Worth it for the baby seals. We didn't actually go down to the beach and instead chose to stay on…read morethe cliff and do the trails. Trails are easy from the parking lot and is dog friendly. As you get to the viewing point for the seals though, dogs are not allowed. (We saw a seal turn around and go back into the water after making eye contact/smell contact with our dog as we were walking near the cliff!) There were also seal docents who can explain what you're seeing and share binoculars.

This is a lovely cove beach, but I didn't find many shells! We were there at low tide and only…read moresaw a couple other people.

Relaxing beach in a cove at Sea Ranch, naturally formed to feel intimate and private. The sand is…read moremade of tiny dark pebbles and it feels foreign to the California Coast and will remind you of the black sand beaches at Hawaii or Iceland. At low tides there are tidepools at the south end, at high tides the water becomes violent and furious while still somehow remaining soothing to the eyes and ears. Some other things we loved at the beach: -3 small waterfalls, 2 on the south end and 1 on the north. Relaxing water sounds and you can walk right up to them and get close with no barriers. -Large log right in front of the stairs, I've never seen a beach log so large. -Very short walk from the parking area and easy access to the Coastal Trail if you also want to see some wind-whipped trees and greenery.

This beach provides very close access to a large number of tide-pools during low tides, where you…read morecan observe an entire ecosystem at work comprising of small fishes, crabs and other creatures. I'd recommend paying a visit to this beach if you're interested in viewing these tide pools as well as having a relaxing time at the beach. As a callout, this beach is not wheelchair friendly or accessible.

We had a lovely return visit to Donna and Jorge's beautiful home. The house is perfectly set up for…read moreour family of 4: each kid loves having their own bedroom, and the boys especially loved the game room with all of the games and DVDs. The kitchen is very well stocked with all of the supplies and gear you could possibly need. The views from the house are absolutely incredible, and our family loved greeting the seals perched below each morning. Highlights from our stay included soaks in the hot tub, countless family walks on the bluff trails, exploring the Hot Spot Loop/San Andreas Fault Interpretive Loop, breakfast at Trinks in Gualala, lunch at the Lodge, grilling dinner on the deck, watching tons of World Cup games in the spacious and comfortable living room, and magical visits to Pebble Beach, Ohlson Beach, And Black Point Beach. This year, our boys also attended a week of Sea Ranch Kids Camp at the Links. They enjoyed their time there, especially the bounce house, art projects, and kayaking trip on the Gualala River. Thank you so much for hosting us. We can't wait to come back.

Avoided the 101 degree record in Santa Rosa while enjoying 62-75 degrees here in Abalone Bay Sea…read moreRanch. Took daily walks with our dog on the bluff trail located just outside the house. Ate out at some local restaurants but also took advantage of the fully equipped kitchen to make a couple of meals in house. These are just a few things that make Abalone Bay special place to stay.

One of my favorite beach parks on the coast! Beautiful trail through the cypress grove with…read morestunning views of the ocean and Pelican Rock. Plenty of driftwood along the wide beach, and the view of the town in the distance adds a nice touch.

Lovely campsite. Every single site is shaded. Some are huge, some are tiny, some are practically on…read moretop of each other. Half of them are also right on the river. We had sites 1+2 which were great for a group; 1 was VERY spacious (could have easily fit 4-5 tents). See my notes below - sorry for the incomplete sentences, I was doing this on my phone walking around. The raccoons are ruthless once it's dark out! They swiped food from our picnic table while we were sitting at it, just 5 feet away from it. I had my trunk open and left my car for a few minutes; when I came back they'd grabbed things from the cooler and broken some eggs we had. Be vigilent!! There is a beach nearby, with 4-7 year old kids, it was about a 40 minute walk. They definitely needed a lot of motivation to get there and back, but it was doable! The beach is beautiful, with all this stripped away dead wood that made for fun playhouses for the kids. But the waves are really tough there and there are about a million signs saying don't go into the water, as the sand gets very deep quickly, which creates these death trap waves. We had a dog off leash and someone told me that the rangers are really strict and will actually ticket if your dog is not leashed. *Note that EVERY SINGLE site is very well shaded. I stopped putting this in my notes halfway through when I realized this. F - 1 small tent, 2nd area for medium or large tent only, flat, river view, full shade, v private E - 2 tents,shade, river view, kind private D - two small tents, right on path no privacy, no river view, shaded C - 1 large tent, Right on path. No privacy, River view, shaded B - 2 medium tents A - two medium tents A/B basically like one site 11 - A little sloped, to medium times, no Riverview, kind of private 12 - not very private from the road, two medium tents s but would be tight, shaded but feels more open. No River View 13 - 3-4 of tent spots, isolated from other sites, shaded but feels open, a little bit Sloped, no River view 14 - very small, space for maybe one tent, shaded 15/16 - basically like one campground, very open right off the road, space for three to four tents 17 - space for two to three tents, open but shaded, semi-private 19 - Small, space for one to two tents, right off road 1 - very large for four or five tents 2 - space for 3 tents 3 - space for one or two tents, has the best river view 1-3 all in one line, shaded, on the river. 1 has the most trees 8 - One or two tents 9 - 1 tent 10 - 1 tent 8-10 All close to each other and not very private 8-9 very integrated, could be a group site. But really close to other sites on either side of the road 5-6 small, one tent each, could be a group site 4 - Small, maybe one or two tents. Right on River

