Van Damme State Park (Mendocino)
Little River, Mendocino Coast · near Mendocino / Little River · North Coast
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Depth
- 30
- Water temperature
- 48–56°F · 7mm + hood/gloves or drysuit
- Best season
- Late summer/fall calm windows
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No dive permit. Van Damme State Park, Little River — day-use fee, a protected cove that was historically THE North Coast abalone-diving beach. Abalone diving is now CLOSED statewide. The sheltered cove gives a relatively protected (but cold) entry; still exposed to North Coast swell. Experienced cold-water divers.
What is here
- Marine life
- Cold-water reef & kelp · Rockfish, cabezon, lingcod · Rich invertebrate life · Historic abalone cove (now closed)
- Features
- Historic North Coast diving cove · Sheltered-ish entry for the region · Cold, rich reef & kelp · Mendocino's spectacular coast
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- Yes
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- scuba · snorkel
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 10–25 ft
- Intl tip
- Van Damme State Park charges day-use; the cove is the main entry. Cold-water gear essential (drysuit or 7mm + hood/gloves). Abalone diving is closed statewide — look only. Even this sheltered cove needs calm weather. Combine with Mendocino village and the Mendocino Headlands (trail running guide). For experienced cold-water divers.
The guide
Van Damme State Park at Little River is one of the North Coast's classic dive coves — a relatively sheltered notch in the wild …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Van Damme State Park (Mendocino) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.272, -123.793