Things to Do Along the Sonoma Coast

Northern California offers a stunning drive along the Pacific Ocean’s gorgeous Sonoma Coast. Hop out of your car and explore the gorgeous coastline at Sonoma County’s protected parks, offering stunning views, hiking, beaches, fishing, camping, water sports, and horseback riding.

Whether you picnic, dine out, or relax in memorable seaside lodging, the Sonoma Coast is a destination to enjoy in every season. In the spring, the area is blanketed in wildflowers, and in the summer, the cool ocean breezes temper the sun. In the fall, the coast is warm with a Mediterranean climate, and temperatures stay mild through winter.

Here are some excellent ways to experience the endless beauty of Sonoma County’s coastline.

Explore Sonoma County’s Coastal Parks

Stroll the Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail and enjoy this paved path along the Bodega Bay marsh that is home to wildlife and thousands of birds. The walk is easy, looping one mile through tidal channels and a bridge within Doran Regional Park. Leashed dogs are welcome here, too.

Fort Ross State Historic Park in the seaside town of Jenner offers coastal views and a taste of history as you explore this former Russian colony established in 1812. Ancient structures remain on the cliff-top site, like an antique cannon and water tower. The visitor center features fascinating displays about this Russian-era agriculture and trade.

Take a Scenic Hike Along the Sonoma Coast

Some 17 miles of bluff-top trails beckon from above, while wide sandy beaches welcome below near the town of Jenner. The Kortum Trail is an easy, cliff-side jaunt that lets you appreciate both sceneries, stretching about 4-1/2 miles round-trip between Wright’s Beach and Blind Beach, accessed by a trailhead at Shell Beach.

Bodega Head offers another easy hiking trail, edging three miles around the headlands, or on a straight one-mile path up and back to the overlook. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, the harbor, and the seaside village of Bodega Bay.

During whale migration season (January through May, but also much of the year), the Ocean Overlook at Bodega Head is prime for whale watching. Bodega Head is part of the 17-mile-long Sonoma Coast State Park, which offers beaches and bluff-top trails from Bodega Bay to north of Jenner.

Hit the Beaches on the Sonoma Coast

In Bodega Bay, visit these inviting beaches:

• North Salmon Creek Beach and South Salmon Creek Beach are great places to splash around, as they are slightly inland, where the water can be calmer. The waves attract surfers, while nearly two miles of sand make it an excellent place for picnicking, beachcombing, and surf fishing. 
• Doran Regional Park is a two-mile stretch of secluded, sandy beach protected by the bay that welcomes leashed pets, camping, and boaters to the rock jetty for fishing and crabbing.

In Jenner, make sure to visit Goat Rock Beach is an easily accessible sandy beach tucked into a partial cove, where the Russian River meets the sea. Sit on the sand within view of a colony of harbor seals or hike the trails on surrounding cliffs to look for migrating gray whales.

Go Boating & Fishing on the Sonoma Coast

The coast is prime for boating and fishing for salmon, crab, albacore tuna, and more. Give it a try with Bodega Bay Sport Fishing Center, as Captain Rick Powers charters his New Sea Angler, a 12-person, 65-foot vessel running from spring through fall.

You can also take a boat tour and watch for whales with this complete list of area charter boats in Sonoma County.

Book a Coastal Campsite in Sonoma County

The Bodega Dunes Campground is popular, and reservations are recommended. Fire pits await, and firewood for purchase is available from the park rangers. Hot showers and multiple restrooms with electrical outlets are on site, and you can park your car next to your tents. It’s hard to beat the ocean and dune views enhanced by a shady canopy of trees and well-spaced sites.

Dive into Water Sports on the Sonoma Coast

WaterTreks EcoTours owner Suki Waters is a local Native American descendant, guide, and kayak instructor providing wildlife, local history, and ecology tours. For beginner boaters to skilled sports enthusiasts, they offer options like exploring the quiet estuary or the dancing sea, to spot sea lions, harbor seals, otters, birds, and maybe even a whale.

Bodega Bay also boasts waves for surfing enthusiasts and more manageable beginner waves. Bodega Bay Surf Shack rents a variety of surfboards, wetsuits, skimboards, bodyboards, and booties. They offer private lessons for beginners and rent kayaks and bicycles.

Ride a Horse Along the Sonoma Coast

The hillsides and redwood forests offer Pacific Ocean views, made even finer on horseback. 

• Five Brooks at Bodega Bay, a working western horse ranch, offers guided horseback trail rides with breathtaking ocean views. Follow trails to lofty mountaintops, grassy meadows, coastal dunes, or the beach. 
• Horse N Around Trail Rides offers a 60-minute ride through dunes with panoramic views, a 90-minute beach ride, and trail rides on the Hagemann Ranch Trout Farm, a family-owned ranch with views of the coastal hills.

Grab a Tasty Bite on the Sonoma Coast

The Tides Wharf Restaurant is known as the backdrop for scenes in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, “The Birds,” and this oceanfront eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with local seafood always on the menu.

The Boat House offers the freshest daily catch from this seafood shack, like Dungeness crab cake sandwiches, briny oysters, and rock cod fish-n-chips. It’s so popular that getting a table can be difficult, so here’s a tip: Place your order at the counter to-go, then cruise to the beach for an al fresco feast.

Spud Point Crab Company is a tiny café and bait shop, where the owners catch the seafood on a sturdy boat named Annabelle. Sit at an outdoor table and dig into crab cakes, crab cocktail, and crab sandwiches. You can see crab cooked in the outside boiler and buy it by the pound to take home.

Ready for wine tasting? This Sonoma Coast Wine Region offers a nice list of local wineries.

Relax in Sonoma County’s Coastal Accommodations

Crashing waves, velvety clouds sparked with sun, and the invigorating sea-salt air will rejuvenate, relax, and make a body ready for a wonderful night’s rest.

• The Inn at the Tides is a welcoming coastal hideaway where you can get comfortable and enjoy a snooze.
• Lodge at Bodega Bay is a AAA Four Diamond hotel with real fireplaces and private balconies.

Together, we can protect and preserve the beauty and natural resources of Sonoma County for generations to come. Check out our page on Sustainable Travel, and look over the Leave No Trace Seven Principles.

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Written by Sonoma Insider Carey Sweet