• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Sea Ranch Abalone Bay

Sea Ranch Vacation Rental Abalone Bay

  • Home
  • Explore
    • Sea Ranch Tours: Self-Guided and Audio
    • Sea Ranch Events
    • Kid Friendly Activities
    • Diving and Fishing
    • Dog Friendly
    • Fly-Ins to The Sea Ranch
    • Art Galleries
    • Restaurants in and Near Sea Ranch
    • Spa and Shopping
    • Area History
    • Community Partners
      • PawPawrazzi Pet Photography
      • Four-eyed Frogs Books
  • Welcome to Our House
    • Reviews
    • FAQs and Information
    • Floor Plans
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
    • Principal Bedroom
    • Guest Bedrooms
    • Game Room
    • Dining Room
    • Private Courtyard
    • Bathrooms
    • Directions
    • Sea Ranch Road Trip
    • Short Term Rental Agreement
    • Long Term Rental Agreement
  • Availability & Booking
  • Press
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • Welcome Message
    • Vision Statement for Ranch Abalone Bay
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Environment
    • Climate Emergency
    • Emergency Information
    • COVID-19 Update
      • Our Response to COVID-19
      • Sea Ranch Facilities Protocols for COVID-19
You are here: Home / News / Can a post-hippie hot spot save the world?

Can a post-hippie hot spot save the world?

May 6, 2014 by Donna Martinez 1 Comment

 

hot spot , Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands
NYTimes photo

Just 10 miles north of Abalone Bay in Sea Ranch, across the Gualala River is the start of the newest hot spot, Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands. This significant and spectacular 1,665 acres of public lands that stretch along the Mendocino coastline in Northern California is the first shoreline addition to the California Coastal National Monument as proclaimed by President Obama this last March.

Situated along the rugged Mendocino County coastline just north of the town of Point Arena the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands are a unique and spectacular area that includes access to 12 coastal miles of undeveloped federal and state-managed public lands, coastal bluffs, the estuary of the Garcia River, sandy beaches and dunes, and adjacent small islands accessible during low tide. Upon visiting the region, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, declared what we already knew:

“The rugged coastline of Point Arena-Stornetta is simply breathtaking and a deserving addition to the California Coastal National Monument.”

 Hot Spot Ranked Third in Places to Go in 2014

hot spot , Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands
Map of Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands

The New York Times agrees. It recently ranked the “moody bluffs” of the Mendocino Coastline third in its list of 52 Places to Go in 2014.   Bonnie Tsui wrote for the Times:

One hundred and thirty miles north of San Francisco, the moody bluffs of the Mendocino Coast have long been a spectacular place from which to observe marine life: passing humpback whales, sun-happy sea lions, foamy waves strewn with kelp. The incorporation of the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands — nearly 1,300 acres — gives hikers new access to a contiguous 12-mile stretch of coastline and fields of wildflowers, cypress forests and cliff areas (some overlooking dramatic blowholes, pinnacles and sea caves), much of it previously off-limits to the public. And Congressional proposals to include the north coast lands as part of the California Coastal National Monument have been introduced, which would mean better protection and more funds for maintenance; plans also exist to extend the California Coastal Trail through the new preserve.

Mendocino Ready to Show off Its Gem with Post-Hippie Charm

Needless to say the members of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors are thrilled with this designation, calling it a “Big deal” that is sure to provide good exposure to help  and encourage more visitors to come see what the region can offer.

Taking a different approach, Alec Scott of the Globe and Mail observes, “the seaside county retains a rough post-hippie charm – both the coast and what’s on shore are more ragged, less manicured than the wine counties of Sonoma and Napa just south of here.”

 hot spot, Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands
Point Arena has 144 steps to the top and is the closest point to Hawaii

 

 The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands- A Critical Refuge

While the incorporation of this hot spot, Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands,  may not save the world, it provide you a wonderful means to unwind from the stress of the city and your busy life. More importantly, it is one critical step in saving  rare, threatened and endangered species and perhaps including coho salmon, steelhead, the Point Arena mountain beaver, and the Behren’s silverspot butterfly, the western snowy plover, and California red-legged frog. The Point Arena-Stornetta lands also provide important habitat for harbor seals, Steller sea lions and an occasional elephant seal, which visitors can catch sight of from the vantage of the terrace’s western bluffs, according to the president’s proclamation.  Congressional proposals to include the north coast lands as part of the California Coastal National Monument have been introduced, which would mean better protection and more funds for maintenance; plans also exist to extend the California Coastal Trail through the new preserve.

 Activities at Point Arena-Stornetta

There are many ways to experience the spectacular landscape of the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit of the California Coastal National Monument.

  • Under interim management rules, people can use the area for daytime activities including wildlife viewing, hiking, bird watching, fishing, picnicking, nature photography and public access to the Mendocino Coast
  • Motor vehicles, bicycles, horses, and overnight camping will be prohibited, pending a final management plan. The nearby Stornetta Brothers Ranch buildings and 579 acre agricultural conservation easment are not open to the public.

Have you visited the Mendocino coast lately? What were your favorite hot spots?

And for your next visit our newest coastal jewel, Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, consider using Abalone Bay  as your home-base for your travels northward.

Filed Under: News, Vacation Tips

About Donna Martinez

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Thanksgiving at Sea Ranch Abalone Bay -Tips for a Great Holiday says:
    July 8, 2023 at 2:02 am

    […] better to spend Thanksgiving than on Sonoma County’s rugged Sea Ranch Coast with your family gathered […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

OwnerRez - vacation rental software! Copyright © 2023 Sea Ranch Abalone Bay :: website by RedSpiralHand :: Log in
  • Our House
  • Availability & Booking
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • info@searanchabalonebay.com
  • (707) 490-8291
  • Opt-out preferences
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}