Dry Dock–East Trail, 8 sights is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Russian Gulch State Park near Mendocino, CA. It climbs 1,976 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 72/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi10 – 863 ft · steepest grade: 15%16.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Russian Gulch State Park 39.33106, -123.79459
Nearest town Mendocino, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Dry Dock–East Trail, 8 sights
16.1 mi · ▲ 1,976 ft · 6 hr 21 min
Elevation 11–863 ft
Out & Back · Russian Gulch State Park
Trailhead: Russian Gulch State Park · 39.33106, -123.79459
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 66°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:43 PM
Toilets at the trailhead
- Start on Russian Gulch State Park, heading NE.
- 1.6 miBear left onto Falls Loop Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto East Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 250 ftTurn right onto North Boundary Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Parallel Action, heading SE.
- 1.2 miBear right onto Gas Tank, heading S.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Gas Cap, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Endo, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto O No!, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Dry Dock, heading S.
- 1.3 miBear right onto Big River Road, heading SW.
- 1 miReach Fern Canyon Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miBear left onto Dry Dock, heading NE.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto O No!, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Endo, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Gas Cap, heading NW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Gas Tank, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Parallel Action, heading W.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn left onto East Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Falls Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Fern Canyon Trail, heading W.
- 1.5 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
71% dirt29% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 66°F51°
Precip0%Wind8 mphUV7Humidity80%
Hourly temperature
70°50°
Sunrise 6:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:43 PM
Sat
61°52°
Sun
70°49°
Mon
78°47°
Tue
76°53°
Wed
72°50°
Thu
79°58°
16%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.7 mi in (~80 min). Leave by 6:03 PM for the 7:43 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:04 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Russian Gulch State Park Trailhead
- Fern Canyon Trail 3.1 mi · ▲ 87 ft
- East Trail–Fern Canyon Trail, 4 sights 10.8 mi · ▲ 1,137 ft
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