Sonoma Coast State Park Guide
Contributor: Meredith Dennis
Photo by Meredith Dennis
When bad weather scrapped our sea kayaking plans on the California coast just north of San Francisco, my boyfriend and I were forced to come up with a new weekend getaway plan on the fly. Thankfully, Sonoma Coast State Park and the surrounding area offered us tons of great options, and we were able to salvage the weekend!
First of all, Sonoma Coast State Park is a destination unto itself. With seventeen miles of coastline, easily accessible beaches, and beautiful rocky outcrops, you could influence for days out here. Many of the beaches have picnic areas and are also great locations for sunbathing or watching seals. There are twelve locations to access the beach, all along Highway 1, but my two top pics are Shell Beach and Goat Rock Beach.
Shell Beach has great tide pools to view marine life up close without having to get your feet too wet and can be accessed from the Kortum Trail Parking Lot. If you like fishing, Shell Beach is also a great spot to hit up. Goat Rock Beach is likely one of the more highly photographed features of Sonoma Coast State Park because it gives a great view of the Arched Rock.
Sonoma Coast State Park has 5 camping options that run the gamut in terms of amenities. The “Hike and Bike” option is a communal site reserved for those without a car and runs $5/night while the Wright’s Beach “Premium” option goes for $45/night. We stayed at the Bodega Dunes Campground ($35/night), which is within walking distance of the beach but was surprisingly well sheltered from the strong sea winds that can make beach camping unpleasant. Photo by Meredith Dennis The site facilities were very clean and we even saw a grey fox running around at dusk!
The area around Sonoma Coast State Park has a plethora of quaint eateries to choose from. I recommend the Route One Bakery and Kitchen located in Tomales, California, about 25 minutes south of Bodega Dunes Campground. The bakery is situated in the small downtown area of Tomales, and the gorgonzola cheddar twist was buttery and light. In fact, everything we tried there was delightful, and with prices around $4 per pastry, we did not hold back.
Finally, to round out your trip (and once you’re done stuffing yourself with pastries), you can kayak Tomales Bay. The bay is very narrow and long, which means the side of the bay farthest from the ocean inlet is somewhat protected from high winds. That said, morning is still recommended over the afternoon for kayaking as the winds do pick up later in the day. You can rent kayaks from a local outfitter Photo by Meredith Dennis (Blue Waters Kayaking—headquartered in Point Reyes Station) and get some exercise working off that pastry weight. There are several launch points into Tomales Bay and there is one, Nick’s Cove, about 10 minutes from the bakery.
All in all, if you find yourself with a day to kill, Sonoma Coast State Park and the surrounding area will not disappoint!
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