Read this guide before you go to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, California so you know what to expect!  There are hundreds of different species of plants, flowers, and birds, and even a farm with sheep nearby. Miles of (mostly stroller-friendly) hiking lead around the gardens and run all the way to the coastal bluff. You can buy plants at the garden center,  and sometimes you could get lucky and run into a used book sale too. A great morning or afternoon outing if you are near Fort Bragg!

Overview and Our Experience at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are located in the town of Fort Bragg, California, about a 10-minute drive north of Mendocino. I can’t say enough how friendly the staff was there! As soon as we got there, we were greeted by 2 friendly staff and were given all the information we needed to walk around the gardens. We had so many questions – as we usually do traveling with kids. Can we bring in a stroller? Can we walk with a stroller all the way to the coastal bluffs? Do you sell coffee? All were answered so kindly. (The answers to these questions were all – yeses.)

 

We went there in early spring, so it wasn’t the warmest, but as you can see in some of our pictures, it had that beautiful misty air that the Northern California coast does often. We loved that the Botanical Gardens were contained, perfect for our wandering kids. The Botanical Gardens also had little treasures that our kids could find, like statutes among the flowers or little-hidden gardens. We, as adults liked it because so many of the plants were marked so we could learn about what each plant/flower/trees were called and teach it to Henry. We usually just say “these are yellow flowers!” but it was nice to be able to teach him the actual names for once. 🙂

We would love to come back another time for their magnolias! We go to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens often, which are also known for their magnolias. We would love to compare the differences. 

Website: https://www.gardenbythesea.org/

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgZHSMSB2LX/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mendocinocoastbotanicalgardens/

Terrain:

The main system of trails is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers and you can easily walk to the coastal bluff section with a stroller using the South Trail. There are many narrower and/or steeper trails all throughout the gardens, though, so if you want to check out the entire trail system, wear your babies. Our City Mini did fine there on that trail and a few others when we veered off on some side trails. We love to have our carrier regardless though, just in case Andrew needs a change of scenery. ?

Dog-Friendly: Yes!

Time Spent: Most people spend about an hour and a half here. We strolled to the coast and back, including some stops exploring the rest of the gardens in about an hour.

Price: For non-members, usually $15 per person over 15 ($8 for ages 6-14 and free for 5 and under!), but we were lucky enough to go on“Retro Day” and it was only $1 per adult!

Parking & How to Get to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

The best way (and the only way we know how) to visit the Botanical Gardens is by driving. It is about a 10-minute drive from downtown Mendocino.

Parking

There is plenty of free parking right on the property. Leave your parking anxiety in San Francisco and come here worry-free!

Food Options at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

We got lucky and went there on the weekend that Rhody’s Garden Café reopened! It was nice to be able to grab a latte for our walk. They also have paninis, sandwiches, salads, soups and other locally sourced goodies! The cafe is open seasonally, April to September, from 11 AM to 3 or 4:30 PM (later on weekends).

What to Bring to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Food and Drinks

As mentioned above, they do have a cafe, but if you have kids with particular tastes (for us, that’s goldfish…) or if you want to save some money with a picnic lunch, then bring your own snacks or meals. There were many benches all around the gardens for whenever we wanted a break.

Layers

When we went, it was warmer within the gardens but got chillier by the ocean. Bring or wear layers to be prepared for changes in temperature (and wind)!

Sunscreen/Sun Protection

There are some trails that run through their Closed-Cone Pine Forest and other shady areas, but most of the gardens and the coastal bluff area are in full sun. Bring some protection just in case!

Picnic Blanket

There were plenty of benches all around the gardens to sit around, but there were also grassy areas where you could sit down and lounge for a while. Especially if you’re going on a nice sunny day, definitely bring a picnic blanket!

Stroller/Carrier

The South Trail is stroller-friendly. Our City Mini did fine there on that trail and a few others when we veered off on some side trails. We love to have our carrier regardless though, just in case Andrew needs a change of scenery.

Highlights of What You Will See at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

There are more things to see than what we list here, but here are our favorites! For all of the exhibits and things you can see at the Botanical Gardens – check out their website here.

Floral Collections

Depending on the season, you might see their magnolia, camellia, and rhododendron. When we went, we saw the rhododendron and it smelled amazing!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiAhv-cnbAH/

Conifer Collection

Did you know pines were only one kind of conifer (or plant that has its seeds in cones) and that there are actually hundreds of different kinds? I didn’t, but I learned that on the website and got to see the garden’s collection in person – they have almost 200 varieties! These were really cool – we loved seeing all the different shapes and sizes of the cones! Very impressive and eye-catching.

Sculpture Collection

The sculptures at the gardens are provided by the Arts Council of Mendocino County. We saw some sculptures in the beginning when we first walked in.

The Coastal Bluff

This is what sold us on making the trip out. We’d never been to a botanical garden by the ocean before! It’s such an easy stroll to get to the bluff, and what a fun point! There was a bench there, which was perfect for Henry to rest his legs on our halfway point. He played around picking up sticks and stones around there while Tony and I took turns taking pictures. (There is a cliff, so we had to keep one set of eyes on the kids.) And the view is absolutely breathtaking!

Stage Area

There is a little garden with a stage and a grassy lawn. A great place to sit down and take a break, or get on stage and dance around.

Cactus Collection

Not very extensive, but it was fun seeing all the different types of cactus.

Nearby Farm

Another surprise to see sheep just a fence away! If you have kids that love farm animals, this is definitely a selling point.

Classes & Events at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Check out their events page here for specific classes and events. They have classes about the plants and flowers in the gardens, walks where they explain the collections, volunteer opportunities, events like book sales, plant sales, festivals, and a ton more! We were lucky enough to go when the plant and book sales were going on. The books on gardening, from their own collection, were especially inspiring to look through.

Other Attractions Near the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens  

There’s actually so many other national parks and attractions in Fort Bragg and surrounding areas. We have a roundup of what to do, eat, and see in Mendocino and Fort Bragg here.

Looking for a place to stay near Fort Bragg? Check out the Andiron Inn and Cabins! It’s been voted “Most Romantic” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, and most family-friendly by us! Yes – those two things actually *can* go hand in hand.

Overall Thoughts About the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Overall, we are so happy we made this stop right before we left the Mendocino area to go home! It was one of our highlights of the trip. We saw lots of National Parks on this trip, but the Botanical Gardens was the most colorful in terms of all of the flora and plants. It made for a gorgeous spring hike. We hope to come back in all different seasons to compare the different plants and what they grow there. We are so lucky to live pretty close – an easy getaway from San Francisco. Can’t wait for many more visits!

Have you been to the Mendocino Botanical Gardens? Tell us what you thought of it!

 

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