Lake Mendocino Recreation Area

Lake Mendocino Recreation Area

1160 Lake Mendocino Dr.
Ukiah, California 95482
Local Phone: (707) 462-7581

Created by the construction of the Coyote Dam, this beautiful lake recreation area is set among rolling hills and oak groves near the headwaters of the Russian River offering 15 miles of dog-friendly hiking trails.

The lake has more than 1,800 surface acres, and there is a wide variety of land and water recreational opportunities.

• Dogs welcome.
• No pet fee.
• Dogs must be on a leash and be cleaned up after.
• Dogs are allowed throughout the park and on the trails.

Onward and Inland!
Photo Credit: Chandelier Tree, Redwood Coast (CC)
Photo Credit: Chandelier Tree, Redwood Coast (CC)
Drive north on Highway 1 from Fort Bragg, and you’ll soon turn away from the coast and enter the county’s “Inland Empire.” It’s about an hour to Leggett, where the road merges with Highway 101 and the Redwood Coast begins. more »
Meandering The Mendo Coast With Your Dog
Fetch!
Fetch! Photo: Colleen Proppe
While you can drive from one end of Mendocino County to the other in a morning or afternoon (it’s 102 winding miles from Leggett to Gualala on scenic Highway 1) this intoxicating stretch of coastline is best savored at a snail’s pace. Our advice: Hang your hat (and leash) for at least a night in one of the many dog-friendly lodgings situated within sight and sound of the sea.  more »
Mendocino's Inland Charms
Spunky little dog near Lake Mendocino
Spunky little dog near Lake Mendocino. Photo: Swift Benjamin
Drive north on Highway 1 from Fort Bragg, and you’ll soon leave the coast and turn inland. It’s about an hour to Leggett, where the road merges with Highway 101 and the Redwood Coast begins. Leggett is home to one of the North State's most enduring roadside attractions, the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree, a centuries-old coast redwood that was transformed into a tourist stop in the 1930's, when a 6-foot-wide tunnel was bored through it. Visitors ever since have been driving their cars into the opening and snapping photos with kids and dogs waving hands and paws out the windows. more »
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Dogs on the Beach in Northern California
Mendocino County in spring is an emerald wonderland that begs to be admired, and there’s no better way to do so than to don a pair of hiking shoes and take to the hills. more »
Woof It Up in the Wild
Sunset at Point ArenaMany Mendocino visitors stay glued to the coast during their visits, but to do so is to miss out on star canine attractions such as Cow Mountain Recreation Area, 27,000 acres of rugged terrain administered by the Bureau of Land Management near Ukiah; the Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest; and Stornetta Public Lands, a 1,132-acre coastal haven near Point Arena. more »
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