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.

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.

Our families have been camping here every year for the last six years and have spent thousands of…read moredollars at this campground. Our kids have been coming here since they were newborns, so this has become a tradition our families looked forward to every summer. We received a couple of warnings for noise shortly after 10 p.m., and while we understand quiet hours exist, the way management handled it was completely over the top. They permanently banned our entire "group," canceled 10+ reservations we already had booked for next year, and even threatened trespassing charges. The email they sent after we left was incredibly unprofessional. They lumped together multiple reservations, including people who weren't even camping with us, and treated everyone like one big group instead of addressing the people who were actually involved. I called hoping to have a conversation, but the staff was rude, condescending, and dismissive. They had no interest in listening or trying to resolve anything and seemed perfectly happy to lose long-time customers over a noise violation shortly after 10 p.m. It's really sad that after six years of bringing our families here and making so many memories, this is how we were treated. Our kids are devastated, and so are we. We won't be back, and I wouldn't recommend this campground to anyone looking for a place to make lasting family memories.