Dog & Kid-Friendly Mendocino, CA Itinerary: The Perfect 3-day Coastal Getaway from Sacramento
We had the dreamiest stay in Mendocino! It was our first time, but definitely not our last. We have fallen in love with this part of the coast, the views are absolutely stunning with such a relaxing vibe! Mendocino is located 4 hours away from Sacramento.
You can also break it up by spending the first part of your trip at Dillon Beach in Bodega Bay and driving up Hwy 1 just 2.5-3 hours up to Mendocino. (You find my post about where to eat, stay and play at Dillon Beach here.
If you’re thinking about or planning a trip to Mendocino, here are some of the best things to do with kids (and dogs too) in Mendocino plus some great places to stay and eat.
Where to Stay:
While we visited, we stayed at Mendocino Cove Resort. Which offers spacious suites, beautiful grounds and direct access to a quiet cove—perfect for kids to explore and pups to tag along!
This thoughtfully designed coastal retreat offers plenty of amenities and fun extras like pickle ball, that your family will love. It’s not just a place to stay—but an experience.
Amenities include: private beach cove access, pickleball, private patios, cozy fireplace, swing-set and grassy area with bocce ball.
It is pet-friendly— complete with dog beds, bowls, treats, towels and a gated off-leash park.
Varying suite sizes and accommodations to choose from with a Scandinavian-inspired sleep approach.
They are currently in their soft-opening phase and have amenities that are coming early this spring, such as wellness experiences: hot tub, dry sauna and cold plunge. Indoor game room with air hockey and ping pong. On-site dining, fitness center & more!
We loved that this hotel was conveniently located to all the fun and unique places the area has to offer. It’s situated in between downtown Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Perfect for exploring!
What to do & Where to Eat - (3-day & 2 night itinerary)
Day 1:
- Check into Mendocino Cove at 3:00pm.
- Walk down to the cove & play in the waves (5 min walk from hotel)
- Dinner & ice cream at Frankie’s in Downtown Mendocino (open 11:00-8:00) dog-friendly patio. A charming, family-owned pizzeria. Serving the deliciously famous Cow Lick’s Ice Cream locally sourced in Fort Bragg.
- Watch the sunset at Mendocino Headlands (2 min drive from Frankie’s) Breathtaking ocean cliffs that you can explore and stroll at your own pace. There is a fun arch that goes over the ocean that you can walk across. This is a stunning location to watch the sunset.
Day 2:
- Breakfast at the Good Life Cafe & Bakery (open 7:30-2:00) A great spot for breakfast in Mendocino with a dog-friendly patio, located right in the heart of downtown Mendocino. I am still dreaming about their baked goods. They have a fun gift shop located inside.
- Visit Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. This beach is covered in smooth, colorful sea glass created from old dumping grounds located close by that’s been naturally tumbled by the ocean for over decades. Expect small coves with patches of sea class, the entire beach is not covered.
- Skunk Train (5 minutes away from Glass Beach) Cruise along historic tracks, soak in the forest views and make it an adventure the whole crew will remember. This is one of those Fort Bragg experiences you don’t want to miss! They offer 4 different rail bike routes, we did the Pudding Creek Route. It’s about a 30 minute ride along scenic Pudding Creek, over wooden trestle bridges to a hidden bar tucked back under the towering red woods. You’ll have a 50-minute layover there where you can go on a short hike, explore the creek, play yard games or sit back, relax and enjoy the fireplaces. Then you’ll pedal back 30 minutes back to the train station. They have dog trailers available. If rail biking isn’t your speed, there are plenty of train rides they offer too that also take you to this hidden spot in the woods.
- Late Lunch at Mendocino Market in Downtown Mendocino (open 11-4:30) A delightful spot to grab a delicious sandwich, with lots of options to choose from. Also dog-friendly. They have games stocked to play. Our boys loved playing a game of chess while we ate.
- After lunch walk around Downtown Mendocino & browse the shops and cute Victorian houses.
- Clifftop walk down to Portuguese Beach. Part of the Mendocino Headlands State Park along the south end of the park close to the downtown area. An easy, breath-taking coastal path along the cliffs. The beach is accessible down a flight of wooden stairs, that almost seems like it’s right out of a story-book, it’s so cool. There’s so much to explore on the beach, with lots of drift-wood to build forts. My family could spend hours down there!
- Grab Ice cream at Frankie’s again (because every day of vacation deserves ice cream) before you catch the sunset
- Sunset at Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. A cool lighthouse with amazing views of the coast and cliffs. Be prepared to walk to and from the parking lot down to the lighthouse, we had whiny kids at the end of the day.
Day 3:
- Morning walk to the cove
- Play pickle ball on-site at the many courts they have available. Open to guests daily with free equipment rentals.
- Check out of hotel at 11:00am
- Brunch at Good Life Cafe & Bakery (it’s so good you’ll want it again!!)
- Walk down and spend the rest of the day playing at Portuguese Beach. Or rent a canoe from Catch a Canoe and Bicycles, Too at the Stanford Inn and Resort and paddle along Big River. (I had originally planned to do the canoes, but my kids wanted to spend more time at Portuguese Beach, playing in the waves and building forts. So, that’s what we did and it was a glorious afternoon!)
- Grab a different sandwich from Mendocino Market this time before you leave to drive back home. Or if you have time to sit down and eat, visit Mendocino Cafe (open 11am-4pm & 5-9pm)
Other things to do that I researched and looked fun but ran out of time to do:
- Rent canoes from Catch a canoe at Stanford Inn and paddle on Big River Beach
- Russian Gulch State Park - Home to the stunning Devil’s Punch Bowl and a must-see waterfall hike. With lots of other great hiking, trails to choose from. With a stunning view of the hwy 1 bridge. Picnic and play on the creek nearby.
Hope this helps in planning your trip to Mendocino! This was part 2 of our Highway 1 Roadtrip. For part 1 we stayed at Dillon Beach near Bodega Bay. It’s only a 2.5 drive from Mendocino and made for the perfect getaway. You can read that post here!
