Getting to Mendocino and
Getting to The Woodlands - Camp Two
Sadly Google, MapQuest Bing and others do not have a good picture of the wilderness.
Online maps have the roads labeled wrong when you look close up at a map of the area.
If you intend to try to use electronic Maps, you will need to download a map of the area for it to work when you are there. After you get a few miles outside Mendocino, the mobile signal is entirely lost.
On this page you’ll find an accurate road map of the area. New attendees and occasional attendees will have a more comfortable time on the road from Mendocino and Fort Bragg to The Mendocino Woodlands using this map.
Getting To Mendocino
From San Francisco/Santa Rosa to Mendocino: (4-5 hours) Take Hwy 101 North to Hwy 20 in Willits. Turn left [west] onto Hwy 20, take the 20 to Hwy 1. Take Hwy 1 South to Mendocino. NOTE: Do not turn off Hwy 20 until you reach the signal light at Hwy 1.
OR
Some people think the safer (and definitely prettier) route is: 101 North to Cloverdale, just north of Cloverdale, take Hwy 128 West. Hwy 128 West ends at the junction with Hwy 1. Turn North, which takes you into Mendocino without any turns.
From Sacramento to Mendocino: Go North on I-5 to Hwy 20 (near Williams). Go West on Hwy 20 to Hwy 101. Take Hwy 101 North to Cloverdale. Take Hwy 128 West. Hwy 128 ends at the junction with Hwy 1 North, which goes into Mendocino without any turns.
From Eureka area: Take Hwy 101 south to either Hwy 1 or Hwy 20. When you get to Fort Bragg, follow Hwy 1 south to Mendocino.
From Clearlake and Williams area: take Hwy 20 west to Hwy 101. Go north on 101 to Willits, then left (west) on Hwy 20 until it dead ends at Hwy 1. Turn left on Hwy 1 South, proceed to Mendocino. Public Transportation/Carpooling: There is no public transportation to the site. Let’s consider the environmental health of the Woodlands and carpool among friends where possible. You can also request and offer rides on the Elderflower face book page.
For your convenience, here is a link to a printable PDF of the full size map.
Getting to Camp from Hwy 1 - The Coast Highway
From Mendocino to Camp: (at least 30 minutes) From Hwy 1, turn (East) onto Little Lake Road/County 408, there is a stop light at that intersection. Drive 6.2 miles on the paved road. You will pass a T intersection with County 409 (Caspar Little Lake Road). The pavement ends about .5 miles after that intersection. Shortly after that look for a “Y” intersection. There is a sign pointing to the Woodlands. See below for Directions from 408 to Camp Two.
Alternate (shorter) Route when coming from the North via Fort Bragg or Hwy 20:
After the intersection and signal at Hwy 20 and Hwy 1, travel South (left) on Hwy 1 for about 2.25 miles. After the Caspar turn off, watch for a short bridge (Caspar Creek) and just after that, you’ll see the sign to County Rd. 409, turn left onto 409 (Caspar Little Lake Road). Then – Follow 409 until it dead ends at Little Lake Road (County Rd 408). Turn Left on 408. After that the directions from 408 to Camp Two are below. (NOTE: If you miss the turn off for 409, just continue travel a few more miles South to Mendocino and turn Left onto County 408 – Little Lake Road.)
From the intersection of Little Lake Road/408 and Caspar Little Lake Road/409 to the Camp Two:
The pavement ends about .5 miles after the T intersection of 409 and 408. Shortly after that look for a “Y” intersection. There is a sign pointing to the Woodlands, bear right onto the dirt road and drive about 3.3 miles to the entrance to the Woodlands. Be patient – it takes longer than you might think to travel those 3 miles. You’ll see the office on the left and turn in there. From the Woodlands entrance, follow the signs to Camp Two, about 2.8 miles. The road through the campgrounds is a one lane dirt road. Drive very slowly and carefully. There may be campers in Camp One or Camp Three and driving slowly helps keep the dust down. The road before Camp Three narrows due to recent erosion (2024). Camp Two is at the end of the road. Watch for the Dumpsters on the right. Just after that is a right turn onto a narrow wooden bridge over the creek.
Stop at the first building and park temporarily to take the COVID test before entering Camp Two.