Mendocino National Forest
Dense Fog Advisory issued January 19 at 3:01AM PST until January 19 at 12:00PM PST by NWS Sacramento CA
* WHAT...Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog. * WHERE...Carquinez Strait and Delta, Central Sacramento Valley, Northern San Joaquin Valley, and Southern Sacramento Valley. * WHEN...Until noon PST today. * IMPACTS...Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous.
Stonyford Office Hours Temporary Change
Starting Jan. 19, the Stonyford Office will be open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays only. Our regular Monday-Friday schedule will resume on Feb. 9.
Road conditions
Please be advised that forest roads are NOT plowed or maintained in winter so driving conditions are hazardous, slippery, and may be impassable. Even with good snow tires and four-wheel drive, less than a foot of snow is enough to get a vehicle stuck!
Chico Seed Orchard pedestrian access
The pedestrian gate is broken so access is limited to the drive-through gate. The drive-through gate is accessible Monday - Friday from 7am-3pm, except on federal holidays. The orchard is closed to the public outside of these hours until the pedestrian gate can be restored.
M10 Road Construction
The M10 road will be closed Monday, Nov. 17- 20, 2025. Closure location is above Fouts Springs near Dixie Glade. Main impacts are to the Letts Lake basin on Grindstone Ranger District. Detour to get to Letts Lake is via the M5 and 17N02 Roads, high clearance vehicle recommended.
Trail 34 on Upper Lake District closed due to unsafe conditions
OHV Trail 34 is closed due to trail tread degradation and rutting that runs 300 feet down the trail. The trail is unsafe due to unstable soil, extremely muddy conditions and increased runoff.
Trail 3 on Grindstone closed due to slide
Trail 85303 (Trail 3) on the Grindstone Ranger District closed due to landslide: Trail 85303 is closed between Trail 85304 and M5 Road for public safety and to protect natural resources. Unstable soil, downed trees and a steep drop off make this trail unsafe for users.
Cedar Camp Campground Closure
Cedar Camp Campground is closed for public safety. Closure is in effect through 6/18/26.
Chico Seed Orchard Public Use and Access Closure
Pets must be on a leash. Fall/winter hours are 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. beginning Nov. 1. Spring/summer hours are 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. A closure is in effect outside of these hours.
Overview
Mendocino National Forest is a 927,650-acre forest located in the North Coast Range of northwestern California, approximately 3 hours north of San Francisco and Sacramento. The forest is currently open but with significant operational considerations. Wet weather trail closures are currently in effect on both the Upper Lake District (since Dec. 20, 2025) and Grindstone District (since Dec. 23, 2025), restricting OHV trail use when 2+ inches of rain fall within 24 hours or soils become saturated. Forest roads are NOT plowed, making driving conditions hazardous and potentially impassable even with 4WD and snow tires. Critical to note: nearly 90% of the forest has burned within the last four years, creating persistent post-fire hazards including unstable landslides, hazard trees, rockfall, and debris that can block roads at any time. Several key roads have damage or access issues, particularly M10 (slides above Fouts Springs), M2/308 (slides blocking eastern access), and various others with unknown or compromised conditions. Cedar Camp Campground remains closed for public safety through June 2026. Trail 34 and Trail 85303 (Trail 3) are closed due to degradation and landslides. This is the only California national forest without a paved road entering it, offering primitive backcountry experiences but requiring high clearance vehicles and careful trip planning. Always check current conditions before traveling, as the dynamic post-fire landscape and winter weather create rapidly changing hazards.
Top Campgrounds
- Atchison Campground
- Bear Creek Campground
- Cedar Camp Campground
- Davis Flat
- Deer Valley Campground
- Dixie Glade Campground
- Fouts
- Gray Pine Group Campground
- Green Springs Campground
- Howard Meadows Campground
- Keller Campground
- Lakeview Dispersed Campground
- Letts Lake Campground
- Little Stony
- Main Letts Campground
- Middle Creek Campground
- Mill Valley Campground
- Navy Camp Campground
- North Fork Campground
- Oak Flat Campground
- Old Mill Campground
- Pine Mountain Lookout
- Plaskett Meadows Campground
- Saddle Camp Loop Campground
- Spillway Campground
- Stirrup Campground
- Three Prong Campground
- hammerhorn Lake Campground
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