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Big River, United States

Stay in Mendocino: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Mendocino

Watch this spot We email you when Big River is worth the trip.

2021 Agate beach Mendocino
Agate Beach, 1 km away. Photo: tbo47, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Big River

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (231°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (51°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in September, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Mendocino, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 10 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to SMF, direct.

    See flights MDW → SMF · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 50 from the airport to Big River.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MendocinoAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Mendocino · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mendocino · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Big River on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Big River does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct466 ft9 shollow587kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct457 ft8 shollow553kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct609 ft10 shollow1,401kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct315 ft8 shollow258kJ18°C
Thu 22Oct194 ft6 shollow120kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct357 ft8 shollow534kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct264 ft7 shollow187kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct477 ft7 shollow354kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct456 ft8 shollow434kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct295 ft7 shollow223kJ14°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 50 by road. About 10h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Big River

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 9 ft at 10 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Big River

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Big River

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 50 by road. About 10h door to door

The trip from Mendocino, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,015–£1,835 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£220–£455
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,015–£1,835

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Mendocino

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.