Spectacular views! My favorite spot in Bodega Bay is Bodega Head to see majestic ocean views and…read morehike along the bluffs. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of migrating whales! We enjoy getting chowder and sipping it while watching the waves. It is such a tranquil sight away from the hustle and bustle of life. Today was a beautiful sunny day at Bodega Head but even if it's raining, I love coming here to enjoy the views. Come prepared for some windy conditions just in case. The parking lot will get full on the weekends, especially during spring when you have a better chance of seeing whales. Several picnic tables available with friendly seabirds checking out what you're eating. Restrooms are next to the parking lot.

We pulled into Dunes campground just before dark. It took awhile to decide which spot to take as…read morethere were several great options. It was quiet clean easy yo get to and close to the bay! Shower was hot 1 token for $1 gives plenty of time

I had never heard of this grove of redwoods even when I was growing up in the area. It is located…read morea couple miles west of the town of Occidental. We were afraid we would lose cell service but luckily it worked the entire way so we were guided by Waze. The road is quite narrow and windy so best to take it slow in case you run across other cars or bicyclists. There are residences along this road too so another reason to take a slow pace. The parking lot is small but we fortunately got a spot as we waited for the other members of our party to arrive. It had been raining all weekend so perhaps there were not as many visitors as normal. We noticed several friendly dogs on leash as we walked along the well-kept trails. The redwoods are truly majestic and there are many picture perfect spots along the path. We took some beautiful photos of the redwoods with fern in the foreground. It's a nice and easy trail and a peaceful spot to have a picnic. I think they must have controlled burns here because in certain areas, there were redwoods that had blackened trunks. Some of these trees are over 1,000 years old. Take Coleman Valley Road to Fitzpatrick Lane. There is a small parking lot and I've read not to park on the side of the road if the parking lot is full as they do give out tickets.

This is a serene getaway into nature. You can feel more oxygen in the air and it's significantly…read morecooler. I've always loved Redwoods and feel like walking through redwood forests is very meditative. The hike isn't too long, maybe a half hour or so unless you are someone that stops a lot. I like a shorter hike because it frees up times to do other things but it's not really a destination to itself, more just if you are doing stuff around Occidental, I wouldn't come out of my way for it. The road is pretty windy and narrow. Be careful especially if you have a bigger car like an SUV.

Super nice beach up by bodega bay with plenty of space to roam around and find seashells and live…read moremussels! It's a bit of a decline going to the beach from the parking lot, so be weary with littles!

Portuguese Beach is definitely a must see. I visited a few years ago and was very impressed with…read moreit. It has some amazing rocks in the water and to see the water and waves hit thos tall rocks is a magical experience. It has a lot of multi colored pebbles ! That was amazing, I never saw soooo many colored pebbles and colored rocks before, it is absolutely a magical beach. The road to get there was a lot of fun as well, very curvy.

What is this dream place! Nature and ocean and plants and flowers! The contrast of the colors of…read morethe plants is wowwww! Vibrant. Stuff of your hiking dreams. So romantic Trails are clearly marked and wide enough No borders to keep you from falling off, omg be safe. That's what made it even more amazing after going hiking in Carmel although that was amazing too but had the borders so this was a way more natural setting In January the whales already made their way to Baja Mexico, didn't stop people with binoculars looking for Them but you might not find any. Stopped to chat with the whale organization volunteers at the parking lot and they have a lot to share! Happy hiking

This trail is absolutely beautiful and offers the most stunning views you can find along the coast…read more The cliffs and the ocean vistas are mesmerizing . Parking can be hectic - its a very popular spot, especially on the weekend so you might have to wait for a spot.

Although more known for its campgrounds, this park is also a decent setting for occasional special…read moreevents. I came here this past weekend to attend the annual Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival for the second time. Enjoyed the boat parade, helicopter display, interacting with starfish and other sea creatures, and live music by multiple bands on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The nearby camping area looked less than desirable. But as an event space, it's not bad at all, offering lovely views looking out onto the water, especially near the boating facility, while fitting a multitude of food and merchandise vendor tents on site.

