Manchester

Our Mission Manchester State Park The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Once a hazardous area for shipwrecks and a home for dairy ranches, this park’s rare dune habitat and miles of sandy beach offer visitors a magnificent California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (707) 937-5804. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Manchester State Park 44500 Kinney Road (Off Highway 1) Manchester, CA 95459 (707) 937-5804 or 882-2463 © 2010 California State Parks (Rev. 2015) coastal retreat. M anchester State Park offers visitors one of the few remaining “wild” landscapes along California’s northern coast. More than four miles of pristine beach backed by undulating dunes, wetlands, and coastal bluffs provide opportunities for recreation, exploration, and inspiration. The park consists of 1,500 acres onshore, with a 3,782-acre adjacent underwater lease. The mild coastal climate is generally cool, windy, and foggy. Temperatures range from winter lows in the high 30s to summer highs near 70 degrees. PARK HISTORY Native People For centuries before European contact, the area surrounding Manchester was the territory of the Central Pomo. The local people were called the Bokeya Pomo; their village, Pda’hau, was near the mouth of the Garcia River. They, like other California Indians, were primarily self-sufficient, drawing from plentiful resources of the ocean, rivers, forests, and coastal shelf. Early in the 1800s, Bokeya Pomo contact with Europeans was limited to the Russian colony at nearby Fort Ross. The mid-tolate 1800s saw a period of white settlement and development of towns, agriculture, and the logging industry within the Bokeya homeland. Efforts to resettle local Indian populations sent the Bokeya Pomo people to the Mendocino Indian Reservation near Fort Bragg. When the reservation was disbanded in 1867, the surviving people tried to return to their native area. Much of their lands had been claimed by settlers, so the Pomo labored on farms or did seasonal work. In 1936, with the approval of their constitution and bylaws, the Bokeya became the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians. They had jurisdiction over their rancheria land and operated a dairy business until 1959. While their participation in modern society has increased over the last 200 years, they still retain many of their traditional values, beliefs, and cultural identity. Becoming a State Park The William Barns Davis family owned land in this area during the mid-1870s. In 1930, California’s State Park Commission set aside 295 coastal acres for public recreation. In 1961, then-owner James Biaggi granted the State part of a dairy ranch built by Sylvanus Hoyt in the northern portion of today’s park. The combined land was named Manchester State Park in 1991. In 1987, a 500-acre offshore section around Arena Rock was established as Arena Rock Marine Natural Preserve. The area is now part of the larger Point Arena State Marine Reserve, created in 2010 by the statewide Marine Life Protection Act. The Act prohibits disturbance or collection of marine creatures. Treacherous Arena Rock sits in about 100 feet of water off the southwestern tip of the park; its sedimentary top has a jutting vertical portion visible only at very low tide. Before the nearby Point Arena Lighthouse was built, six known shipwrecks were attributed to the hazards of Arena Rock. An additional 34 ships were presumed lost at sea in the area. The lighthouse exhibits some artifacts recovered from wrecks. NATURAL HISTORY Wildlife and Vegetation Manchester State Park hosts rare and atrisk creatures in its wetland and coastal dune habitats. On land, tread carefully. Watch out for threatened snowy plovers This state park is home to threatened Western snowy plovers. Allowing any dog in an area where snowy plovers nest can cause the parent to use precious energy reserves to flee or seek cover—abandoning a nest with eggs or immature chicks and exposing them to predators and the elements. Staying a safe distance from sensitive species and their habitats is vitally important. Western snowy plovers Fishing—Steelhead may be caught in Brush Creek and Alder Creek. Please check with the Department of Fish and Wildlife for seasonal closures and restrictions at www.wildlife.ca.gov/ regulations. All anglers 16 and over must possess a valid California fishing license. on the beach, threatened red-legged frogs in the wetlands, and endangered Point Arena mountain beavers in coastal