Manchester Beach

This hike starts from the Lake Davis Wetlands/Environmental Campsite parking lot at 10:30. Just north of the town of Manchester, turn left at Kinney Road, which is signed for Manchester State Beach and the KOA campground. Past the KOA entrance to the right on Kinney Road you will pass a private road and then you will come to a park road on the right that is marked For Authorized Vehicles – ignore that sign and turn in, following around to the left for about 100 feet to a small parking area marked as the trail head for the Davis Lake/Environmental campsite. We will gather there, and then hike an established trail through the coastal scrub and grasslands to the dunes at Manchester State Beach. We will negotiate the Lake Davis wetlands to circle round the environmental campground and hike north behind the dunes to view the spring wildflowers that should be quite profuse. Lunch can be at a picnic table in the environmental campground. If hikers are willing we can take a short beach hike back to rejoin the return trail, or retrace our steps in reverse. 

Hike Leaders: Jeff & Lena 

ALDER CREEK-MANCHESTER BEACH

Meet at 9:20 at pullout for Gualala business directory and at Anchor Bay (west side of Hwy 1) at 9:30. The hike starts at the shoulder of Highway one (on the east side) just before Alder Creek Beach Road at 10:00. We will walk a short distance south along Highway 1 to the entrance gate across from Pacific View Drive. At the start of the walk there is tall grass.  So be sure to wear long pants to help keep the ticks away. We will walk west on the trail past the old red house and down the hill with beautiful views of the ocean.  Then we will head north at the environmental camps and up to the trail for some of the best wildflower displays.  We should see our coastal California Poppies, Baby Blue Eyes, Buttercups, Douglas Irises, Sea Thrift, Lupin and more all in bloom at once. We will continue up past the "once beautiful home," to where we turn off to get views of Alder Creek and the coast beyond.  That is where we should see both yellow, orange and red PaintBrush and lots of Douglas Irises. We will have our lunch there.  We will then walk back to our cars along the old Alder Creek Beach Road, where we will add Bush Lupine and Ceanothus to our list of plants in bloom. It should be a lovely spring time ramble.  And, if we are really lucky we will see some happy California Cows.
Leader: Susan

Photo Credit: Laura 

CRISPIN LANE

 

Meet at 9:20 at the Gualala Super parking lot, close to the back side of the old hotel at 9:30 or at Anchor Bay (West side of Hwy 1) to carpool. We will drive to Crispin Lane in Manchester, parking at the Manchester Community Center/Garcia Guild (formerly the Grange, or perhaps it is the Grange again!) and walk to the end of this county road. Hike starts at 10:00 a.m. We will pass green fields and have lovely views of the ocean on our way back. This road starts out relatively flat and then goes slowly up so we'll coast on the return trip. Afterwards we will have lunch outside at the Manchester Community Center. NOTE: There are often loose dogs on Crispin Lane so you may not want to bring your dog.
Leader: Jack

Photo Credit: Laura 

CRISPIN LANE

 

Meet at 9:20 at pullout for Gualala business directory and at 9:30 at Anchor Bay (West side of Hwy 1) to carpool. We will drive to Crispin Lane in Manchester, parking at the Manchester Community Center/Garcia Guild (formerly the Grange) and walk to the end of this county road. Hike starts around 10:00 a.m. We will pass green fields and have lovely views of the ocean on our way back. This road starts out relatively flat and then goes slowly up so we'll coast on the return trip. Afterwards we will find a suitable spot to have our lunch outside at the Community Center. NOTE: There are often loose dogs on Crispin Lane so you may not want to bring your dog.
Leader: Laura

Photo Credit: Laura

CRISPIN LANE

 

