Our wedding weekend is in the beautiful Mendocino Woodlands State Park, 10 miles inland from the coastal town of Mendocino.
The Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association (MWCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that has operated and maintained the facilities at the Mendocino Woodlands State Park since 1949. The Park is a National Historic Landmark built in the 1930s and is nestled in 700 acres of redwood trees, ferns, and glades along both sides of the Little North Fork of the Big River in Northern California, near the coastal village of Mendocino. Twenty-five miles of hiking trails in and around the Park, an open meadow, large beaver pond, river otters, deer, fox and other flora and fauna complete the magic of the Woodlands.
Flying: You can fly into the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose airports), Sacramento, or Santa Rosa. From airports at either Sacramento, Oakland, or San Francisco, Mendocino is about a 3-4 hour drive (traffic dependent); from Charles Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, it is approximately 2 hours.
Driving: Driving will be the easiest and most flexible option, and will also be the only option for getting directly to and from Mendocino Woodlands State Park.
Shuttle: Tour Mendocino offers a shuttle service that can be booked for up to 10 people. Mendo Insider Tours also offers airport transfer services that can be booked in advance with a variety of vehicle options available for parties of different sizes.
Other transportation options: Sonoma County Transit provides regional connections from the San Francisco, Oakland, and Sonoma County airports to and from Mendocino via connections in Santa Rosa. Expect these options to be somewhat limited in terms of frequency and flexibility of timeframes, and while this option is feasible, especially if you have someone to carpool with once in Mendocino, it’s not our top recommendation.
Getting there
Stay with us!
Join us for the full weekend at The Woodlands!
We've chosen a venue with on-site accommodations so we can spend the whole weekend together! We encourage all guests to stay with us at The Woodlands from Friday, October 2nd (after noon) through Monday morning, October 5th. We'll have fun activities and plenty of time to hang out, and you are welcome to stay for as many or as few of those nights as you like. The on-site accommodations are included in our venue fee and there are enough spaces on site to sleep all guests, so no need to book anything - you will be able to let us know if you are planning to stay on site in your RSVP.
To help cover the costs of accommodations and additional amenities and food provided throughout the weekend for on site guests, we are asking for a recommended contribution of $35 per person, per night if you are planning to stay in the cabins on site. We know travel can be expensive, and we do not want this cost to prevent anyone from joining us for the weekend, so this contribution is recommended, not required - there will be more information on this when you RSVP.
A note on the cabins: historic charm
The accommodations at The Woodlands are truly special! The cabins are a National Historic Landmark, originally built in the 1930s by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Each cabin is fully enclosed and features:
Four cots and mattresses (two singles can be pushed together to form a queen bed).
A cozy wood-burning fireplace
A closet and a balcony
On-site amenities and practical details
Bathrooms and Power Access
To maintain the historic, rustic charm, the individual cabins do not have in-cabin electricity or bathrooms.
Each group of cabins is clustered around a nearby fully equipped bathroom facility with flush toilets, sinks, hot showers, and electrical outlets. You can also use the outlets in the bathroom and dining hall facilities to charge or operate personal devices throughout the weekend.
Accessibility Needs: If you have mobility concerns or require 24/7 power access for a medical device, please indicate this on your RSVP. We will ensure you are placed in a cabin suitable for your needs, which may be in the one available cabin that sleeps 10 and is equipped with electricity, running water, and a private bathroom, or an easily accessible cabin near the road.
Kitchen and Cooking Facilities
A full-sized commercial kitchen and walk-in fridge are available for everyone's use throughout the weekend.
We will be providing meals, but you are welcome to prepare your own food if you prefer.
We'll have a dedicated area in the walk-in fridge for you to label and keep personal items.
If you do use the kitchen, kindly be sure to clean up after yourself and take any unused personal items/food when you leave.
Parking
There is room to park on site, but space is not unlimited. We encourage carpooling with other guests if possible.
RVs and tent camping: There is limited space available for guests who wish to bring an RV or tent for personal car-camping instead of staying in a cabin. You can indicate your interest in bringing an RV or tent camping on your RSVP so we can coordinate space.
Connectivity & Emergency Access
Please note that cell phone service is not reliable at the property, and there is no open Internet access.
Guest Messaging/Call Access: We will provide a shared WiFi-enabled phone number and email address in advance that will be pre-loaded on iPads that guests can use to send or receive messages or calls at any time. You can share the number and email address with anyone who may need to reach you throughout the weekend, and the iPads will be kept in a common location and self service for guests to check and use at any time, 24/7.
Internet: If you have an issue or emergency that requires access to internet services on your own personal phone or device, the WiFi Starlink internet access will be available to guests upon request for essential connectivity. Due to limited capacity, please do not plan on unlimited access for non-emergency use throughout the weekend.
