If you’re looking for the ultimate outdoor getaway surrounded by nature and fresh air, Mendocino County is the perfect place to go. Located on California’s North Coast, Mendocino County is known for its beautiful redwood trees, ocean views, and charming inns.

Several local properties are offering specials and packages that enable guests to take advantage of the scenic woods and water that make the Mendocino Coast magical. From a family stargazing outing to a luxury picnic package and more, read on to discover the best that Mendocino has to offer.

Top Things to Do in Mendocino in the Fall

As Mendocino County reopens to outside visitors, they are very mindful of their role as stewards and ask all visitors to do their part to help keep the area safe. The businesses mentioned below have all been self-certified to host visitors to the utmost safety standards and strictest cleaning protocols, above and beyond what is mandated by the June 12 order of the Mendocino County Public Health Office. Masks must be worn in the county when not eating and drinking, and people are asked to stay six feet away from anyone not in their household group.

Noyo Meander Experience

Offering stunning views over the harbor, Noyo Harbor Inn & Restaurant is offering a complimentary Noyo Meander Experience for two (via Liquid Fusion Kayaking), along with a bottle of local wine with any three-night stay. Guests can enjoy a two-person, 90-minute tandem kayak along Noyo River, where they are likely to spot an assortment of harbor seals, sea lions, river otters, and coastal birds. 

The inn features refurbished and updated rooms that have retained some of the exquisite features left by the Norwegian shipbuilders who embellished the inn. Many of the elegantly-appointed rooms include fireplaces, soaking tubs, and private balconies. The on-site restaurant, which is serving diners on the outdoor patio and at select tables spread out across the lush grounds, has a menu that includes pre-Prohibition era cocktails and California coastal cuisine.

The Noyo Meander Experience special offer is available now through Labor Day weekend. For more information and to make reservations, call 707-961-8000 or visit noyoharborinn.com.

Stargazing Family Fun Package

For families who love the outdoors, the iconic Little River Inn is offering the Stargazing Family Fun Package, which includes a blanket and hot cocoa. Owned and operated by the same family for five generations, the inn is surrounded by manicured gardens and steps away from Van Damme State Park and Van Damme State Beach.

The 65-room inn offers ocean views and is ideal for all budgets. Amenities include an Audubon-certified golf course, regulation tennis courts, a spa, and an award-winning restaurant that is currently serving diners in the heated garden area or at ocean-view picnics tables in front of the property.

The Stargazing Family Fun Package includes two nights’ lodging in a Traditional Ocean View Room with two queen beds; a Little River Inn travel blanket; the loan of their stargazing kit (including special binoculars and a star map, star guide, and flashlight); hot chocolate to enjoy while stargazing; and information on stargazing for the area. 

The Stargazing Family Fun Package for four starts at $438 for a two-night stay, exclusive of tax and gratuity. More luxurious rooms are available at an additional cost. Available year-round. For more information and to make reservations, call (707) 937-5942 or visit littleriverinn.com. 

Big River Bonfire Package

Brewery Gulch Inn is offering a Big River Bonfire Package, which gives guests the opportunity to watch a beautiful sunset while toasting marshmallows on the beach. The package includes everything you need to make s’mores, beach chairs, a beach blanket, a Bluetooth speaker, and Northern California’s version of the Map to the Stars.

Brewery Gulch Inn encompasses three acres of mature pines and redwoods, wooded glens, wetland ponds, and gardens. The rooms feature feather beds with Sferra linens, Molton Brown products, Himalayan bath salts, and thick Abyss towels. A full-time executive chef prepares complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts and a nightly dinner buffet and wine hour that highlights locally-sourced, organic ingredients. 

For an additional $75, guests can add the Big River Bonfire Package to any room. Available year-round. For more information and to make reservations, call (707) 937-4752 or visit brewerygulchinn.com.

California Western Railroad’s Skunk Train

The California Western Railroad's Skunk Train is a 135-year-old heritage train line that takes visitors deep into ancient Redwood forests, offering an additional and highly unique way to enjoy the tracks with custom built, two-person Railbikes that run in-between trains and sit securely on the tracks, allowing passengers to enjoy the redwoods in a peaceful, quiet, and highly personal way. The Railbikes run out of the Fort Bragg station and cost $250 per bike with room for two riders.

To elevate the experience, a luxury picnic package is available that includes a picnic basket with an assortment of charcuterie for two, a picnic blanket, wine glasses, and a beverage of choice for $395 for two. The first ride of the day at 8:30 am is offered at an early-bird rate of $195 per bike.

For a more traditional experience, the Skunk Train carries passengers along the Redwood Route, taking them over bridges and through undisturbed terrain. Beginning on June 20, the Skunk Train reintroduced the Pudding Creek Express train out of Fort Bragg—a seven-mile round-trip journey to Glen Blair Junction along the Pudding Creek Estuary, that takes riders over some of the first tracks laid down by the California Western Railroad in 1885. The two-hour round-trip train from Willits climbs up to the highest point of the line (elevation 1,740 feet) through Tunnel #2, and down into the Noyo River Canyon. 

For more information and to make reservations, call 707-964-6371 (Willits Depot) or visit skunktrain.com.

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk