Van Damme State Park
Encyclopedia
Van Damme State Park consists of about 1831 acres (7.4 km²) of land in Mendocino County, California
, near the town of Little River
on State Route 1
. It was named for Charles Van Damme (1881–1934), who was born in the area and purchased the land that is now the park with profits from a San Francisco ferry business. On his death, the property became part of the California state park system.
The park includes the Little River
itself, Little River beach on the ocean side of State Route 1
, and hiking and camping along the river on the inland side of the highway. It is one of the few state parks that offer Wi-Fi
service.
, where poor soil has created a marshy ecosystem of stunted cypress and pine trees and rhododendrons. The dwarf forest, a vulnerable habitat, is a National Natural Landmark
.
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
, near the town of Little River
Little River, California
Little River is a small census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It lies at an elevation of 66 feet . It is located two miles south of the town of Mendocino and running along the Pacific Ocean coast on State Route 1...
on State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
. It was named for Charles Van Damme (1881–1934), who was born in the area and purchased the land that is now the park with profits from a San Francisco ferry business. On his death, the property became part of the California state park system.
The park includes the Little River
Little River (Mendocino County)
Little River is a westward-flowing stream in Mendocino County, California which empties into the Pacific Ocean in Van Damme State Park near the town of Little River, California. Big River enters the Pacific about farther north....
itself, Little River beach on the ocean side of State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
, and hiking and camping along the river on the inland side of the highway. It is one of the few state parks that offer Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
service.
Pygmy Forest
Inland, a boardwalked nature trail leads through a Pygmy ForestPygmy forest
A pygmy forest is a forest which, for pedological and geological reasons, contains only miniature trees. Pygmy forests may occur over various world locations with notable occurrences being noted in the literature of the: California coastal terraces and inner coastal mountains of Northern...
, where poor soil has created a marshy ecosystem of stunted cypress and pine trees and rhododendrons. The dwarf forest, a vulnerable habitat, is a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
.