Being in the top ten is great, right? How about being in the top six? In the nation? A recent article in Far and Wide ranked Mendocino as the sixth-best small town in America.
“Close to several state parks situated along the California coast, Mendocino’s natural beauty is second to none. The town center, meanwhile, is brimming with Victorian homes, high-end restaurants, luxury lodging, and art galleries. November through April, visitors bring their binoculars to look for whales as they migrate south.”
As lovely as this sounds, this hardly opens the chest of treasures that await you in Mendocino. The state parks are stunning. Mendocino Headlands State Park boasts gorgeous trails, tidepools, beaches, and coves. Van Damme State Park is an amazing protected inlet where the Little River flows into the Pacific, and inland hikes meander through Fern Canyon and the Pygmy Forest. Russian Gulch is one of several that contain waterfalls. MacKerricher has its own lake and is habitat to the snowy plover for a portion of the year, now connected to Noyo River after the opening of the Coastal Trail through the Old Georgia Pacific mill site. Big River has the most dynamic beach with a trail that runs along the river inland for sixteen miles. And, of course, there are endless days of tide-pooling, sea mammal and bird watching, and beachcombing up and down the coast.
What Else Does the County Offer?
There is also a bountiful outpouring of local food and wine. Bread pudding is a specialty at two spots, as is gourmet fudge and truffles at two different chocolate shops. Mendocino wine from local farmers and winemakers expresses a regional commitment to artisan beverages. Local restaurants take the abundant wealth of freshly grown, raised, and caught food and turn it into elegant meals in romantic settings. Looking to get that spark back? Mendocino is exactly the place to light that fire.
With its population of around 1200 people, Mendocino easily qualifies as a small town—it was competing against communities with 10,000 people or less. It easily outpaced more nationally well-known cities such as Sedona (#40), Aspen (#36), Telluride (#18), and Lake Placid (#15), and Taos (#14). Because the top five locations are all landlocked, it means that F & W ranked Mendocino as the very best small coastal town in America.
Are you looking to own a home or property in one of the premier locations in the country? Perhaps you are ready to sell your Mendocino property to someone who wants to buy a small slice of this wonderland? If so, you need a local real estate expert steeped in the community. Nationally known corporate realtors just can’t give you the deep connections and expertise I have built-in decades of public service, building, and real estate sales. I don’t need a list to tell me that Mendocino is a very special place. I can’t wait to help you enjoy the beauty that I see every day!
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