A roadless Northern California forest of rugged mountains, wilderness basins, and reintroduced tule elk
Mendocino National Forest
Mendocino National Forest is a large federally managed forest in the Coastal Mountain Range of northwestern California, comprising roughly 913,000 acres across parts of six counties. It is notable as the only national forest in California without a major paved road entering it, giving it a relatively remote and undeveloped character despite its proximity to populated regions of the state.
The forest's terrain spans mountain ridges, river canyons, lakes, and geothermal springs, and includes four designated wilderness areas. Mendocino is also one of only two national forests in California home to tule elk, a large native ungulate that was hunted to near extinction during the gold rush era and later reintroduced into the Lake Pillsbury Basin.
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Mendocino National Forest supports a wide range of outdoor recreation, from camping and hiking to backpacking, off-highway vehicle travel, fishing, and wildlife viewing. Its combination of remote mountain landscapes, conifer forests, and important wildlife populations makes it one of the more distinctive national forests in the American West.