Wandering in the woods
A beautiful trek in Jackson Demonstration State Forest
Always look out for banana slugs when hiking around Mendocino - both because they look cool and because you REALLY don’t want to step on one and get it stuck in your shoe……
In the last update to Mendocino County’s Shelter in Place Order, restrictions were loosened just enough for us to be able to drive up to 20 miles for outdoor activity. The State Parks are of course still all closed, but there are plenty of quiet trails winding through the woods around here that we have been happy to get to explore on our by-default socially distant wanderings. One recent Saturday morning saw us heading into the Jackson Demonstration State Forest from a trailhead about 4 miles up Little Lake Road. The day was starting out a little bit on the foggy side, with the early morning sun just barely beginning to light up the wisps of grey that swirled through the redwood trunks. The trail was an old logging road that has now become the almost sole domain of the occasional hiker, mountain biker, or neighbor walking their dog, so at the same time as being nice and broad and fairly free of obstacles, it was blissfully quiet.
The delicate details of the redwood sorrel
We walked along, talking and laughing into the damp air bedewing our eyelashes with droplets of fog. Soon, the slope of the old road started to descend at a rate that was, while not too terribly steep, steep enough for us to know that we were most definitely going to be feeling it in our legs on the way back out. We kept on, peering down the intriguing one-track mountain bike trails that every now and again popped out onto the main trail… what serene groves or relatively untouched portraits of nature might be hiding around those twisting bends?
It was so lovely down by the river, the water flowing just behind the curtain of alder trees.
Finally, the route leveled out at the bottom of the incline, and we found ourselves at a branch in the road. Turning right, we immediately realized we were walking along the upper reaches of Big River! The trail here was so gorgeous. Now a single-track foot path, it first lead us right along the softly murmuring waters of the river, then back deeper into the woods; now by ancient, twisted trunks, and again through a little meadow of cheery forget-me-nots. There was no fog here, and the sunlight danced brightly down through the leaves overhead to kiss the wild irises and redwood sorrel with that dreamy springtime glow.
Oh, these wild irises…..
At some point that we’re estimating was between 3.5 and 4 miles from our car, we decided to turn around and head back, mostly because we were starting to get hungry! As we retraced our steps along the river and through the woods, we savored afresh every vista we had enjoyed before. And we dreamed aloud about returning and exploring some of those intriguing mountain bike paths or of even making the full trek down to the trailhead at Big River Beach. First though, lunch – and next time we’re packing snacks!
Evening close to the trailhead at Big River Beach - a view you might get to enjoy if you do go for the full trek down from the gate on Little Lake Road.
To find this trail that we couldn’t find a name for, turn east on Little Lake Road from Highway 1 at the one and only stoplight leading into the village of Mendocino. Set your odometer to 0, and enjoy the winding drive through the outlying Mendo community as it disolves into the woods. Quaint homes give way to beautiful trees. You’ll pass the Cal Fir station, and when your odometer reads just about 4.2 miles, you’ll see a turn off to your right, with a bright yellow bar stretched across the entrance of the old logging road to keep cars out. Pull in and park along either side of the turnout – don’t park right in front of the gate in case Cal Fire needs to get through for some errand or other.
Now wander to your heart’s content! The start of the path along the river lies about 1.5-2 miles down the hill. You could just go down to look at the water and come back. Or explore one or two of the mountain biking trails. Or go as far along as you like and come back. If you’re feeling ambitious and you have two cars, drop one car off at the trailhead at Big River Beach just a mile north of the inn and take the other car up to this trailhead on Little Lake Road. We’re estimating from one car to the other, if you stay on the main trail the whole way and don’t detour, would be about 12-13 beautiful miles. You could then easily drive back to pick up your second car before heading into Mendocino for a well-deserved lunch or back to the inn for our evening Wine Hour… maybe throw a nap in there too!
Words & pictures by Laura Hockett