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Things to do in and around
Point Arena... Places to Go | Things to Do | Location / Hours / Admission |
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Places
to Go |
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MANCHESTER STATE BEACH
Located
just three miles north along Highway One, Manchester State Beach
offers five miles of sandy solitude. It is bordered to
the north by Alder Creek, where the San Andreas Fault Line
runs into the sea, and to the south by the Garcia River.
< View of
Manchester State Beach, in the distance, from the top of the lighthouse.
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| BOWLING BALL
BEACH Just south of the Point Arena Lighthouse is a stretch of beach that features prehistoric boulders that have been finely ground down over the millennia, into perfectly smooth spherical shapes. The display is especially magnificent at low tide. The geology of the area is unique, and gives visitors the opportunity to view examples of significant bluff erosion, earth strata, and fossils that date back to the Miocene period, 5 to 7 million years old! |
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Point
Arena is one of the smallest incorporated cities in the
state of California. Note the Point Arena Lighthouse in the
distance at the top center of this photograph.
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CITY
OF POINT ARENA AND HISTORIC WHARF The historic Point Arena Wharf (also known as the Arena Cove) is a working harbor where commercial and private fishing boats may be seen unloading their catch. Fishing without a license is allowed from the municipal pier. This area also offers deep sea fishing outings, boating, shops and restaurants. The Cove also is noted to be one of the best surfing areas in California. < From left:
Point Arena Municipal Pier, dinning and shopping building
featuring The Arena Cove Bar & Grill, Cosmic Pizza,
and Dupont's Mercantile. On the Hill above is the Wharf
Masters Inn, and to the right is the historic Coast Guard House
Bed & Breakfast.
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| GUALALA
Located 20 minutes south of the Point Arena Lighthouse, Gualala is a larger community offering additional shopping, dinning, art galleries, coastal access via the Gualala Point Regional Park that is located along the shores of the scenic Gualala River. Mouth of the Gualala River and sand dunes just
south of town >
ELK Located about a half an hour north of the Lighthouse, the charming town of Elk (a mini version of the town of Mendocino) is a destination that offers spectacular coastal vistas, charming architecture, a historical museum, fine dinning, and quaint boutiques. The coastal drive between the Lighthouse and Elk is noted to be one of the most spectacular along the California coast. Spectacular coastal monuments near the
town of Elk >
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POINT
CABRILLO LIGHTSTATION & PRESERVE
Located just one hour north of the Point Arena Lighthouse, in the town of Casper, the preserve occupies a spectacular headland thrusting out into the Pacific. As you start to walk down the access road, the Point Cabrillo Light Station is arrayed before you, made up of the Lighthouse itself and three original lightkeepers' houses and outbuildings. The lighthouse, which has been fully restored, is open from 11 AM to 4 PM, Saturdays and Sundays, from the first weekend of March through the last weekend in October. < Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, featuring
a 3rd order Fresnel lens
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Visit the Mendocino County Heritage Network for other interesting historical sites in the area! |
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Things
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| KAYAKING • FISHING • HIKING
• GOLFING The Mendocino Coast offers some of the finest sport fishing. Red abalone abound in these cold, rocky waters and may be taken in season. Steelhead, salmon, crab, and urchins are also caught here. Arena Rock, a one acre underwater "plateau," is a prime deep sea fishing area. 
Nearby beaches
offer the hiker solitude and scenery. Elk Beach, Alder
Creek, Manchester Beach, Mote Creek, Schooner Gulch, Bowling
Ball Beach, Anchor Bay, Gualala River, and The Sea Ranch are
a few of the coastal access points. There are several privately owned and state campgrounds in the area. These range in accommodations from primitive tent sites to full RV hookup sites complete with cable TV. As well as Manchester State Beach, the private campgrounds Manchester Beach KOA and Rollerville Junction are within a few miles of the Lighthouse. Pristine local rivers provide excellent canoeing/kayaking opportunities, and horseback riding along the sandy shores of Manchester State Beach is an exhilarating experience. The Sea Ranch, south of the Lighthouse, provides golfers with one of the most beautiful and challenging outdoor sporting experiences on the coast. |
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COASTAL WILDFLOWERS Spring offers visitors to the Point Arena Lighthouse the chance to observe beautiful, rare varieties of coastal wildflowers and shrubs. April and May typically produce an incredible display. Some perennials you will see here are: White Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium), Coast Onion (Allium Dichlamydeum), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis Margaritacea), Sea Pink (Armeria Maritima), Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja species), Hair Grass (Deschampsia Caespitosa), Live-forever (Dudleya Farinosa), Coastal California Poppy (Eschscholzia California Maritima), Bule Coast Gentian (Gentiana Affinis), Coastal Wild Strawberry (Fragaria Chiloensis), Wild Iris (Iris Douglasiana), Creeping Daisy (Lessingia Filaginifolia), Coast Goldenrod (Solidago Spathulata), Narrow Leafed Mule Ears (Wyethia Angustifolium), and much more! |
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BIRD WATCHING Hundreds of graceful Tundra Swans (Whistling Swans) winter each year on the nearby pasture lands along the Garcia River. Kestrels, Red-tails, Osprey, Eagles, Marsh Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and hundreds of other species can be seen. Brown pelicans, black cormorants, seagulls and a variety of other sea birds can be seen nesting in and around the cliffs at Point Arena Lighthouse. < Tundra Swans |
| FESTIVITIES Throughout the year, several celebrations take place along our beautiful coast. The Independence Day fireworks and parade in Point Arena is a historic event that dates back to the late 1800's. Art-In-The-Redwoods is held during August in Gualala. and the Point Arena / Redwood Coast Whale Festival is held in March. Please visit the Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce web site for a detailed calendar of upcoming local events. Many local wineries offer wine tasting. Click here for a map of wineries in Mendocino County.
Sahra Brubeck shows off her new face at the
Point Arena Lighthouse Whale Festival >
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Location
/ Hours / Admission |
Click on map for a printable version |
Lighthouse Hours: We Are Open 10am - 3:30 pm Every Day Site Admission Fee (Non-profit): $5.00 adults and $1.00 children under 12Climb to the top of the tower as keepers have done for over 100 years! |
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P.O. Box 11, 45500 Lighthouse Road, Point Arena, CA 95468 1-877-725-4448 or 707-882-2777 fax: 707-882-2111 Lighthouse Fund Email us at palight@mcn.org www.PointArenaLighthouse.com Webmaster: Martha Bouquin mbouquin@mcn.org |
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Lighthouse gates are
open daily with Tours of the Tower & Museum. Take a bit of the lighthouse with you by visiting our Official Lighthouse Gift Shop |
