Of course, there are lots of gorgeous places to meander among the big trees along the Mendocino Coast. But few will reward you as richly as locations close to Fort Bragg. Hike the ecological staircase at JugHandle Beach, venture into Russian Gulch State Park, or choose Otis John Johnson Park, accessible from the east end of Laurel Street.  In the wintertime the forest comes to life with mist that falls from the trees, glistening ferns, mushrooms of all shapes, colors and sizes, and banana slugs slithering across the trails.