Meet at 9:20 at pullout for Gualala business directory and at 9:30 at Anchor Bay (West side of Hwy 1) to carpool. We will drive to Crispin Lane in Manchester, parking at the Manchester Community Center/Garcia Guild (formerly the Grange, or perhaps it is the Grange again!) and walk to the end of this county road. Hike starts at 10:00 a.m. We will pass green fields and have lovely views of the ocean on our way back. This road starts out relatively flat and then goes slowly up so we'll coast on the return trip. Afterwards we will have lunch outside at the Manchester Community Center. NOTE: There are often loose dogs on Crispin Lane so you may not want to bring your dog.
Leader: Jack

Photo Credit: Laura

ALDER CREEK-MANCHESTER BEACH

 

 

Meet at 9:15 at pullout for Gualala business directory and at Anchor Bay (west side of Hwy 1) at 9:30. The hike starts at the shoulder of Highway one (on the east side) just before Alder Creek Beach Road at 10:00. We will walk a short distance south along Highway 1 to the entrance gate across from Pacific View Drive.   At the start of the walk there is tall grass.  So be sure to wear long pants to help keep the ticks away.  We will walk west on the trail past the old red house and down the hill with beautiful views of the ocean.  Then we will head north at the environmental camps and up to the trail for some of the best wildflower displays.  We should see our coastal California Poppies, Baby Blue Eyes, Buttercups, Douglas Irises, Sea Thrift, Lupin and more all in bloom at once. We will continue up past the "once beautiful home," to where we turn off to get views of Alder Creek and the coast beyond.  That is where we should see both yellow, orange and red Indian PaintBrush and lots of Douglas Irises. We will have our lunch there.  We will then walk back to our cars along the old Alder Creek Beach Road, where we will add Bush Lupine and Ceanothus to our list of plants in bloom. It should be a lovely spring time ramble.  And, if we are really lucky, we will see some happy California Cows.
Leader: Mary Heibel, 707-882-2055
 

Photo Credit: Laura
 

MANCHESTER STATE BEACH

 

Meet at 10:20 at pullout for the Gualala business directory and at Anchor Bay (west side of Hwy 1) at 10:30. We will turn in at Alder Creek Beach Road (mm 22.48), then turn directly left and park parallel on the road that parallels Hwy 1. Hike starts around 11:00. We will walk along the closed road until we can access a trail on our left. Our leader will lead us to a nice view point before we walk to the environmental campground. From there we will make our way to the beach and walk north to Alder Creek stopping to have lunch at an appropriate location along the beach. From the beach we will walk back to Alder Creek Beach Road and return to our cars.
Leader: Joel Chaban, 884-9280

Photo Credit: Laura, Dave and Dona

CRISPIN LANE

(Hike Cancelled)

 Meet at 9:20 at pullout for Gualala business directory and at 9:30 at Anchor Bay (West side of Hwy 1) to carpool. We will drive to Crispin Lane in Manchester, parking at the Manchester Community Center/Garcia Guild (formerly the Grange, or perhaps it is the Grange again!) and walk to the end of this county road. Hike starts at 10:00 a.m. We will pass green fields and have lovely views of the ocean on our way back. This road starts out relatively flat and then goes slowly up so we'll coast on the return trip. Afterwards we will have lunch outside at the Manchester Community Center. NOTE: There are often loose dogs on Crispin Lane so you may not want to bring your dog.
Leader: Mary Heibel, (707) 882-2055

MANCHESTER STATE BEACH

 

Meet at 9:50 at the pullout for the Gualala business directory and at Anchor Bay (west side of Hwy 1) at 10:05. The hike will begin at the Manchester State Beach Parking Lot (end of Kinney Road, just north of Manchester village) at 10:30. We will walk south  passing the AT&T Undersea Cable Station, to access a large field of wildflowers adjacent to Brush Creek where it flows into the ocean. After exploring the creek and estuary area we will hike back north on the same route to the cars to pick-up our lunches from the car.  We will then head north along the dunes to the beach for lunch  before returning to our cars. Note: If it is to windy and cold on the beach for eating, we will return to the picnic tables by where the cars are parked for lunch instead
Leaders: Susan Levenson-Palmer and Gary Levenson-Palmer

photo credit: Beth & Dona