Mendocino Grand Circuit

Just a few shorts hours from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, the Mendocino National Forest is beloved by those who know its splendor. The crowds tend to flock to places like Lake Tahoe, the high Sierra, and Big Sur, leaving the Mendocino splendidly wild-- just the way we like it!

Route Overview

Trip Length & Season

Adventure Rating: Epic

Trip Length:  301 miles, 4-7 days

Season: Late May - November (season may open earlier/later depending on snow levels. Always check on snow levels if you plan to visit in mid-spring or mid-fall).

Digital Maps & GPX Files

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• Mendocino Grand Circuit

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Technical Ratings & Terrain

Avg Technical Rating: 1-2

Peak Technical Rating: 3 (only 3 section is out-and-back to top of Hull Mountain)

Typical Terrain: The vast majority of the track consists of wide, graded dirt roads. There are some narrower and steeper roads on the way up Hull Mountain and the northern section of the route (passed Black Butte River).

Recommended Vehicle / Moto / Adventure Vans

Recommended Vehicle: Stock 4x4

Recommended Moto: A big bike or mid-weight bike should be fine.

Adventure Vans: Sprinters and Transits with 4x4/AWD are good to go!

Fuel, Provisions, and Recommended Gear

Fuel: Most stock vehicles will struggle to complete the entire route without additional fuel resources. While there are no gas stations directly along the route, you may fuel up at Soda Springs store (Lake Pillsbury) or in Covelo (about a 20 min drive from Black Butte River Ranch).

Provisions: Provisions can be obtained in the same general vicinity as fuel.

Gear: no specialized gear is recommended for this adventure.

Alternative Routes

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Camping Recommendations

Dispersed camping is permitted throughout the forest. Some of the best spots for dispersed camping include M1 north of Hull Mountain, sideroads off of FH7. Some of our our favorite spots are:

• Grizzly Flats

• Pine Mountain Lookout

• West of Anthony Peak

• Green Springs

• Atchison Camp

Discovery Points

• DP1 - Rattlesnake Fire Memorial

• DP2 - Keller Place Historic Cabin

• DP3 - Twin Rocks

• DP4 - Anthony Peak Fire Lookout

• DP5 - Buck Rock

• DP6 - Hammerhorn Lake

• DP7 - Rattlesnake Creek falls & swimming hole

• DP8 - Howard Lake

• DP9 - Eel River & swimming hole

• DP10 - Blacke Butte River

• DP11 - Milsap Cabin Site

• DP12 - Surface of the Moon

• DP13 - Hull Mountain

• DP14 - Bloody Rock

• DP15 - Rice Fork river crossing

• DP16 - Pine Mountain Lookout

• DP17 - Tule Elk

• DP18 - Big Signal Peak Lookout   

Land Managers & Other Resources

Land Managers

• Mendocino National Forest

Permits & Papers

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Route Details

The Mendocino National Forest is a hidden gem of a forest. You'd think with its proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, that people would be flocking to this forest. But hey, that's fine by us, as one of our favorite things about the Mendocino, is how easy to escape the crowds and the trappings of modern civilization.

While the Mendocino Backcountry Discovery Trail is a great introduction to the forest, it really doesn't do justice in terms of exposing the visitor to some of its more scenic areas. The Mendocino Grand Circuit was intentionally designed to take advantage of the plentiful natural and recreation opportunities within the forest. For the most part, the route follows the M-road system in the forest, which consists of primarily wide and graded dirt forest service roads that can be driven a a 2 wheel drive vehicle in most instances. We still recommend a truck or SUV with 4x4, but for the majority of the route, something like a stock RAV4 or Subaru will manage just fine. The route begins in the east side of the forest on FH7, but ends on the west side of the forest, in the Eel River Canyon and Potter Valley. Over the course of 300 miles, you'll traverse through mixed conifer forests, oak dotted rolling grasslands, river canyons, and some amazing lookout points-- Hull Mountain and Anthony Peak being our two favorites. From the top of Anthony Peak, on a clear day ou can see Mt Lassen to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The forest is filled with hundreds of miles of sided roads and some more technical OHV trails. If exploring the backwoods of the backcountry is your thing, the Mendocino has got you covered in spades! The forest also offers ample opportunity for boating, swimming, hiking, bird watching, target shooting, and OHV riding.

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