A Historic California Lumber Town is a Destination on the Rise
In Northern California, a former lumber town has evolved into an off-the-beaten-track destination for outdoor adventure, the arts, and craft beer. Like many of the small towns on the Mendocino Coast, Fort Bragg sprang up in the mid-1800s to feed San Francisco’s insatiable demand for redwood lumber. But while other coastal mills closed over time, Fort Bragg’s whirring saw blades supplied steady employment for generations of workers. At its height, the mill employed over 2,000 people and served as the town timekeeper with its clockwork of shift-change whistles. But in 2002, Fort Bragg’s 145-year-old lumber industry came to an end. A long, solitary whistle signaled the final log and the whirring saws fell silent.
In the years since the mill closed, Fort Bragg has worked to redefine itself and reclaim its natural beauty. Fort Bragg natives who moved away for college have returned to set up shop with hip bars, restaurants, galleries, and boutiques in historic downtown. The town’s oldest local watering hole, the Golden West Saloon, was restored in 2015 by a couple who returned from Los Angeles to Fort Bragg to raise their family. With its original carved wooden bar, shuffleboard, and vintage logging photos, the saloon retains its historic roots but features an upgraded liquor collection and finely crafted cocktails.
The saloon owners commissioned a vibrant mural on the side of the building in 2019. Over a dozen more murals have sprung up in downtown in recent years showcasing the work of local artists. Bay Area transplant Lia Morsell has curated the Alleyway Art Project and a new art walk map is in the works. The work of local weavers, woodworkers, ceramicists, and other artists is on display around town as well.
Fort Bragg’s craft beer scene is also on the rise. Founded in 1988, the legendary North Coast Brewing Company has been brewing local craft beer long before local craft beers became a thing. In recent years two more local craft brewers, Overtime Brewing and Tall Guy Brewing, opened taprooms in downtown. All three breweries are within walking distance of each other.
Just west of downtown, the coastal headlands that had been locked behind lumber mill gates and off limits to the public for over a century were reclaimed by the city in 2015. The five-mile-long Noyo Headlands Trail now runs along the top of the cliffs of the former mill site, providing stunning coastal views that few had seen in over 100 years. The wide, multi-use trail features interpretative panels on local natural and human history and benches made by local artisans. The benches provide the perfect perch to watch for shorebirds and migrating whales. The trail has two entry points: a northern entrance near Fort Bragg’s famous Glass Beach and a southern trailhead near Noyo Bridge. For a longer hike or bike ride, the coastal trail connects with Pudding Creek Trestle and MacKerricher State Park to the north and Pomo Bluffs to the south.
Getting out on the water is the best way to explore Fort Bragg’s coastline and estuaries. Several companies offer private fishing charters and whale-watching tours that depart from Noyo Harbor. Local fisherman Captain Dan offers fun, leisurely tours of the harbor and the Noyo River aboard his electric boat. For paddlers, the Noyo River’s calm waters are an idyllic spot for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. From the harbor, the river winds for miles past wildlife, towering redwoods, and bucolic pastures. After returning to the harbor after a day on the water, be sure to savor fresh-caught local seafood from Sea Pal Cove, Noyo Fish Company, or the women-owned and operated Princess Seafood.
Just south of Fort Bragg, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens stretches across 47 acres of breathtaking coastal headlands. Since the 1960s, the non-profit gardens have cultivated a wide variety of plants in harmony with Northern California’s coastal ecosystem. Rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias tower over lovely displays of dahlias, begonias, and roses. The gardens also feature nationally recognized collections of conifers, heaths, and heathers. April and May are the best months to see the garden’s 124 species of rhododendrons in bloom. The annual Rhododendron Show takes place the first weekend in May.
In the redwood-covered mountains rising east of town, the Jackson Demonstration State Forest is Fort Bragg’s 48,652-acre backyard playground for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, mushroom foraging, and more. Demonstration forests are managed by CAL FIRE as living laboratories for how to care for California’s timberland. Of the state’s 10 demonstration forests, Jackson is the largest. Visit Fort Bragg has a great list of resources and tips from local mountain bike riders on discovering the forest’s vast network of trails.
For a more leisurely journey through the redwoods, the famed Skunk Train offers excursions aboard its historic trains and rail bikes. The railroad tracks were originally laid in 1885 to support Fort Bragg’s logging operations and have been ferrying cargo and passengers ever since. The newer, electric-powered two-person rail bikes offer a more intimate way to take in the forest’s sights and sounds. Departing from Fort Bragg, the train and rail bike tours follow Pudding Creek through the redwoods to Glen Blair Junction, where guests can hike and picnic before returning to town. In the evenings, Glen Blair turns into an enchanting outdoor bar with fire pits.
Where to Stay
Noyo Harbor Inn
For a luxurious hotel stay rooted in Fort Bragg’s history, plan a stay at the Noyo Harbor Inn. Perched on a hillside overlooking the working harbor and the river, this historic Arts and Crafts building was restored in 2017 with meticulous attention to detail. Step inside to find glowing fireplaces, cozy dining spaces, a pre-Prohibition era-inspired bar, and the rich, century-old woodwork of Scandinavian shipwrights. The hotel’s 14 elegantly restored guest rooms glow with impeccable craftmanship and feature modern updates like cozy gas fireplaces and oversized soaking tubs. Thoughtful in-room amenities include Nespresso and French press coffeemakers, steam irons, rain showerheads, plush robes, and luxurious bedding. Most of the rooms offer views and some are also pet-friendly.
The hotel’s HarborView Bistro & Bar offers beautiful indoor and outdoor dining overlooking Noyo Harbor and the river. The restaurant serves inspired California cuisine featuring fresh-caught local seafood and herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers sourced from the hotel’s own gardens. The bar’s creative cocktail program shifts with the seasons while the ever-expanding wine list highlights the best in local wines as well as well-crafted vintages from further afield.
Below the restaurant, an onsite spa provides a range of massage services for relaxation and rejuvenation. The property also features terraced gardens with a gazebo, outdoor seating, and a pet relief area. A private pathway from the hotel winds down to the harbor, providing easy access to harbor businesses and the water. The hotel’s concierge can help arrange fishing charters, whale-watching tours, kayaking tours, surf lessons, horseback rides, train excursions, and more.
The hotel was originally built in the 1860s as the home of a lumber baron who co-founded Fort Bragg’s first mill on the Noyo River in 1854. The property changed hands several times in its 160-year-old history before Joseph Marino purchased it in 2011. Marino embarked on a painstaking, six-year renovation to preserve the original millwork and decorative features while modernizing all the hotel’s structural elements and systems. The renovated hotel reopened to guests in 2017.
Lead photo of the Skunk Train’s rail bikes by Brendan McGuigan, courtesy of the Skunk Train