MacKerricher State Park
Encyclopedia
MacKerricher State Park in Northern California
offers a variety of habitat
s: beach
, bluff
, headland
, dune
, forest
, and wetland
. Tide pool
s are along the shore. Seal
s live on the rocks off the park’s Mendocino
coast. More than 90 species of bird
s visit or live near Cleone Lake, a former tidal lagoon. The park is the home of nearly the entire remaining distribution of the endangered Mendocino spineflower
(Chorizanthe howellii).
During winter and spring, the nearby headland
provides a good lookout for whale watching
. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians, and bicyclists. Fishing
is also popular, with trout
in two fresh-water lakes. The park has a wheelchair accessible
nature trail.
on Highway 1, near the town of Cleone
. The park encompasses much of the land west of Cleone as well as a strip of beach between Fort Bragg and the Ten Mile River
. Between Fort Bragg and the park entrance, it includes Glass Beach
, Pudding Creek Beach, and Virgin Creek Beach. Near the park entrance are Lake Cleone and a boardwalk to Laguna Point, a rocky point frequented by harbor seal
s. Ten mile beach runs north from Lake Cleone to the mouth of Ten Mile River. A haul road (restricted to pedestrians and bicycles) connects the beaches, with a trestle bridge over Pudding Creek Beach as its south terminus.
Indian Reservation
. It is the only park unit that was part of the Union Lumber Company's vast timber and shipping holdings in northern Mendocino County
. A small, independent logging and shipping operation began here, then was absorbed by the larger corporation. MacKerricher, known historically as Cleone, thus followed a pattern common to many of the small areas in the region. The park was officially opened in 1952; land was added along the Ten Mile beach until 1977. In 2002, the 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) Glass Beach property was purchased by the state park system and after a cleanup phase it was added to the park.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
offers a variety of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s: beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, bluff
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
, headland
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
, dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
, forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
. Tide pool
Tide pool
Tide pools are rocky pools by oceans that are filled with seawater. Many of these pools exist as separate entities only at low tide.Tide pools are habitats of uniquely adaptable animals that have engaged the special attention of naturalists and marine biologists, as well as philosophical...
s are along the shore. Seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s live on the rocks off the park’s Mendocino
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
coast. More than 90 species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s visit or live near Cleone Lake, a former tidal lagoon. The park is the home of nearly the entire remaining distribution of the endangered Mendocino spineflower
Chorizanthe howellii
Chorizanthe howellii is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common names Mendocino spineflower and Howell's spineflower. It is endemic to coastal Mendocino County, California, where it is known only from the sand dunes and coastal scrub near Fort Bragg...
(Chorizanthe howellii).
During winter and spring, the nearby headland
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
provides a good lookout for whale watching
Whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians, and bicyclists. Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is also popular, with trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
in two fresh-water lakes. The park has a wheelchair accessible
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
nature trail.
Location/Directions
The park entrance is three miles (5 km) north of Fort Bragg, CaliforniaFort Bragg, California
Fort Bragg is a city located in coastal Mendocino County, California along State Route 1, the major north-south highway along the Pacific Coast. Fort Bragg is located west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet...
on Highway 1, near the town of Cleone
Cleone, California
Cleone is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located north-northeast of Fort Bragg on California State Highway 1, at an elevation of 79 feet . It most likely takes its name from Kelio, a division or village of the Pomo people...
. The park encompasses much of the land west of Cleone as well as a strip of beach between Fort Bragg and the Ten Mile River
Ten Mile River (California)
Ten Mile River is a river in northern Mendocino County, California, United States. It is named for the fact that its mouth is ten miles north of the mouth of the Noyo River. The middle and north forks of the river are each long, and the river extends for seven more miles from their confluence to...
. Between Fort Bragg and the park entrance, it includes Glass Beach
Glass Beach (Fort Bragg, California)
Glass Beach is a beach in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California that is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.-History:...
, Pudding Creek Beach, and Virgin Creek Beach. Near the park entrance are Lake Cleone and a boardwalk to Laguna Point, a rocky point frequented by harbor seal
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
s. Ten mile beach runs north from Lake Cleone to the mouth of Ten Mile River. A haul road (restricted to pedestrians and bicycles) connects the beaches, with a trestle bridge over Pudding Creek Beach as its south terminus.
About the Park
The Park is the only one in the park system that was at one time part of the MendocinoMendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
. It is the only park unit that was part of the Union Lumber Company's vast timber and shipping holdings in northern Mendocino County
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
. A small, independent logging and shipping operation began here, then was absorbed by the larger corporation. MacKerricher, known historically as Cleone, thus followed a pattern common to many of the small areas in the region. The park was officially opened in 1952; land was added along the Ten Mile beach until 1977. In 2002, the 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) Glass Beach property was purchased by the state park system and after a cleanup phase it was added to the park.