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Bodega Bay, CA

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Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail

4.7 (24 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 6:00 pm

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F C.

It was an easy shirt trial with big rewards. I missed the parking lot the first time but no problem finding it. It was a pleasure afternoon hike with a beautiful view and relaxing hike all the way to the beach. There were many sea stars at low tide . It was so fun!

Lisa W.

Throughout every season, Pinnacle Gulch offers stunning scenery. The trail is only 1 mile to the beach- if you return on the northern path it's about 2.5 miles round trip. I try and plan to come here on a low tide as the sea urchins & sea stars are visible. For some reason today we saw none, yet encountered thousands upon thousands of mussel shells washed ashore. I'm assuming global warming has something to do with it. But we did see whales! Plenty of them spouting not too far from shore. Another gorgeous day at Pinnacle Gulch

Pinnacle Gulch Beach.
Cari H.

A pretty beach that is best enjoyed at low tide. It can be accessed by the trail down or from Doran Beach at low tide. Go past rock outcropping, pass through the cave (you'll have to bend down) and you pop out on the south side to encounter a string a pretty little beaches. Keep it clean and pristine, folks!

When the trail ends. Beautiful spot
Daisy G.

Never been here before but decided to stop and take a stroll. Was about a 45 walk to and from. The trail is easy going down but coming back up there's alot of high steps lol me my hubby and kids really liked it. Also there is close parking to it

Driftwood-June 2016-such a peaceful beach
Jennifer N.

Hidden gem of a beach in Bodega Bay that requires a short hike down to enjoy the beauty and majesty of the Pacific. There is a small lot (free parking) across from a trailhead that takes you down to the beach. It's about a 10 minute walk through coastal scrub that eventually opens up to spectacular views of the coast. It's not a well known or heavily travelled beach, which makes for a perfectly relaxing and low key coastal adventure. Once down at the beach you were met with scenic cliffs, rocky coastline and crystal blue waves crashing. Pinnacle Gulch Beach is also hands down the best shell collecting spot I've visited on the Sonoma Coast. It's a nice scenic walk from one end to the other and if you are feeling adventurous, and there is low tide, you can actually crawl through a small cave that takes you over to Doran Beach. It was a very windy day on my particular visit to Pinnacle Gulch Beach, but still a breathtakingly beautiful slice of the Sonoma Coast. Such a quiet, relaxing spot to take in coastal views and sit in solitude in the lovely Bodega Bay area.

Vicki L.

Nice 1.9 mile round trip hike. Downhill to the beach. Dog friendly. Easy parking at the top.

Chelsie O.

Love how you can bring your dogs! A very nice hike with a great view during the spring-summer season! Only saw one person during the very short hike and only a few families/couples on the beach! Can't wait to go again because this is one of the few beaches around the bay area that allow dogs!

Views from trail.
Parker S.

Nice spot if you're looking for a short hike to beach. It's a relatively easy, 2 mile loop hike. Free parking area with bathrooms. Dog friendly (on leash). The beaches are beautiful, not too crowded on a Friday afternoon. Side note, there are quite a few stairs in one location on hike. I recommend this trail and beaches and plan on visiting again, soon!

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Absolutely breathtaking beauty and a gorgeous hike to get to the beach. Love the rock formations makes for great photos of the beach! 10/10

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16 years ago

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9 years ago

Nice hike and beautiful beach! Loved that it wasn't overcrowded and dirty. So glad we found this hidden gem!

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Ask the Community - Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail

Review Highlights - Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail

“This particular stretch of coast is south of Doran Beach and is sort of isolated (depending on tide).”

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Sonoma Coast State Beach

Sonoma Coast State Beach

4.8(149 reviews)
2.6 mi

Incredible views of the coastline that I enjoyed every step of the way. Would be a great place to…read moretake out of town family or friends to show off California's natural beauty and to walk your dog too to the Blind Beach side. Goat Rock side no dogs allowed because the seals always wean their pups on the beach, but the dog friendly side is so spacious and a nice long stretch of beach with iconic rock arches out in the water that you will never forget. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in all of California and if it is low tide, there will be many starfish visible on the rock formations on shore lower section which is normally submerged! If you get a good sunset, this place cannot be beat for photos overlooking the water with those rock formations. It could make anyone with a cell phone camera take photos that look like a professional landscape photographer took them.

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.

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Sonoma Coast State Beach
Sonoma Coast State Beach - Campsite with fire at night

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Sonoma Coast State Beach

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Steep Ravine Hot Spring - This is a piece of cake as long as your fear gene is non-existent.

