Mendocino National Forest

The only national forest in California without a major interstate highway passing through or adjacent to it, Mendocino National Forest offers rare solitude across 913,000 acres of the northern Coast Range between the Sacramento Valley and the Pacific coast. The Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, shared with Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity forests, protects over 150,000 acres of rugged mountain terrain with peaks reaching 8,000 feet and the headwaters of the Middle Fork Eel River, a National Wild and Scenic River. The forest provides critical habitat for bald eagles nesting around Stony Gorge and East Park reservoirs, northern spotted owls in old-growth Douglas fir and white fir stands, and black bears throughout its oak woodlands and conifer forests. Snow Mountain Wilderness, at over 37,000 acres, protects the highest peaks in the Coast Range north of the San Francisco Bay Area and offers challenging hiking through pristine alpine meadows and mixed conifer forest. The Grindstone Creek area and numerous backcountry roads provide access for hunting -- particularly for black-tailed deer and wild pig -- that draws sportsmen from across Northern California. Remote campgrounds along Stony Creek and the upper reaches of the Eel River offer a genuine backcountry experience that is increasingly rare in California's more heavily visited national forests.