Mendocino National Forest

Mendocino National Forest is a 913,306-acre national forest in northwestern California’s inland Coast Range, notable as the state’s only national forest without a major paved access road. Created through a series of designations and renamings between 1907 and 1932, it developed into a remote landscape valued for recreation, protected backcountry, and scientific work. Its four wilderness areas, lakes, and river canyons help define its character, while a Forest Service research center in Chico reflects its role in reforestation and plant studies. Fire has also profoundly shaped the forest, from the deadly 1953 Rattlesnake Fire to the 2020 August Complex Fire, while old-growth stands and reintroduced tule elk underscore its ecological importance.

California · United States