Steep Ravine Hot Spring

1.9(23 reviews)
2.2 mi

This hot spring has a few names, Steep Ravine Hot Springs, Marin Tidal Hot Springs and Rocky Point…read moreHot Springs. Plan ahead by looking for the lowest tides, the more negative the better. We stayed overnight at the Steep Ravine Cabins which is a short but rocky hike to the hot springs from the beach. It can get a little sketchy with rising tides. Alternatively, if you drive right past the cabins, if you see cars parked on the left, it's straight down from there. The cars parked are also a sign that people are soaking. The reason this hot springs is so popular is its location. You can soak nestled in some rocks above the Pacific Ocean. Also it's rarity, you can only use it when the tide is negative. You can't argue with the natural beauty. Many people will take a cold plunge with the ocean water below. The spring fits about a dozen people and the closer you go to the enclosed portion the hotter the water. The reason it doesn't rate higher is the over crowding and the crowd itself. Naked hippies go along with soaking, it's a given, that's not the downside. Generally in your hot spring adventures you meet some really nice folks who are not fake who are all there for the same reason. This crowd here is hostile and overbearing about this spot. There were a few locals that were cool who helped maintain the flow of water which is much appreciated, but they were the exception. If you happen to like to soak in a bathing suit, you may get a public shaming. There was a lot of bad mouthing about anyone from outside of Marin being there. It was very crowded at 5 in the morning and you couldn't help but feel like you were on top of the person next to you because you have 30 people trying to soak in a natural tub meant for 12. For that reason I get why they are protective and don't want to encourage people to find the place but please share. No matter how many negative ratings you put on yelp to discourage novelist hot springers, you will be found.

Miss this place despite how much I detest it. First of all you will stink like rotten eggs if you…read morehave the courage and fortitude to make it down to the springs. Second of all, the crowds are binomial. Meaning either you've come at the wrong time or you'll be overwhelmed by the silent ohms and having to siphon or the springs will be covered by the ocean. Take pictures and someone will smash your phone. Bring glass and you'll be everyone's favorite! The trek down is short, but can be deadly and gruesome. One misstep and you'll be hitting your health insurance deductible. This place is not for the faint hearted.

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Steep Ravine Hot Spring - Make sure you have life insurance!

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Steep Ravine Hot Spring - Literally standing on top of the marker...

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Dillon Beach - cottages

Dillon Beach

4.0(231 reviews)
5.1 mi

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

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Dillon Beach - Town

Town

Dillon Beach - Wind Surfer

Wind Surfer

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Westside Regional Park - Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival (boat parade)

Westside Regional Park

3.2(21 reviews)
2.3 mi

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.

My husband and I stayed here for our dating anniversary and wanted to keep our camping trip local…read moreto the Bay Area. We had seen plenty of mixed reviews but decided to give it a try. After our experience, we'd probably return for car camping or an RV rather than tent camping. *Pros 1. Easy Check-In/Check-Out: A ranger greets you and provides a paper with your campsite number and checkout date. Keep it visible on your vehicle. On our last day, we just left the site after cleaning up. Check-In time starts at 2:00 pm, and Check-Out is at 12 noon. 2. Great Camp Host: The older gentleman running the site was friendly, funny, and helpful. We enjoyed chatting with him. 3. Right By the Bay: You're just steps from the water, with a short walk to the boat launch, picnic areas, and benches. 4. Beautiful Weather: We had mostly sunny, brisk weather, with some fog rolling in--which we loved. 5. Basic Campsite Amenities: Sites include a picnic table, fire ring, and parking area. Some sites also have water spigots. There is a dump portion for RV's, and recycling and garbage cans. We were also under a nice big tree for shade, but there was a lot of poop on our car hahaha. 6. Great Food Closeby: You're near several local spots, including Pelican Plaza Market and Rocker Oysterfeller's. The Peli Deli from Pelican Plaza Market is a must! We had it twice. *Cons / Things to Know 7. Loose Check-In/Security: The check-in process felt pretty relaxed. People were coming and going after sunset, despite my understanding that the site closed at sunset. 8. Bathrooms and Showers Need Maintenance: The toilets were generally clean, but the bathrooms had quite a bit of bird poop. 9. Shower Info/Bring Shower Shoes: Showers have hot water, but there was literally a bird's nest above me while I showered .Showers cost $2 for 5 minutes, then $0.25 per additional minute. The camp host advised loading the next quarter before your time runs out, or you'll have to pay another $2. We ended up putting all our quarters in at once so we wouldn't forget. 10. Campsites Are Very Close Together: Our neighbors were unfortunately loud the whole day, played loud music and talked loudly, and didn't pick up after their dog. Everyone else was respectful, but this definitely affected our experience. Fellow tent campers I'd recommend getting a site closer to the water if possible. Because of our noisy neighbors, we eventually slept in our car. *Overall We had a good anniversary trip and enjoyed being so close to the Bay and local food. That said, I'd recommend this campground more for car camping or RVs than tent camping, especially if you're sensitive to noise or want more privacy between sites.

Photos
Westside Regional Park - Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival (helicopter demo/display)

Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival (helicopter demo/display)

Westside Regional Park - Team S killing the crabs

Team S killing the crabs

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Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail - hiking - Updated October 2026

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