As you can see this beach goes through some dramatic changes with the seasons. The entrance to this campground is at Mendocino Mile Marker 4.64, just at the bottom of down the hill at the hairpin curve from the town of Anchor Bay.

Anchor Bay is a protected anchorage for small fishing boats, and at night you can see all the boats anchored in the bay with their lights on. There is a ½ mile sandy beach at the end of a private campground. The campground charges a small fee for day use. The camp is very clean, and all campsites have fire pits. They have a great fish cleaning station, and the pay showers are one of the best deals in Mendocino County. This is a very popular destination, and I recommend making reservations by calling 1-707-884-4222 well in advance of any planned trip, as they only have about 30 campsites available. Most of the campground is long term RV or trailer rental. This private campground is now under the management of "American Land & Leisure", and their phone number is 1(800)226-3564.

The beach diving at Anchor Bay is easy, just walk into the surf, swim out a little bit, and go down. There is even decent spearfishing and abalone diving directly off the middle of the beach out about a 100 yards or so, near some small wash rocks.

For those with an inflatable or a kayak, the diving is from good to excellent. There are many spots to explore, and I have seldom been disappointed. This area has a large seal rookery just to the North around the corner of the bay. The ocean side of this rookery is a very nice dive. The ocean can get deep at this spot, so watch your depth gauge. If you stay close to the island, you will be in about 60 feet of water, and of course it gets deeper as you head west.

All of the spots North of the rookery are very good dives. There is a large rock just south of the next large Northern point (Havens Neck). This rock always seems to have an abundance of ling cod and rockfish. If you go further North past Havens Neck you run into a series of rocks and a very unusual topography. The rocks look like large construction blocks which have just been dumped in the ocean - this is naturally occurring and the locals call this area the rockpile. This is a great spot for abalone diving, and also spearfishing to the west of the rocks in the deeper water.

To the South of Anchor Bay is a large area called the Airport. This area is also very good for spearfishing and abalone diving. There is a small private airport visible from the ocean with a wind sock usually flying.

The decision to dive (or not) is your responsibility. Keep diving activities within your training and comfort level. If you feel more training or experience is needed before attempting a dive, don't dive. Know personal limits, skill levels, and abilities of yourself and your dive buddy. Dive Safely and Dive Often!

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, contact me