A sheltered coastal cove where a sandy beach meets calm waters near a river mouth, surrounded by forested canyons, sea stacks, and diverse coastal ecosystems.
Some beach access areas open earlier; visitor facilities may vary by season
Beach parking areas may be free; camping and special use fees vary
How to Get There
From Mendocino (3 mi): Drive south on CA-1 for about 3 miles into Little River, where the beach parking area is located directly off the highway on the west side.
Overview
The Van Damme State Beach offers a uniquely calm stretch of coastline where a small sandy cove opens to the Pacific at the mouth of a coastal river. Sheltered by rocky headlands and framed by windswept trees, the beach provides relatively gentle waters that attract kayakers, divers, and families seeking a quieter coastal experience. Just steps away, the landscape transitions dramatically into lush inland terrain—ferns carpet canyon floors, towering trees line winding trails, and wildlife thrives along the freshwater corridor of Little River.
Beyond the shoreline, the broader park reveals one of the region’s most fascinating natural features: a rare pygmy forest, where nutrient-poor acidic soils have stunted trees into miniature forms despite their advanced age. This striking contrast between coastal cove, dense forest, and otherworldly dwarf woodland creates a layered environment unlike any other on the Mendocino Coast. Combined with opportunities for hiking, tidepool exploration, and sea cave kayaking, the area offers visitors both serene beauty and geological intrigue in a compact yet diverse setting.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the Van Damme State Beach, which are released under the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
