Manchester State Park (also known as Manchester State Beach) is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States. It includes of protected beachfront on the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

in Northern California on State Route 1, north of

Point Arena Point Arena, formerly known as Punta Arena (Spanish for "Sandy Point") is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Point Arena is located west of Hopland, at an elevation of . The population was 460 at the 2020 cen ...

. The park features sand dunes, flat grasslands and five miles of gentle, sandy beachfront. The park is noted for

steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and ...

and

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...

fishing in the park's two streams, Brush Creek and Alder Creek, as well as the driftwood that collects in the catch basin created by the gently curved coastline. The site was established as a California state park in 1955 and takes its name from Manchester, California, seven miles north of Point Arena. Aside from the coastal views, Manchester State Beach consists of grazing lands with flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle. Blue Irises, baby blue eyes,

lupin ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

es,

poppies Poppies can refer to: *Poppy, a flowering plant * The Poppies (disambiguation) - multiple uses *'' Poppies (film)'' - Children's BBC remembrance animation *"Poppies", a song by Patti Smith Group from their 1976 album '' Radio Ethiopia'' *"Poppies", ...

, and sea pinks are featured in the park’s variety of wildflowers. Just off shore, the

San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal) ...

runs into the waters of the park. From October to April,

Humpback whales The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The humpb ...

and

Gray whale The gray whale (''Eschrichtius robustus''), also known as the grey whale,Britannica Micro.: v. IV, p. 693. gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, Korean gray whale, or California gray whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and bre ...

s can be spotted offshore during the annual migration. Right off the coast of Arena Point, experienced divers can dive from boats to view

kelp forests Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...

and other marine life found in the park's protected waters. Camping is available on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are required and group campgrounds are available until the 16th of November.

Marine Protected Areas

The Point Arena State Marine Reserve & Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area are two marine protected areas that extend offshore from Point Arena. Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area and Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area lie south of Point Arena. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

History

Before European contact, Manchester was the territory of the

Pomo people The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small gr ...

, the native peoples at the time. Over time, the Pomo were gradually integrated into white society. Manchester State Park was one of 70

California state parks The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...

proposed for closure by July 2012 as part of a deficit reduction program. It was previously one of many state parks threatened with closure in 2008. Those closures were ultimately avoided by cutting hours and maintenance system-wide.

Climate

Temperatures range from a high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The park experiences heavy rainfall from September to May with evening fog common throughout the summer months. There are strong winds year-round and warm clothing is recommended.

Visiting the Park

The hike to Alder Creek is a five-mile round trip hike consisting of walks along the beach and through the woods. Arriving at Alder Creek, many waterfowl and spawning salmon can be seen depending on the time of year. Throughout the year, strong winds blast the park's bluffs and beaches. Hikers are advised to check the wind report before planning a trip to Manchester State Beach. As a visitor to the park, expect to see a vast driftwood collection along the coastline of the park. Hikers and visitors will find themselves climbing over piles of driftwood scattered across the beach. Near the park’s south boundary, people can go on tours of the historic Pt. Arena Lighthouse built in 1870. The beach is complemented by an upland area that offers visitors loop trails that venture alongside ponds, through dark sand, and up and around bluffs and dunes. The main trailhead can be accessed seven-miles north of Point Arena on Kinney road where the park provides signage to direct visitors to the trailheads. Throughout the park, unique wind shelters built out of driftwood, by beach-goers, are featured alongside the bluffs and along the beach. A connector trail can be taken to Alder Creek where a condemned beach house can be seen and explored a half mile into the trail.

References

External links