Rating:
Area: Mendocino County
Distance: 4 miles (or extend to 6 miles)
Type: Semi-loop
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 400ft (from 150 - 350ft)

In Mendocino County you'll find some of the greatest unspoiled coastal landscapes in between the redwood forests and the wine groves.

Russian Gulch State Park begins in the coastal mountains and cuts its way through a canyon of redwoods and out to sea, past a picturesque route one highway bridge, and a number of sea caves.

Pick out a route from a choice of trails within the gulch, and you can choose a very short hike or one of up to 6 miles. We recommend the 4 mile out-and-back to a charming little waterfall, which can be reached with minimal elevation gains. Of course, all waterfalls are subject to season, but we found this one to be still flowing even in very late summer. After your hike, be sure to check out the coastland headlands and the blow-hole overlook.

A day use fee is required at the State Park, which is manned during in-season months. The trailhead is located at the far end of the campsite.

Tangents:
- State Park Website: Park Map (PDF file)
- State Park Website: Russian Gulch Park
- Wikipedia: Mendocino County
* add your flickr photos to the gallery with the tag trailspottingrussiangulch

Note - GPS track is not available for this trail, and the links above show only limited information. If you have a GPX file of this route that you would like to share with us then we'd love to hear from you.