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“Good morning!” Sally and Tom called as I popped out of my car onto the sidewalk in front of the Ford House Visitor Center. In walking shoes and comfy clothes, they were ready for our morning tour of the Mendocino Headlands. A couple of months ago, Tom had mentioned how much he loved the natural rock arches around the headlands, and out of that comment had blossomed this plan for an early morning stroll to go admire them together. Sure, I had always taken a distinct amount of pleasure in the picturesque beauty they added to the scenery, but I had never really thought of them as anything other than a part of the overall view. So here I was today, feet itching to hit the trail, and rocks, arches, and rocky sorts of arches fully on the brain.

It was a glorious morning on the southern side of the Mendocino peninsula. The sun was shining bright and warm, and mysterious wisps of fog were floating softly in over the bay, small detachments from the solid bank that clung to the horizon just out to sea. We passed through the fence just west of the Ford House and followed the salty smell of the waves down the straight path to the cliffs. Turning left, or east, we walked a short way until we came to the first of the morning’s arches. Two small rocky islands sat right next to each other, one with a fully formed arch on the end closest to us, and the other with what promised to be the beginning of an arch of its own – a cave that the ocean was slowly digging into the base the rock, patiently excavating with the stolid care of an engineer who has all the time in the world.

After pausing for a minute to compare to arch and the arch yet to be, we turned back to the west and made our way to Portuguese Beach. There, curving out into the mouth of the bay was one of the most well known arches on the Mendocino Headlands. It actually looked like more of a cave or mysterious grotto than an arch with its long, low tunnel, but we could see the light shining through the other side, so it still counted! We followed the trail out onto the promontory, and with the low tide that morning we could see the ebb and flow of the sea surging over hidden tide pools as we peered over the edge of the old blowhole that had sunk into the cave ages ago.

A little farther on, we came to the most eye-catching of the arches on the Headlands, the one perfectly situated on the westernmost side to catch the golden glow of sunset when you’re out there in the evenings. It was completely hidden in fog today, but we could remember many lovely glimpses of it on other walks as we traced its barely visible outline through the fog. Around a few more bends, little arch #5 peeked out at us from the edge of the fog bank, and on the northern side of the trail, the rocky islet that the 6th arch of our stroll called home shouldered its way through the mist to claim a little gleam of sunshine.

By this point, we thought we had come to the end of the arches, but we weren’t sure, as the fog was obscuring rather more than less of the view. We also had the distinct feeling that we had missed one or two more arches in the billowing banks of grey, so we abandoned ourselves to cheerful conversation as we turned back south along Heeser Drive and then up Little Lake back into town. The cool air was perfect for a brisk walk, we had soaked up all we could of the timeless beauty of the arches, and we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. It was a good morning and a great walk!

If you want to see all the arches, you can start just west of the Ford House Visitor Center on Main Street like we did. If you are feeling more in the mood for a shorter bit of strolling, park in the dirt lot at the end of Little Lake Road and head north along the trail. You’ll see several arches and other really neat rock formations in a more concentrated area. You can simply turn around and head back to your car when you are ready to be done. If you would like to walk the full three-mile loop and end up back at your car, see the trail map here (and/or ask for directions at the Front Desk when you check in!). And however far you decide to hike and however many arches you count, enjoy!

~ Words and pictures by Laura Hockett