Located in one of the “dogholes” that dot the Mendocino coastline, Van Damme was once part of the thriving lumber mill town of Little River. Today, there are no vestiges of logging operations. Instead, the park stretches from the beach back through the lush Fern Canyon and to the Pygmy Forest where mature, cone-bearing cypress and pine trees stand six inches to eight feet tall. The park’s ten miles of the trail go along the fern-carpeted canyon of Little River. A paved road is used by joggers and bicyclists. The beach is popular with abalone divers and is a great place to explore the sea caves with Kayak Mendocino.
