CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT

The off-shore rocks and islands included in the Monument are those exposed above mean high tide, and within 12 nautical miles of the mainland along the 1,100 mile California coastline.

Access: Open for day use only

Trinidad Head Lighthouse is a small tower perched on a 175 foot shelf above sea level. The Lighthouse is still active, with a LED beacon mounted outside the lantern room. The 146-year-old lighthouse was transferred from the U. S. Coast Guard into public ownership and the Bureau of Land Management in 2014.  The BLM is currently managing the facility cooperatively with the City of Trinidad, the Trinidad Rancheria, the Trinidad Museum Society and the Yurok Tribe. 

Access: Restricted access; open for public access first Saturday of each month and special events

Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch offers spectacular views of Eel River Estuary to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Just south of the Mike Thompson Wildlife Area, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch offers a short easy interpretive trail along Table Bluff. Discover why there is no longer a lighthouse and read about the rich natural and human history of the area.

Access: Open for day use only

The Lost Coast Headlands are located along the coastal bluffs south of the mouth of the Eel River, approximately 280 miles north of San Francisco, 25 miles south of Eureka, and six miles west of Ferndale. The 463 acres of public land provide seasonal beach access and include grasslands with scattered patches of forest and portions of the Fleener Creek and Guthrie Creek watersheds.  The northern point of California’s Lost Coast is a place of rolling mountains and windswept coastal bluffs crumbling onto narrow beaches. The area is hard to beat if you are looking for quiet recreational pursuits. Lost Coast Headlands offers opportunities for hiking, bird watching, wildflower viewing, and beachcombing.

Access: Open for day use only

Situated along the rugged Mendocino County coastline adjacent to the town of Point Arena, the Point Arena-Stornetta unit offers spectacular views of coastal bluffs, sea arches, the estuary of the Garcia River and sandy beaches and dunes with eight miles of marked paths.

Access: Open for day use only; no motorized vehicles or hang gliding; dogs must be on leash.

Near Davenport in Santa Cruz County, Cotoni-Coast Dairies extends from the steep slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the marine coastal terraces overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Vibrant riparian areas follow along stream corridors, with red alder and arroyo willow forests dominating the vegetative community. Beyond supporting riparian and wetland communities, Cotoni-Coast Dairies' waterways provide important habitat for anadromous and freshwater fish as well as water for the City of Santa Cruz and surrounding communities.  

Access: Public access to Cotoni-Coast Dairies is currently limited to guided hikes while the BLM develops a management plan for the property that will ensure public safety and protection of resources. The BLM will develop this plan through the National Environmental Policy Act process, which involves the community and stakeholders with open comment periods and possibly public meetings that will be announced through local media channels.

Read more about Cotoni-Coast Dairies: blm.gov/cotoni-coast-dairies

Piedras Blancas, "white rocks" in Spanish, is located near the town of San Simeon, 40 miles north of San Luis Obispo, California. The rocks were historically used as a navigational aid for explorers and traders along the central coast of California, prior to the construction of the Piedras Blancas Light Station in 1875.  Piedras Blancas was a site of cultural interface between the Northern Chumash Tribe and the Playanos Salinan people, and continues to be important to Native Americans. The ornate brick and cast iron tower of the Piedras Blancas Light Station and its supporting structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Access: Restricted access; access to the light station grounds is by guided tour only

Learn more about the Piedras Blancas Light Station.