So the wife booked this place. For a campground that's full, there were a lot of open spots. Weird…read more I guess online reservations are taking the spots even though they're not showing up. We had slots 27 and 29. One row from the water. We were just a short walk to the bathroom. Bathrooms were fine. I did not use the showers because I forgot the quarters. We had water hook up for slot 29. Remember not all spots have water. Also this place is not full hook ups. So be prepared. They do have a dumping station but that cost $7 bucks. Not bad plus they have a water hose for cleaning at the dump station. As for the stay, I really enjoyed our spot. The water when it receded, was safe enough for my kids to play and look for sea life. Easy to find a red rock crab or monkey face eel. Also plenty of baby crabs under the rocks. The views were amazing. The girls went out on hikes while I was out crabbing. Fun times for sure. They do have a generator rule. You can run them from 8am to 8pm. I might have ran mine past the time because it was windy and cold and I was not about to make my kids suffer. I did have a quiet generator which helped keep me out of trouble. Would I come back? You betcha. Everyone I talked to were nice.

Pinnacle Gulch is our hiking spot whenever we vacation in Bodega Bay…read more This year March 2026 is our 12th year vacationing and numerous times hiking the trail. It's my favorite trail because of the flowers, trees, creek and beautiful nature. I prefer hiking during the week because it's very quiet and less people. At the end of the trail you get a nice ocean view and met by the beach and ocean. There's much ocean life on the shore such as crabs, star fish, anemone, clams, birds and many other ocean life. FYI next to Punnacle Gulch there's a couple new hiking trails but much longer called Bluff Trail & Ridge Trail. I highly suggest if you're in the area to hike these trails. 5 Stars all around

One of my favorite trails Just the best way to experience…read morenature Love it and great workout

Yesterday Andrea said she wanted to go swimming in the ocean so after coffee and other refreshments…read morewe headed 4.1 miles to the beach. Initially the $15 parking fee was a no go but after a minute decided to go in. I was all in cause I was looking forward to Andrea stripping down and diving into the surf. Well..... After getting her toes wet from the cold, cold sea she decided to scrape those plans to my disappointment and everyone else on the beach. So in the fog we did get our feet wet, enjoyed the surf, the dogs and the Dillon Beach Air Force (pelicans) performing low fly overs. The beach was packed. People and dogs everywhere. After feet in the water for a bit it seemed actually swimmable but as much as I persuaded Andrea to go in we left without me holding on to her clothes. Next time. Next time. Lots of families and BBQ's getting out of the rat race for a moment to recollect the sanity they may or may not have had at one point. Upon leaving hopefully the sand that will be everywhere will remind them of a nice time on the coast. I know we will continue to remember it.

$10 cover charge to get in. You can use credit card, lot of parking space. A physical sign before…read morethe beach tells you to keep going down the road instead of taking a right as Google maps would tell you to do those directions seem to be correct. Doesn't seem to have a shower area to shower off the sand. Fine grain sand. Not very Rocky. Bathroom has benches for easier time to get changed. Big dumpsters for throwing away stuff

July 1, 2025 - Bodega Bay…read more Easy access trail off of Highway 1, just as the highway turns inland. $7.00 fee to park. Picnic tables and porta-potty (clean, but out of TP) at parking lot. Trail is wide and flat. Leashed dogs allowed. The trail is a 1-1/4 mile multi-use path (bicycles, horses, hikers) that loops along a saltwater marsh just north of Doran Regional Park and offers excellent bird-watching. The trail circles two freshwater ponds along Bodega Harbor and overlooks marshland that provides habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. We saw a beautiful egret and some crabs. We walked to Doran Beach (dog friendly). Just a note: Horses use the trail, so watch out for the land mines they leave on the trail. I pick up after my dog--can't you pick up after your horse?

We came here twice in one week, the second time with a group of six. It's a very easy walking path…read morewith various birds flying, perching or swimming. There was a bird that was diving into the water looking for its lunch and it kept diving over and over after it came up for air. We saw deer, pelicans, huge blue herons perched in a tree, ducks, seagulls and other small birds. The trail is right next door to Doran Beach but this coastal access trail goes around in a loop and it's only a little over a mile before you're back to the parking lot. This area is rich with birds and if you're lucky, it could be a nice photo opportunity. There must be a crew that comes out to check on the condition of the paths because when we were there earlier in the week, there were large piles of horse manure on the bridge but it was all gone later in the week. Thank you! Parking is $7. Free to those who have a Sonoma County Regional Park pass.