Caspar Headlands State Beach in California, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-05. Check linked official notices before travel.

Caspar Headlands State Beach is a Mendocino Coast stop in northern California. Follow Point Cabrillo Drive for a beach walk or a chance to see migrating gray whales from shore. The nearby Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve has a separate approach and permit process.

A Mendocino Coast beach with a view out to sea

The beach faces the Pacific beside the headlands. Bring binoculars if you plan to look for whales. You can scan from well back on the beach and leave the waterline to the surf.

Plan a daylight stop around the surf

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Give waves and cliffs room

Watch the ocean even when the surf looks calm. National Weather Service guidance warns that sneaker waves can rush far up northern California beaches and move heavy driftwood. Stay off logs and keep clear of the base of cliffs. Check the tide and leave room to turn back.

Rules for dogs and drones

California State Parks allows dogs at the State Beach on portions designated for dogs. Keep your dog under immediate control on a leash no longer than six feet. Launching, landing or operating a drone on state park property is prohibited.

Separate beach access from the reserve permit

If you also plan to enter the Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve, contact the Mendocino Sector Office in advance about its entry permit. That arrangement applies to the reserve.

Use Point Cabrillo Drive for the State Beach

The beach is about two miles north of Russian Gulch on Point Cabrillo Drive. From the north, California State Parks places the beach one mile south of the Highway 1 turnoff at milepost 54.71. Use the State Beach profile and map to choose the correct stop. The reserve approach turns onto Caspar Drive.

Nearby parks

• Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park. Follow Point Cabrillo Drive toward Russian Gulch for the light station entrance.
• Russian Gulch State Park. Continue south for a separate state park stop north of Mendocino.

Walk the shore and watch for gray whales

Choose a short beach walk while there is room between the surf and the cliffs. From a safe spot, look for whales offshore. NOAA Fisheries describes the northbound migration along the West Coast from mid-February to May. Conditions on a given day determine how much you can see.

Plan for an undeveloped shore

California State Parks describes the beach as undeveloped. Bring layers for changing coastal weather. For questions about the approach from the road, call the park office before setting out.

How the beach and headlands were protected

Two properties, separate protection dates

The Mendocino Land Trust and State Coastal Conservancy partnered to acquire and manage Caspar Beach. The beach property passed to California State Parks in 2012, a decade after the separate headlands property was transferred.

Coastal birds and migrating whales

The beach property provides habitat for nesting ospreys and purple martins. The ocean beyond is part of the gray whale migration route.

California State Parks visitor information

Call California State Parks at 707-937-5804 for current beach access information.