A Beautiful and Serene Retreat On the Banks of the Ten Mile River-- and Only a Stone's Throw from Miles of Beach and Dunes. Open floor plan, fully outfitted kitchen, 2 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath, Sleeps 6. Queen bed in the master bedroom, Queen bed in the second bedroom and a queen size sofabed in the living room. There are two extra queen size futons stored above the closet in each bedroom. Fireplace, laundry room. There is a large deck surrounding the entire house with a 4-person hot tub, chaise lounges, chairs and dining table all overlooking the river and the beach. There is also Traeger Smoker/Grill and a Weber propane BBQ on the deck for outdoor cooking. Starlink WiFi throughout the house.

The house is on the river about 500 yards from the Pacific ocean. You can kayak from the front yard either up-river or toward the ocean. Up-river is absolutely breathtaking. The estuary is a Marine Sanctuary and it is totally protected. It stretches east for several miles and has many side channels and inlets to explore. As you head deeper east into the estuary it transitions from brackish to fresh water. It can often be sunny along the river when it's foggy on the beach, and you can easily find great places to swim and picnic.

If you venture toward the ocean you'll find two exquisite beaches to the north and south. The beach to the north, Seaside Beach, is strikingly beautiful with huge rocks and caves. It's also one of the few State Park beaches that allows dogs! There is a large and deep cave at the extreme north end of the beach that is accessible when the tide is right. The cave goes completely through the bluff and leads to a secret cove with its own beach. Ten Mile Beach is to the south. It is a huge complex of dunes and is part of MacKerricher State Park. It's great habitat for the endangered Snowy Plover. The beach stretches south for at least six miles. It's incredible for both jogging or hiking. It's covered with sand dollars, shells, and all kinds of other marine life. Also, there are very few people on the beach. You will almost always have the entire beach to yourself. It's very romantic. The hiking is amazing, and the birdwatching is world class. Bring a good pair of binoculars!

Directly in front of the house is the river. Every year families of harbor seals haul out of the river every day and sun themselves on the riverbank. Typically, the seals are swimming around in the river in front of the house. Momma seals and their pups frolic together all the time. I've watched momma seals nursing their pups many times just sitting on my deck. There are also otters, and more birds than I can name: Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Egrets, Osprey, Mallards, Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Mergansers, Grebe, Belted Kingfisher, Cormorants, Pelicans, Caspian Terns, and even a pair of Bald Eagles! The list goes on and on.

If you've got a canoe, kayaks or bicycles bring them. However, I have a three-person canoe and a small kayak and two paddle boards that guests are welcome to use.

If you like the outdoors, there are many things to do without ever leaving the property. If you start to crave civilization, the Town of Fort Bragg is only 15 minutes away. There, you'll find plenty of good restaurants, galleries, a movie theatre, Glass Beach, the Skunk Train, Noyo Harbor, North Coast Brewery, and many other attractions unique to the area. Another 15 minutes to the south along Highway One is the Village of Mendocino. This charming hamlet is filled with fine restaurants, shops, and the natural beauty of the beaches, bluffs, and Big River. Both towns are worth exploring.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please bear in mind that booking requests which include only one weekend day will likely be declined by the owner. This is especially true during Holidays, Spring Break, or any period of high demand. Such reservation requests reduce the number of full weekends the house can be available to other interested renters and are disfavored for that reason.