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.

This was a cute little place to stop and take pictures at we really enjoyed the view. It is very…read moresketchy to go down into the beach area and we almost fell a few times. There is a lot of different people around all over the place taking pictures. Overall definitely a nice rest stop. Idk if I'd go out of my way to visit though but it's cool to have come once.

A few miles south on Hwy 1 from Pt. Arena. Takes a few minutes to get there, park at the beach sign…read more(heading south) AND make sure to look for the trail head to the North side on that lot. Get there 30 mins, or an hour BEFORE LOW TIDE, walk down the trail (Be Careful) and watch the tide head out- you'll see the massive Bowling Balls. Keep track of the tides, Be safe.

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.

Come at high-tide to feel insignificant and small. The waves are large and overpowering at this…read moretime and the wash goes all the way up the the cliff edge. There are giant overlapping crests and troughs of waves and you can easily imagine being swept away by the backwash. The first thing you see is a sign that says "This is one of the most deadly beaches in California". The next thing you see is a wooden rickety looking staircase that you use to descend down about 3 stories down to the beach. It was too wild at high tide to watch two children so I just went down with my brother, the wind and waves make almost deafening noise at the bottom. The sand is dark and there are black rocks jutting out of the water. Worth stopping at, its a short walk to the parking lot and if you don't want to brave the staircase at high tide you can always take great pictures from the top of the cliff.

Usually when up on the Sonoma Coast, I don't go further than Salt Point. Last weekend, I decided to…read morekeep driving north and see if there were any new beaches to check out. This was during a 100+ degree heat wave in the inner Bay Area, so the escape up to 65 degree coastline was much needed. After seeing the signs for Sea Ranch, and just past the Sea Ranch Lodge, there's a small sign pointing out coastal access. There's a small lot (10 cars, maybe) for Black Point Beach. It was full on a sunny July Saturday but I lucked out with someone getting ready to leave. There's a short trail, 1/4 mile or less leading to the beach and a 3 story staircase to get down to the sand. I came at lower tide so there was plenty of room for a walk along the length of the beach. There were interesting bluffs with water floating down in a couple of areas and mossy, smaller caves. The water seemed pretty rough but it was a nice day and lots of people were out enjoying sitting out on the sand. Much of the surrounding area is private property, so stay on trail too and from the beach. Nice stop if you're way up the coast.

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.

My kids and I wanted to check out Glass Beach, it was walking distance from where we were staying…read more It is not wheelchair accessible down to where the glass is, but my wheelchair bound son did stay up on top for a nice view of the ocean. My other two kids and I went down in search of pretty glass, it's closer to where the water is. We had a great time digging through the rocks to see what we could find, it was like an Easter egg hunt. Not much colored glass, but we found a lot of clear ones. We picked a few we liked and returned the others to the ocean. Overall, a fun way to spend about an hour if you're in the area!

"Where is the sea glass?!" I heard one man ask another. You might see nothing. Also You might find…read morelittle glass pieces on the beach, depending where you go. There are 3 sites for the beaches, some harder to find than others. Some beaches were hard to get down to, always be careful and safety first! If it is too steep then don't chance it Beautiful spot to look out into the ocean, enjoy the cliff views and just be present. Nice to be in the sun! And out! Check out the sea glass museum in fort Bragg town to learn more about it, which really helped me prior to going. If made it more meaningful

We walked along the Gualala Bluff Trail every morning during our recent stay. One can see seals…read morelounging on the beach below and view other wildlife. We saw a racoon foraging as well as many birds. A bald eagle flew over us one morning. The trail is only about 1/4 mile long. One end is behind Trink's Cafe.

Not much of a trail. End of Trail is the most memorable thing about this Trail. Okay, the views are…read morevery pretty, but it really isn't much of a trail. It's listed under hiking. You can walk the whole Trail in less than 7 minutes.

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.

Blind Beach is simply beautiful, can be enjoyed from the top for views only; or can be enjoyed by…read morebeing on the beach, there are two sides to the beach and can be great for all ages. Lots of parking available all over. It has that vastness that someone like myself much enjoys to just keep looking into. I like to be next to the water without having to go far out into it & love the sound of the waves and of the birds around. After some exploration prefer to park myself at one spot and catch up on my favourite book. The downside of being at Blind beach is the amount of bugs and flies all around. We tried shifting places, including parking at the top spot; despite sitting inside the vehicle and using the bug repellent nothing worked, so we had to finally leave and still were accompanied by a few inside our vehicle right up till the end :)

Cool place to hang out for a hour or so and take some nice pictures, Goat rock reminds me of a…read moresmaller version of "The Rock" and Morro Bay. The beach around goat rock is space but has a lot of character (see pictures). If you dare you can climb the shale rocks and get really close to the breaking waves. As you look out from Goat Rock you will see a very picturesque rock formation that looks like a bridge out in the ocean. Overall if you're driving up the coast on highway one and need a restroom break or just want to chill for a couple then this is you stop.