Mendocino Grove sits on a forested ridge above the Big River, offering canvas safari tents equipped with heated beds, down comforters, and private redwood decks.
Mendocino Grove is a 37-acre glamping property situated on a forested ridge south of Mendocino village, overlooking the Big River estuary. Established in 2016 by Teresa Raffo and Chris Hougie, the retreat was designed to bypass the friction of traditional camping while maintaining a close connection to the coastal woods. The property features sixty spacious, canvas safari-style tents pitched on raised redwood platforms. Inside, king or queen beds are dressed in cotton linens, down comforters, and wool blankets, and crucially equipped with heated mattress pads to ward off the chill of the coastal fog. Private redwood decks are furnished with leather butterfly chairs, offering a quiet, elevated vantage point to sit under the canopy of second-growth redwoods and Douglas firs.
The social heart of the camp is the Meadow Commons, a central gathering hub anchored by a long wood farmhouse table lit by wicker basket chandeliers. Here, guests gather for a complimentary morning breakfast, utilize the espresso bar, or sit around the large communal fire pit. The property's bathhouses are designed with cedar-paneled walls, heated floors, and organic EO bath products. Enclosed by redwood fencing but open to the sky, the outdoor showers allow guests to bathe beneath the forest canopy. For additional relaxation, the property features a wood-fired dry sauna, a camp spa offering massage therapies, and outdoor yoga classes held on the weekends.
Scattered throughout the 37 acres are various recreational spaces designed for low-key leisure, including a hammock grove, a bocce ball court, and a dedicated dog park with a dog washing station. A private hiking trail winds down the ridge directly to the waters of the Big River, historically home to the Northern Pomo settlement of Buldam near the river's mouth. At the base of the ridge, guests can rent canoes, kayaks, or redwood outriggers from Catch a Canoe to explore the longest undeveloped estuary in California. Evenings at the grove are defined by the scent of burning firewood from individual fire pits and the steady sound of the Pacific wind rustling through the treetops, offering a structured, comfortable forest stay that remains deeply connected to the coastal environment.
Book one of the Classic tents on the outer edge of the property for the deepest forest immersion, and take advantage of the fire pit concierge service to have your campfire built for you before heading down to the estuary to rent a redwood outrigger canoe.
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