Mendocino Headlands State Park
Big River & Ames Lodge Trail via Big River Road
3.4 mi · ▲ 547 ft · 1 hr 24 min
Big River & Ames Lodge Trail via Big River Road is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in Mendocino Headlands State Park near Mendocino, CA. The route reaches Big River at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It climbs 547 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 64/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Big River & Ames Lodge Trail via Big River Road
3.4 mi · ▲ 547 ft · 1 hr 24 min
Elevation 23–596 ft
Out & Back · Mendocino Headlands State Park
Trailhead: Pole Line Trail · 39.31354, -123.74431
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 68°F / low 49° · precip 1% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:43 PM
- Start on Pole Line Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Ames Lodge Trail, heading S.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Big River Road, heading N.
- 50 ftReach Big River, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear left onto Ames Lodge Trail, heading N.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Pole Line Trail, heading NE.
- 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:23 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:43 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:10 PM.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Pole Line Trail Trailhead
- Pole Line Trail via Big River Road 3.7 mi · ▲ 545 ft
- Big River Road–Dry Dock, 4 sights 13 mi · ▲ 2,083 ft
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