Schooner or Later…read more This is the southern half of the more popular "Bowling Ball Beach." However, to be fair, Schooner Gulch & Bowling Ball Beach are in essence the same place, except for the large--but really awesome--rock outcropping*** that separates the two areas. After you've parked the north trail will take you to the more popular BBB and the south trail will take you the more spacious and less popular Schooner Gulch. The Good: *It's a beach! Pretty standard Cali beach you'll find along most of the PCH but that's not a bad thing. *Awesome rock formation that reminds me of a dinosaur skeleton. *Really short walk from the "parking lot." *Dog-friendly *Fishing allowed *Surfing allowed The Meh: *Not a traditional parking lot, as the only parking is the side of the PCH, and it's not very clearly marked where to park. If you're coming from the north (Pt Arena) then you'll most likely see cars parked on your right side (unless you're super early), and if you're coming from the south (Gualala) it's directly after you cross the bridge (look for the concrete roadway) on your left. If that's too confusing then just put "bowling ball beach" into Waze and it should work. The Ugly: *If you miss the "lot" then you'll have to find someplace to tun-around and that's always a trick endeavor on the PCH. ***navigating over/around the rocks would be a foolhardy endeavor, and is not recommended.

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.

This place has great coast views! Camping is quiet and without amenities! Sites are spread out! No…read morehost on site! Self register and $35 overnight! Great sunset from my site! Must drive or it's a very long hike to the beach! I can also see the Point Arena lighthouse from my site! Overall good camping for the price! I would give it a five stars if it had power hookups!

Service was great and staff was friendly. I will definitely be back. I am looking forward to coming…read moreback.

Navarro River Redwoods State Park was one of the last places I explored in California before moving…read moreback to Washington State in October 2019. I was on one of my driving adventures north of the San Francisco Bay Area and noticed the sign for this park as I was driving on the road I was on. Not sure where a central hub was, I decided to explore by utilizing the pull-offs along the road. From different pull-off areas, I spotted a number of trails heading off into the redwood trees, however I opted to stay closer to my vehicle. Some of the remains of fallen redwoods were closer to where I parked and I had fun checking that out. I had recently gotten a buzzcut hairstyle and more than usual appreciated the sun protection the trees provided for my scalp/noggin.

Until today, I'd never seen a redwood tree in person. I've missed out. And if you've never seen one…read moreeither, then you're missing out. California Route 128 goes through this beautiful state park on both sides of the road with a few narrow pullouts on both sides and the occasional lane that leads back to an organized campsite. I wasn't interested in camping here but I did park and take pictures and walk through these amazing trees for a little bit, hoping that I wasn't about to get eaten by a bear. No bears spotted. The main body of the park is eleven miles long and between 20 and 500 yards wide. There is also a beach section near the Navarro River bridge with campsites available on a first-come, first-served. That wasn't today's itinerary either. Absolutely magical and I'm so glad to have experienced this park. [Review 17615 overall - 406 in California - 1134 of 2022.]

Diamond in the Bluff…read more Nice coastal trail located about one-mile south of DT Point Arena along Hwy 1. Keep an eye out for a sign that says "coastal viewpoint," as the parking lot isn't specifically mentioned. The Good: *Amazing views of the coastline and bluffs *Entire trail is an easy 3¼miles from start-to-finish *Dirt trails are in pretty good shape w/ minimal poison oak *Free parking The Meh: *Small parking lot with officially four parking spots and one handicapped spot--which doesn't make sense because the trails aren't really handicap accessible, but I digress... The Ugly: *The first 1/2mile heading north in the Pelican Bluffs Trail is noisy and far from serene as you parallel the freeway until you start to turn west. You can avoid this and cut right to the chase by taking the "return" trail and go directly west to the Blufftop Trail. TLDR: Nice trail with amazing views and worth a trip if you're staying in the area and looking for a quick hike, but not worth seeking out as a destination hike.

One of my favorite Coastal Walks…read more Pelican Bluffs is a great little loop (~2.5 miles round trip if you do the full loop) that is dog-friendly with a small, shady parking lot just off highway one. This trail provides epic views. For those will limited mobility, or injured knees, there is a flat option that provides gorgeous views along the meadow a top the bluff. For those who do not mind a bit of elevation gain, you can complete the loop down to a lower overlook where you can spot pelicans (hence the name), whales, and neighboring cows (those are fun too)! Just remember, what goes down must come back up ;) Can get windy in the later afternoon, so recommend mid-morning strolls for optimal weather!

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.

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.

We have been coming to this area for vacation off and on for years, but had never heard this…read moreexisted. Found it only on Yelp looking for local parks. The directions on Yelp were perfect to find the trail - right behind Pt Arena city hall. We did not see much signage, nothing to flag the trail entrance. Just look for a wooden gate behind and on the right side of city hall; it looks closed but pushes open. The trail is skinny, so two people cannot walk abreast. After a nice forested start, the trail goes through lovely open fields. The views then open up to some tremendous coastal cliffs with crashing waves. We did not take it very far, as my knee was aching, so I decided to not push it. But it all looks wonderful, and look forward to returning and seeing more. We also stopped by the part of the open space by the Point Arena lighthouse. Turn onto lighthouse road, and it's 1.4 miles up the road on the left, a dirt parking area. Fantastic coastal scenery here, bring your camera. The first location remains relatively unknown, but on a summer weekday the lighthouse area had a decent number of people. (There is a single pit toilet at the lighthouse parking area, but no lock.)

Pros: - We went with my mom who has arthritis and it was…read moreflat and a great spot for us to walk as a family - Incredible views!!!!! - Lovely from both sides - we hiked the south part one morning and the north part another morning Cons: - Windy! I'd recommend a windbreaker or jacket, even on a warmer day. If you have longer hair, bring a hat or headband.