Emergency Communication: We will also have inReach satellite emergency devices, which we will be able to use to request emergency services in the unlikely event of an accident or medical emergency while on site.
What we'll provide & what to bring
To make your stay as comfortable and easy as possible, particularly for those who will be traveling far to get there, here is a list of what we'll be covering, and what you should plan to pack.
What We'll Provide
We’ll take care of many of the essentials for your stay:
Bedding: For guests traveling by plane, we will purchase bulk sleeping bags and pillows so you don't have to pack them or worry about securing your own bedding to bring. If you are driving from your home, please bring your own pillows and bedding.
Lighting and warmth: We will provide lanterns for all on-site guests, as well as firewood, starter logs, carriers, and matches for your cabin's fireplace.
Essentials: We will supply sunscreen, bug spray, and a basic first aid kit for shared guest use.
Meals: We will provide options for all meals for those staying on site from Friday dinner through Monday breakfast so you won't need to leave the property or bring in groceries unless you’d like to. We will also have compostable plates and cutlery for meals outside of the catered dinner available for guest use. Our plan includes:
Friday: We will have a welcome dinner in the evening, where all guests staying on and off site are welcome.
Saturday: Self-serve breakfast/brunch items and sandwich fixings will be available throughout the day, followed by the cocktail hour in the afternoon and catered wedding meal in the evening.
Sunday: We will have leftovers from the welcome and wedding dinners available for brunch.
What You'll Need to Bring if You’re Staying On Site
Footwear: Shoes appropriate for walking on trail paths in The Woodlands. Since the bathroom blocks will be a short walk from the cabins, bring easy slide-on/off shoes for walking around the property.
Layered clothing: October is generally among the warmer months in Mendocino, but it’s still Northern California, which is much more temperate and cool than Southern California - the average temperature in Mendocino in October for a typical day ranges from a high of 66°F (19°C) to a low of 54°F (12°C) - it can feel quite chilly at night. Please pack warm pajamas, jackets, and layering options to stay comfortable.
Extra lighting: While we will provide lanterns, additional personal headlamps or flashlights are always helpful if you have them.
Personal water bottle: Please bring a water bottle for personal use throughout the weekend to ensure you have easy water access in your cabin. There is potable water available on site.
Personal beverages: We will be providing wine and beer for the welcome dinner, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic options throughout Saturday’s events. If you would like other beverages, or would like to have beverages at other times throughout the weekend, please bring them. We will allocate space in the walk in cooler for personal item labeling and storage.
Personal food for specific dietary needs: All meals will include some vegetarian and gluten-free options, and the catered dinner on Saturday will have a gluten-free and vegetarian option. If you have additional specific dietary requirements and are staying on site for the weekend, please plan to bring food that will work for you. You can also share major allergens on your RSVP and we will plan kitchen use rules to ensure you can use those facilities.
Children
Due to space limitations, unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate children over age 3 at the on site cabin accommodations (outside of Marie and Krisanne’s immediate family). We recommend checking out the many wonderful Airbnb or VRBO properties available in the Mendocino and Fort Bragg areas, many of which are just a short drive from The Woodlands. Children under age 3 are welcome to stay on-site with their caregivers throughout the weekend.
We understand many of you are traveling and want to make it as easy as possible for families to join us. Children are welcome at our weekend events outside of Saturday’s wedding festivities:
Friday welcome dinner: Children of all ages are welcome.
Saturday daytime, wedding, & reception: Only children under age 3 and children in Marie and Krisanne’s immediate family will be able to attend the events on Saturday.
Sunday brunch & hangout: Children of all ages are welcome to join us for brunch and the full day of hanging out.
We will also share the following resources to assist with planning for caregivers with children over age 3 who are traveling in if you are interested in childcare on Saturday:
Local sitters: We will be obtaining recommendations for local childcare providers from trusted community contacts, and we'll share these in advance to help you find care for Saturday afternoon/evening if desired. You will have access to the self-service iPads with the ability to send and receive text mesasges and calls via a shared number connected to Starlink Internet to be able to communicate with a childcare provider throughout the day/evening .
Group care: We are also happy to connect families who are interested in finding childcare for Saturday if you would like to self-organize and pool together. There will be options to designate your interest on your RSVP
Pets
Please note that Mendocino Woodlands is a state park, and no pets of any kind are allowed on the property (not even Sassafras 🙁). If you are traveling with pets, there are pet-friendly hotel and vacation rental options nearby, and we will also provide recommendations for pet boarding options in the local area to assist with your planning.
Alternative Lodging
We understand that on-site cabin lodging isn't for everyone! If you'd like to stay off site with children over 3 years old or just prefer a different style of stay, the charming towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg are only a 15–20 minute drive away and offer many wonderful hotels and vacation rental options on Airbnb and VRBO.