Surf Forecast  MacKerricher

MacKerricher surfspot characteristics

More about MacKerricher surfspot

General: Pudding Creek is an unreliable, peaky beachbreak that's only surfable when small and clean. The currents can be bad and there's the occasional submerged rock. Next comes the southern boundary of MacKerricher State Park and Virgin Creek, a quality beachbreak in a small cove with wedgy rights peeling into a channel. The left can be good, too, but the right is much better -- tuberides are possible. The drops are often steep, followed by a shoulder that either peels or backs off. Check this place when the swell is small, clean and peaky; watch out for rocks, too. The soft sand bottom changes sporadically.</br></br>MacKerricher State Park is six windblown miles of sandy beach and dunes with some exceptional tide pools, driftwood, craggy outcroppings and the small, serene Lake Cleone. It's basically all generic beachbreak with the exception of Laguna Point, known to have some surfable waves at low tide, but not really a primo spot to set your sights on. Again, this is an area reserved strictly for small, clean, windless days that normally occur during the late spring, summer and early autumn. The bottom drops off significantly from the shoreline, thus inducing some brutal shorepound, undertows and currents. The farther north you go, the shallower and more gradual the bottom gets, so this is your best bet for finding waves. .</br></br>Just north of Cleone is a road called Ward Avenue, which leads you directly to a rocky, peaky beachbreak capable of getting good during lower tides and southeast wind. The small pocket beach at the mouth of Seaside Creek lies at the north end of the state park, where the road momentarily skirts back down to the waterline. This is another rocky, temperamental beachbreak that's only good when small and clean -- mainly a summer spot, best at medium tide. Tides: Medium Size: Chest-head high Wind: SE, E Swell: SW, W Bottom: Sand and rock, with the exception of Laguna Point. Paddling: Not too bad. Spot Rating: Kinda fun.

Intermediate

Pudding Creek. About two blocks north of Elm Street, you'll see the brown coastal access sign in plain view. Virgin Creek. Immediately south of the northern "Fort Bragg City Limit" sign, there's a wide dirt parking lot on the east side of Highway 1. Park in it, cross the road and walk along the trail to the water. MacKerricher State Park.

June-November

Crowd Factor: Probably a few surfers out at Virgin Creek, but you'll most likely have the other spots to yourself. Local Vibe: Perhaps a few cold glances at Virgin Creek, but as always a bit of humility and respect go a long way.

Clean.

There was a 12' white shark that recently washed up on the beach at Virgin Creek (it was dead, of course). So that tells you that the tooth is out there.