scrub and riparian areas. The park hosts tundra swans in winter. Abalone and sea urchins attach to rocks underwater in the marine area. Colorful nudibranchs also brighten the underwater landscape. The endangered tidewater goby, a fish native to California, lives in the park’s lagoons. Many shore birds and water birds stop to rest here during seasonal migrations. Coastal wildflowers, such as sea pinks, California poppies, baby blue eyes, and wild irises, bloom in the spring. Both native and invasive beach grasses grow on the dunes. Geology The northernmost segment of California’s 800-mile-long San Andreas Fault, separating the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, intersects a portion of Manchester State Park. Movement along the fault, naturally meandering stream outlets, and rising sea levels all contribute to the dramatic loss of sections along the coastal bluff. Recreation Hiking, wildlife viewing, and enjoying the park’s nearly five miles of beach are popular pastimes. Whales may be spotted offshore during the annual gray whale migration from December to April. Experienced, certified ACCESSIBLE features The main campground and day-use parking lot have accessible vault toilets. Accessibility in state parks is continually improving. For updates, visit http://access.parks.ca.gov. scuba divers may dive from their boats near Arena Rock, part of the Point Arena State Marine Reserve. Shore diving in the turbulent water is not advised. Camping—Nearly 40 family campsites and eight environmental sites are available firstcome, first-served. The family sites can hold tents, trailers up to 22 feet, or RVs up to 30 feet long. The dune environmental campsites require a one-mile walk from the parking lot. Call (707) 937-5804 for environmental campsite conditions. The group campsite is limited to 40 people and 12 vehicles. Group camping reservations are recommended for weekends or summertime. To reserve the group site, call (800) 444-7275 or visit the website at www.parks.ca.gov. PLEASE REMEMBER • Except for service animals, dogs are allowed only in the campground. All dogs must be leashed and must be confined to a tent or vehicle at night • All park features are protected by law and may not be disturbed or removed. • Fires and vehicles are not allowed on the beach or dunes. • Hang gliding and paragliding are not permitted at the park. nearbY STATE PARKS • Hendy Woods State Park 18599 Philo-Greenwood Road Philo 95466 (707) 937-5804 or 895-3141 • Schooner Gulch State Beach Schooner Gulch Road at Highway 1 Point Arena 95468 (707) 937-5804 to Mendocino and sW e tl State Park r And San Manchester s Trail L A K E D AV I S W E T L A N D S AND C O A S TA L D U N E S N AT U R A L P R E S E RV E Tra il nds We tl a D a v is Park Entrance 0 0.25 Miles 0 0.4 Kilometers to 1 Davis Lake Pond Da Accessible Feature Campfire Center vi s see detail map We tl L A K E D AV I S WETLANDS AND C O A S TA L DUNES an ds N AT U R A L Tr a P R E S E RV E il Environmental Campground Oc ea Drinking Water Arena Rock © 2009 California State Parks Map by Eureka Cartography, Berkeley, CA Group Campground Hike/Bike Campground 0 0.5 1 Mile Information/ Self-Registration 0 0.8 1.6 Kilometers Park Entrance Br ush Cree k MANCHESTER fi MANCHESTER ci Trailhead S T AT E M A R I N E hA c Ba s rn Dr 101 Cr at Fort Bragg Caspar Mendocino Woodlands Jug Handle SNR Caspar Headlands SB/SNR eg B ri B R U S H C R E E KTra/il LAGOON LAKE P W E T L A N D S A N D Day-Use C O A S T A L D U N E S Area N AT U R A L P R E S E RV E to Eureka n Lagoon Bea c s ce R E S E RV E L a go o st o l Rd POINT ARENA Pa RV Sanitation Station © 2010 California State Parks (Rev. 2015) Stoneboro Rd SP Point Cabrillo Light Station SHP Mendocino Headlands SP Russian 20 Gulch Montgomery Van SP Woods SNR Damme SP Navarro River Redwoods SP Greenwood SB Mendocino Pa cifi Na c Elk var 1 Manchester SP Ri ve r Oc Boonville ea n Point Arena Ukiah Hendy Woods SP ro Mailliard Redwoods SNR 253 128 Schooner Gulch SB 0 5 10 10 15 20 20 Mi 30 Km Brush Creek c Parking Restroom 0 Kinney Road S TAT E PA R K Marsh Area MacKerricher SP 1 n Campground P k State Marine Reserve er ee Natural Preserve Ald Cr Kinney Road lo r d Hiking Trail lt P Unpaved Road Fau Davis Wetlands Trail Major Road oa kR ee ed) s rC Ald e (c Legend Paved Road 1 eas Davi P Gualala to San Francisco This park receives support in part through the Mendocino Area Parks Association, Garcia P.O. Box 1387, Mendocino, CA 95460 www.mendoparks.org Ri ve r 1 to Bodega Bay eek 1