M anches T er Beach & elk

The Village of Elk, previously known as Greenwood, is a charming stop along the Northern California Coast. In this little town you’ll encounter stunning views of the shoreline and Pacific Ocean in a mesmerizing meeting of land, sea and sky, punctuated by waves breaking against picturesque off-shore rock formations known as sea stacks. On a coast celebrated for its scenic beauty, Elk is truly exceptional.

In the 1800s trappers and hunters found their way to the region in search of game. Britton Greenwood, the son of the noted tracker-explorer Caleb Greenwood, was the first to establish a ranch there, which he named the Elk Ranch. A community grew up around the ranches and dairy farms, and soon small mills were established to process the spectacular old-growth redwood. In 1883 local businessman Lorenzo White purchased most of the land around Elk, establishing a large mill and building a railroad to support it. At one point Elk supported a population of almost 1,000. At the turn of the century Elk was alive with hotels, dance halls, saloons and general stores. Probably because of its vibrancy, Jack London found Elk a perfect place to write. According to local legend, in February of 1902 he wrote his masterpiece, The Call of the Wild, while staying in the old White boarding house, today known as the Hospital House, across from Li Foo Gulch. This claim has been questioned.

Manchester is a beautiful, tiny village with a population of about 200. Situated in an area of rich grazing land about 13 miles south of Elk, flocks of sheep and herds of cattle can be seen, adding a pastoral note to some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world. Nearby Manchester Beach State Park offers a beach, sand dunes, flat grasslands and 5 miles of shoreline.

15 Manchester State Park

Manchester State Park, with nearly 18,000 feet of ocean shoreline, offers a beach with an abundance of driftwood, sand dunes and rich grasslands. A beautiful sandy beach runs southward for about 5 miles towards Point Arena. Among its many attractions is the excellent steelhead fishing in its two streams, Brush Creek and Alder Creek. Please check with the Department of Fish and Wildlife at 530-225-2300 for seasonal closures and restrictions.

Manchester State Park is home to a wide variety of gorgeous coastal wildflowers and provides habitat for tundra swans and other wildlife. The San Andreas Fault runs into the ocean here. Much of the area is used for grazing sheep and cattle, lending a pastoral note to the local scenery. Temperatures tend to range between the low 50s and low 70s most of the time. It is usually windy and often rainy or foggy; wearing layered clothing is recommended. The park takes its name from the village of Manchester, located on Coast Hwy 1 about 7 miles north of Point Arena.

WHERE: The main park entrance is located at 44500 Kinney Ln. (off Hwy 1), 1⁄2 mile north of the town of Manchester.

MORE INFO: 707-882-2463, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=437

16 Cuffey’s Cove: A Coastal Ghost Town

In the mid-1850s, about a mile north of Elk, sat Cuffey’s Cove. Resident James Kennedy built and operated a wharf and a purpose-built chute to move railroad ties and shingles down the steep bluffs to be loaded onto schooners moored below. At its height, the town hosted nearly 500 residents and included hotels, bars, and restaurants, supported by abundant local timber and a beloved variety of locally-grown red potatoes. A large steam sawmill was built a few miles away in Greenwood (Elk) in the 1870s; then fires in 1886, 1892, and again in the early 1900s destroyed the business district. By the 1920s, Cuffey’s Cove had largely disappeared. All that remains now are two fenced-in cemeteries, one Catholic and the other Protestant, building foundations, a few remnants of the lumber chute, and some weathered cypresses acting as sentinels. The proper spelling of Cuffey is disputed, as are the origins of the name itself.

WHERE: Along Hwy 1 about a mile north of Elk, near the 35 mile marker post. Parking along Hwy 1 is limited, there is a pull-out just south of the cemetery, beyond the gate accessing the adjacent private property.

MORE INFO: https://www.mendorailhistory.org/1_towns/towns/cuffeys_cove.htm

Things T o D o

MORE INFO: RedwoodCoastChamber.com

• Take a horseback ride through the forest, or along the beach

• Watch for migrating whales, dolphins and sea lions.

• Enjoy a picnic — fill a basket and head to Greenwood-Philo Road to the wineries first.

• E xplore Elk’s history at the Museum.

• S pot wild elk and deer in and around town.

• G o kayaking, wind surfing and surf fishing.

• Visit the shops and cooperative art galleries for some one-of-a-kind local gifts.

17 Greenwood Creek State Beach

Just south of the small town of Elk you’ll find picturesque Greenwood Creek State Beach. Here you can soak up the sun, go swimming or have a picnic lunch on the coast. It’s also a wonderful place to go for a stroll and watch the sunset any time of year. Greenwood, the old name for Elk, was a lumber town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today the Greenwood State Beach Visitor Center, which used to be the Elk post office, houses a museum that includes artifacts from the lumber camps and period furniture that includes turn-of-the-century household appliances. There are also a magnificent mural of the old Greenwood wharf, and books and postcards for sale that cover a wide range of coastal subjects including Pomo Indian culture and local history. The Visitors Center is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 11am to 4 pm , March through November.

WHERE: Just south of Elk, about 15 miles north of Point Arena.

MORE INFO: 707-937-5804, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=447