Van Damme sits 3 miles south of Mendocino — galleries, whale-watching, and rugged coastline. Its 74 sites fill every summer weekend. CampWatch catches every cancellation.
Van Damme State Park occupies a sheltered canyon that opens onto a rocky Mendocino cove, three miles south of the village of Mendocino. The park is a trailhead for the pygmy forest — a rare ecological phenomenon where ancient, nutrient-poor soils produce century-old cypress and pine trees just a few feet tall.
The cove offers kayak access to sea caves and abalone diving with a license. The Mendocino coast draws wine-country weekenders from the Bay Area, and Van Damme is their camping base.
Weekend sites are extremely competitive all summer. CampWatch monitors them continuously.
Join campers already monitoring for cancellations.