is the tallest along the Pacific coast.

Guided tours of the lighthouse are available, including night-time tours. Self-guided tours of the lighthouse grounds are also available. Read details on the ACTIVITIES page. Visitors are allowed to climb to the top of the 115-foot-tall lighthouse.

Point Arena Webcam

Manchester Beach

Beneath the Ground

Manchester is home to the Point Arena Cable Station. Underwater communication cables leave the shore here and connect with distant locations such as Hawaii, Canada, and Japan.

Also leaving the coast here and heading out to sea is the famous San Andreas Fault. The fault, which was the source of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, extends northward beneath the Garcia River east of Highway 1 and then offshore at the northern end of Manchester Beach near Alder Creek.

Manchester State Park History

The land around Manchester was once the home of the Central Pomo. A village near the mouth of the Garcia River known as Pda'hau. The villagers took advantage of the resources provided by the ocean, forests, rivers, and coastal shelf.

Beginning in the early 1800s, settlements from European countries spread through the area, forcing the native people to move away from their traditional homelands. Over the years the local Pomos, known as Bokeya, adjusted to life among outside settlers while still retaining their Bokeya heritage.

European settlers in the region developed dairy farms. In the mid-20th century portions of those farms were granted to the state and were combined to make what would become Manchester State Park.

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Ocean Safety

California State Parks and Recreation cautions that "large surf, cold water temperatures, backwash, sudden drop-offs, pounding shorebreak, and dangerous rip currents can turn what seem like safe activities such as playing near the surf line, wading, or climbing on rock outcroppings, deadly." Learn more about ocean safety at CA State Parks: Ocean Safety

Manchester Beach and Point Arena

Mendocino County

Manchester Beach and Point Arena

Mendocino County