Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
About
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve is a public ocean beach in California, about a mile from the town of Caspar. It sits within the Mendocino Unit and offers restrooms and accessible access, with no fee to visit. Summer and early fall are the driest and mildest stretch. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 65°F from July through September, with only a few wet days a month. Winter brings highs in the low 50s and rain on more than half the days. The Ecological Staircase Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Caspar Uplands Trail is about a mile off. Belinda Point Trail and the Pygmy Forest Reserve Trail are both within about 2 miles.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible access
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–65°F and lows of 45–50°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Ft Bragg 5 N, CA weather station, 9.8 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan52° high40° low
- Feb54° high41° low
- Mar55° high41° low
- Apr57° high42° low
- May60° high45° low
- Jun63° high47° low
- Jul65° high49° low
- Aug65° high50° low
- Sep65° high49° low
- Oct62° high46° low
- Nov56° high43° low
- Dec52° high40° low
Where it is
- Mendocino Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Caspar, California · 1.1 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Ecological Staircase TrailHikingPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.1 mi- Caspar Uplands TrailHiking1.1 mi
Belinda Point TrailHikingPhoto: sarahstierch, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)1.6 mi
Jugs TrailHikingPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.9 mi- Pygmy Forest Reserve TrailHikingPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.9 mi
- Cypress TrailHikingPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)2.3 mi
Headlands TrailHikingPhoto: string_bass_dave, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3.2 mi- South Fork Noyo RiverCanoeing7.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
52° / 40°
16 wet
Feb
54° / 41°
14 wet
Mar
55° / 41°
15 wet
Apr
57° / 42°
11 wet
May
60° / 45°
7 wet
Jun
63° / 47°
3 wet
Jul
65° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
65° / 50°
3 wet
Sep
65° / 49°
4 wet
Oct
62° / 46°
7 wet
Nov
56° / 43°
13 wet
Dec
52° / 40°
17 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 9.8 mi away at 123 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