Good beach for taking your dogs to play. Surf can be rough at times, so keep a close watch, but…read moredogs can run and play on the sand. A lot of driftwood on beach. Parking is roadside. Doggy doody bags available at top of trail. Stairs, but no railings. Not ADA accessible but we saw a woman who uses two canes make it to the beach without issue. 4 stars for dog friendly but tough unsafe surf.

O the beauty and how wonderful it is to walk along the coast of California. A beautiful place for…read morereal Gorgeous rock formations such as tafoni sandstone, honeycomb shapes and holes in the rocks. Long time in the making, these geological wonders. Stop to observe and take some pics Really serene walking on the trail and seeing the gentle sway of the wildflowers and feeling the cool breeze

Great park to walk along the coast line with interesting rock formations!…read moreWild flowers in a spring is an added bonus!

Fish Rock Beach is in front of the Anchor Bay Campground in the community of Anchor Bay just north…read moreof Gualala, California. Wander around the rocks to other little pockets along the beach. The cove is popular for scuba diving, fishing, abalone diving, sea kayaking, and whale watching. Swimming is usually safe here as rip currents are rare, but the water is always cold. Anchor Bay is in an area called the "Banana Belt" which stays clearer than the surrounding Mendocino and Sonoma coastline that gets more fog and rain. Winter storms can strip the beach of its sand turning the beach into a rocky shore, but the sand gets pushed back into place naturally every year.

Beautiful trail. Look for the markets to stay on the trail when crossing the golf cart paths…read more You'll pass through a beautiful grotto with a waterfall and end at a gorgeous private beach. Lots of wildflowers and trees to observe, we saw a red legged frog on our hike today! Easy to walk.

We had a pleasant experience at Gualala Park. We were surrounded by redwoods trees. It felt like a…read morefairy garden. The campgrounds are clean and well maintained by the workers. We reserved the river side campground and were pleased with the views. The on-site store is not a walk-in. It's someone at the counter and you point what you want to buy. 8 pounds of ice is $5. They have a coffee truck available only in the mornings. Bathrooms and showers are clean. There's a coin machine by the store to get quarters for shower usage. I recommend this campsite. It is unique and majestic.

Owner is terrible and cruel. Staff is hit or miss. I met some great ones but one man in particular…read morecovered in tattoos and facial hair, came at us aggressive and was targeting our sites and reported untrue events that resulted in a ban for our family. I have been bringing my family for 6 years and have never had such a poor experience than this past time, in my life. We have invited numerous families to join in our tradition to make it fun for our kids. Friends, neighbors, friends of friends. The trip was one my kids looked forward to every year. We LOVED Gualala River Redwood Park. We have never had any issues or complaints and although we have invited many we all have our own groups that huddle together at night for cooking and campfires. We left our trip unknowing that there was anything wrong until the owner wrote an email a couple days later that was so rude and banned certain families from ever coming back. We were told we had 6 noise complaints towards our "group" this was untrue. 3 different families had 2 noise complaints each and none were related to each other. We were also told there was an altercation that happened when someone from our "group" was denied firewood, which also was not true and didn't involve the "group" it was a single person. One family that was banned had zero noise complaints, and another family that was not even on the camping trip this year but reserved for next year was banned. The owner was unwilling to reason or change her mind on any of this. I have never felt so unfairly treated in my life. My campsite never received a noise complaint and I was banned because I had the same last name as someone who did. Nothing that happened warranted a ban from ever returning. We were always respectful and would have never done anything to jeopardize not being able to come again. I am blown away with the unprofessionalism of the owner and her unwillingness to judge this situation fairly for all the families that weren't involved with breaking rules at all. The place may be beautiful but you are supporting an ugly person... I feel sorry for her, must be a sad life to live when you have so much hate for people that have only shown you love and loyalty. Rules are important but being fair and having a willingness to work with long time coming families that don't ever make mistakes but did one time is also important. There are two sides to every story... Let's be good human beings in a world that needs more of them. Sarah the owner is not, please don't support her campground.