Hendy Woods State Park in Mendocino

Good Idea

Find campsites that are close to farms. You get fresh and local bounty that pairs perfectly with sleeping outside. You can pull out your pancake mix and your camping-size espresso maker, but a jar of handmade apple butter from apples picked just yards from your campground, well, need I say? It makes the day.

I love driving on the 128, the breathtaking California byway that cuts from Route 101 above Santa Rosa to the coast through towns like Boonville and Philo. In the autumn there is far less traffic heading to the tasting rooms of Navarro, Handley, and other stellar Anderson Valley wineries, which also means ample space at one of my favorite campgrounds, Hendy Woods State Park.

This is the first campground you’ll come to heading north. Look for the plentiful signs for Gowan’s Oak Tree Fruit Stand that start popping up about a mile from the turn (you’ll pass by Gowan’s, but these are good landmarks to look for). Make a left at Philo-Greenwood Road, pass The Apple Farm, head over a small bridge and immediately to the left is the Hendy Woods State Park sign. The campsites are lined along a loop much further down the park turn off, (keep going – it is a long park), and since they are so far off of 128 there is minimal truck and car noise compared to the other nearby campsites. Water from the spigots must be boiled before drinking, and quarter showers are hotter than hot. There are two cabins available to rent (great if you don’t have a tent or don’t like sleeping in them).

Aside from the added bonus of sleeping under chandaleers of redwood fronds, the bonus here is the proximity to The Apple Farm. Don’t worry about the lack of creativity in the name, it is more than amply made up for… The Schmidts, the original owners of French Laundry, joined by the Bates Family, have planted a beautiful orchard and farm here. Roll out of your tent, head back down the park drive, go back over the little bridge and fill your mug with hot apple cider at the farm stand.

Sample dozens of different apples, each with their own unique character and story. Bins are especially full in the fall months, and neat signs, complete with paring knives for sampling, describe the history and name of each one. The most local is Philo Gold, which happens to be one of my favorites, a 150-something-year-old heirloom that was developed right here in Philo by some of the first settlers. There are preserves and vinegars and hard cider and seasonal veggies too. Just pay in the drop box and have a sit overlooking the barn and creek. It is the most delightful variation from vino, the now primary crop of the region.

Deets

Hendy Woods State Park, 18599 Philo-Greenwood Rd., Philo, Mendocino County, 707.895.3141, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=438, camping open last week of march through end of October, park open daily 8a-sunset

The Apple Farm, 18501 Philo-Greenwood Rd., Philo, Mendocino County, 707.895.2333, http://www.philoapplefarm.com/stand.html, farm stand is open during daylight hours and is cash only