Caspar Headlands State Reserve
One of our favorite hidden sunset spots
What blissful serenity
So we know we’ve talked about good locations for viewing sunset in and around Mendocino before. Once, twice, even three times, actually, we have shared some lovely little nooks and corners for prime seats to watch the drama of the day’s end unfold in all its glory. And yet, in all that talk of magical sunset viewing points, we may have been holding out on you on one particularly sweet, tucked-away spot… But not any more! We’re here to make a clean breast of it and tell you all about this special little place that has stolen our hearts every single time we go out there, and that stole it again last night.
Welcome to the reserve!
What might this place be called? The Caspar Headlands State Reserve, which may be the smallest State Reserve we have ever seen. It’s tiny, miniscule in fact, and hidden at the end of a residential road in the quiet community of Caspar South, so most people have never heard of it. Just above darling Caspar Beach, you turn onto South Caspar Drive and park at the gate barring the way to Headlands Drive. A small sign announces to the chance passerby that there happens to be a little piece of public land just beyond the turn of the tranquil street.
…just around the corner…
What a glorious view!
Last night, it was the end of a long day, but the sky was gloriously clear and promised a spectacular sunset. So on our way home, we decided to make a detour and stop at the Caspar Headlands for a quiet moment with nature to refresh ourselves. As we parked at Headlands Drive, we could feel bodies relaxing in anticipation. We walked through the pedestrian access beside the gate and strolled out between homes hushed with the calm of the ocean that we knew was just on the other side. Once we turned the corner and came to the Reserve, the sinking sun bathed us with its late evening gold, and the drama of the surging water and the rocky bluffs swept away all thoughts of the paperwork we had left on our desks back in the office.
An inviting path to explore
Wild Angelica basking in the golden light
How perfectly peaceful it was. We meandered down the dusty path along the rugged bluff and found a little corner mostly sheltered from the chilly evening sea breeze. We sat down to rest our bodies and our minds on a chalky shelf of ancient sandstone, the creeping ice plants flowing over the edge of the cliff just above our heads. The mist-hazed air that hung over the cresting waves before us was tinged with deepening gold. A small flock of sea birds swiftly winged its way across the steely grey of the waves, whose low and rolling thunder as they growled against the rocks washed away the clamoring worries and cares that had been besieging our thoughts.
We had the perfect view from our hidden seat
Such wonderful color!
The soft gold on the horizon ripened into a deliciously creamy tangerine sorbet. The sky above, totally free of clouds, gently faded from brightest blue to deep aquamarine. And oh! The intense orange of that sinking sun! We wanted to stare at it, its hue was so rich, but its radiance burned our eyes. The fluff of a blown dandelion drifted softly by an inch from our noses, catching us slightly off guard – we were that mesmerized by this evening ritual at the edge of the sea, by the beauty and peace of the moment. A pair of brightly-billed oystercatchers noisily chided each other as they wove across the rocks below in search of one last snack before nightfall, theirs the only voices besides that of the waves to be heard.
The final glimmer
We could feel the fading of the light in the gradual stiffening of our chilled fingers as the fiery orange of the sun slowly, slowly sank below the edge of the world. We stood and headed back towards the car, turning again and again to catch one last glimpse of the lingering glow that rested just at the base of the sky.
It had been just what we needed.
This charming little Caspar Headlands State Reserve is also a great place to go during the day to just sit and soak in an extra, socially distanced dose of the beauty of Mendocino’s rugged coastline, as well as to smile at the funny antics of a colony of harbor seals that can usually be seen sunning themselves on the rocks just offshore.
One last look
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett