Mendocino Coast Campout

Seaweed Foraging

& Sea Cave Kayak Tour

Join us for a guided Seaweed Foraging and Kayak tour of the Mendocino Sea Caves and an unforgettable weekend of coastal car camping!

How many of you can say you've foraged your own meals and cooked a feast, and then brought enough home to share with all your friends?!

How about having bragging rights to kayaking through a sea cave?!
This is going to be an awesome nature exploration weekend, with hiking, kayaking and epic beaches! We are maximizing our time in Mendocino, and camping at a coastal campground. We are in for a big treat with this trip! 

Itinerary: 

On Friday:

We will meetup at our lovely campsite, set up camp and get to know each other around dinner and a campfire. Expect s'mores and great company! Your lovely host will be waiting for you at camp, with dinner, s'mores and a roaring fire. 

On Saturday:

We'll head out early with hot beverages to catch the low tide when all the seaweeds and tide pools are revealed. Then we will have breakfast at the GoodLife Cafe & Bakery (where they have the most amazing gluten-free bread, treats, and waffles) in the cute town of Mendocino. We'll head back to our group campsite to lay our seaweeds out to dry, so we will have plenty to take home for another day.

Then it's afternoon option time!! We will have a schduled hike planned for the group, but if this isn't your speed - you can take a siesta, get a massage, or head back to Mendocino to explore the shops and museums, and/or hit up the hot tubs at Sweetwater Inn. We can also hike the Mendocino headlands and scout for possibilities of doing a salt harvest, or hang out at the mouth of the Big River. So many awesome options!!  Back at camp we'll enjoy a delicious seaweed-based meal prepared by your host, with many other culinary options to accomidate all taste buds. We will end the night the best way we know how, around the campfire!

On Sunday:

After a hearty breakfast prepared by your host, we will head down to the beach to meet with our kayaking guide. This kayak experience is completely guided by a trained professional who will explain and demonstrate basic paddling techniques and safety. If this is your first time kayaking, this is a beginner friendly tour and there is no need to be nervous. The kayaking portion is a mild/easy paddle. No kayaking experience needed. Keep your eyes peeled for otters, seals, starfish, jellyfish, dolphins, and much more. There is so much biodiversity in this area, you never know what you'll catch a glimpse of. After our kayak tour we'll head back to pack up camp, and get ready to hit the road to head home. Feel free to head home anytime on Sunday, just make sure to trade contact info with new friends and future camping buddies. For those that stay into the afternoon, we can explore Mendocino with a coastal hike at the famous "Glass Beach," and grab lunch before we drive home. 

Info about the Sea Cave Kayak Tour: 

"Leaving Van Damme cove, our first 2 caves are filled with sea stars and vibrant algaes. The paddling is smooth and easy and the naturally formed channels allow us to stay well out of the wind and surf. We round the corner and exchange looks with Harbor Seals, viewing them in their pure and natural state. Heading north and hugging the sandstone cliffs, the black oyster catchers screech and call each other to announce our arrival and their meal for the day. Narrow coves and passageways lead over the clear blue green shallow water as we make our way towards our last cave. Two chambers stretch eastward and let us savor different views of the openings. Colorful invertebrates make their home here and the dripping fresh water offers a cooling rinse. One more cove and channel and we turn around and paddle and float easily back with the current."  

-Kayaking Mendocino Company Website

Info about the Seaweed Foraging Harvest with Professional guide:

Discovering the art of foraging seaweed isn't just about gathering ingredients; it's an opportunity to deepen our connection to the coastal ecosystem, learn about sustainable harvesting practices, and unlock the culinary potential of these oceanic treasures.

Under the expert guidance of a knowledgeable and certified forager, we'll learn about the diverse varieties of seaweeds and their ecological significance along the coastal landscape. We will also learn about drying and preparing seaweed. Back at camp, we will indulge in a flavorful seaweed-based meal, and learn about cooking with seaweed, all led by your host. The meal will also be accompanied by an array of culinary delights to satisfy all tastes.