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MacKerricher State Park

Mendocino County, California · United States

What have people found?

Greater moon jelly, sea palm and eccentric sand dollar turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Ochre sea star, giant green anemone and aggregating anemone are the usual finds. ~73 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 3 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

See low tide times at MacKerricher State Park for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Nov8:251.2 min the dark21:280.2 m
  2. Mon 16 Nov9:491.1 min the dark22:170.2 m
  3. Tue 17 Nov11:131.0 min the dark23:050.3 m

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from August and December.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 950 meters away.
Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Rock pool safety
A rock pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The rockpooling code

What lives at MacKerricher State Park?

Species records from iNaturalist

Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Giant Green AnemoneAnthopleura xanthogrammica
Pyrosoma atlanticumPyrosoma atlanticum
Aggregating AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima
By-the-wind SailorVelella velella
California MusselMytilus californianus
Eccentric Sand DollarDendraster excentricus
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Pacific Sand CrabEmerita analoga
Gooseneck BarnaclePollicipes polymerus
Feather Boa KelpEgregia menziesii
Thatched BarnacleSemibalanus cariosus
Dungeness CrabMetacarcinus magister
Sea PalmPostelsia palmiformis
Greater Moon JellyAurelia labiata
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.