Van Damme State Park

It was named for Charles F. Van Damme (1881–1934), who was born in the area and purchased the land that is now the park with profits from a San Francisco ferry business.

The waters offshore from the beach form the Van Damme State Marine Conservation Area.

[2] The beach also serves as the launch site for kayak tours of the sea caves in the area.

[3] Another part of the park, Spring Ranch, consists of 160 acres (0.65 km2) of blufftop meadows on the ocean side of Route 1 north of Little River and a restored set of barns dating from 1860.

[4] Inland, a boardwalked nature trail leads through a pygmy forest, where poor soil has created a marshy ecosystem of stunted cypress and pine trees and rhododendrons.