Elk Guest House

Bluffs

Should you feel like leaving the comfort of your cottage, you will find an enormous world of possibility just outside your door. The bluffs offer gorgeous views of the Mendocino coastline, the Pacific ocean, and the many small beaches. There are more than a mile of rough trails along the bluffs, leading you to wonder after wonder. You may be graced by the sight of our resident seals, basking on the rocks at a low-tide rookery. You may take in the joys of the many wildflowers that spring up all along the bluff. You may even see whales passing by on their way south to breed, or north to return home.

About 200 yards down the bluff from your deck you will find a large viewing platform, ideal for watching the ocean or the sunset. This sturdy wooden platform offers a perfect place to set out a picnic, enjoy some wine, or simply lay back and gaze at the stars.

The complete lack of light pollution at the Elk Guest House exposes an unimagined Milky Way. Einstein's description of the heavens as awesome concurs with our reverence and explains the skylight above your feather bed. Personally we slept outside on the platform for the first six months we were here and return regularly.

Beach at Saddle Point

The beach at the base of Saddle Point is framed by 200' sheer cliffs which gather and amplify the sounds of the sea. Reaching the beach is not for the faint of heart, with a rope for the last 50' — but it is well worth it for those who feel up to the challenge. It is a memorable event to be present on an evening when the setting sun's golden light penetrates through the layers of thin fog, swirling around the sea stack spires. It is highly evocative of the classical paintings of the Southern Sung period.

Camping

For the adventurous, there’s a cook-out ring on a hidden plateau outside, where your only company will be bobcats, ring-tailed ferrets and white-tail deer. If you’re so moved, and the bedroom skylight seems a bit restrictive, consider the firmament unfettered by sheetrock framing! We only ask that you leave the 60-acre bedroom as clean as you found it!