Van Damme State Park
Little River, CA
Van Damme State Park centers on a small cove beach at the mouth of the Little River, with a kayak launch, a popular dive site, and inland trails leading up through a fern canyon to a genuine pygmy forest where stunted, centuries old trees grow only a few feet tall. Few parks on this coast pack in this much variety.
The pygmy forest alone makes this a genuinely unusual stop beyond just another cove beach, though seeing both means budgeting more time than a quick beach visit.
How we score beachesThe pygmy forest trail is a real hike inland, not a beach day activity, so plan it as a separate stop if you want to see both the cove and the dwarf trees.
A day use fee applies; the exact amount is best confirmed at the entrance station.
A boardwalk and trail lead from parking to the cove beach.
Dogs are welcome; check posted signage for specific leash rules.
Summer mornings run foggy before clearing, typical of the Mendocino coast, with water staying cold year round.
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