Sonoma Coast State Beach – Bodega Head

I really like driving out to get some head in Bodega. Sonoma Coast State Beach — Bodega Head that is! The sprawling park is located on a rather spectacular peninsula creating Bodega Bay with the Pacific Ocean slowly carving away the hills into the crashing sea.
The park is at the end of Westshore which makes stopping at Spud Point for a picnic lunch almost a necessity. There is a large parking lot with several hiking trails meandering through the coastal hills. Accessing the beach takes some skill, patience, and bravery in some parts.
Weather can be a challenge with coastal fog and clouds often present. The point is a decent spot for whale watching during season. Basic pit toilets are available, but no water or cell service.
This is a really nice place to bring the family, date, or just escape by yourself. It gets popular when the temperature rises in San Francisco, but is often desolated on a clear weekday.
Combined with the excellent cheese, seafood, and beer places nearby, heading out to Bodega Head is almost always a great decision!

Bodega Head is the large natural park that sits on the other side of the bay from downtown Bodega Bay. You can drive right into the heart of it then get out for some great whale watching, vista points, and hiking trails.
Everyone enjoys Bodega Head differently. I saw a lot of professional photographers out there with their mega lenses trying their luck at capturing the wildlife. There were also a few people doing photoshoots (one woman doing headshots & a couple doing their engagement photos). One group of people brought folding chairs, lined them up overlooking the view and cracked open some drinks. Others braved the rocks & scaled down to seemingly inaccessible beaches. My husband & I opted to hit the trails & capture some of the beautiful scenery.

Decided to beat the heat and crowds for that matter and head out to one of my favorite spots on the coast yesterday morning. Got there super early which is key if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a parking spot in one of the few spaces available at the head itself. Weather was overcast, but gorgeous none the less, around 50ish degrees. Ended up getting there around 6:45 in the morning and no one was there, it was great!
The Bodega Bay Head offers quite a few things to do, one being the most obvious, taking in some of the beautiful scenes. They have various benches along the way so you can admire the beaches, cliffs, and the waves crashing in. Hiking is limited if you are use to walking many miles, but I think the entire trail loop runs about 1.8 miles, which is fairly decent might I add. They also have a few exclusive beaches that are small and quite cozy, but I can see them being very crowded midday and definitely during holidays. Also down the road there are various markets, restaurants and more beaches that you can visit for free as well if you want to continue your adventure.

OMG, breath-​taking beautiful views!!! You have to stop here & enjoy it yourself… do take a short hike & see more views of ocean. :) It is chilly so take a sweater/​jacket.

Absolutely beautiful on a nice day. We stopped by during a visit in February. It happened to be in the low 70 and sunny. We got to enjoy some time walking on the beach. The water was chilly, but we dipped our feet in. It wasn’t too crowded, which made for a peaceful afternoon. There were also some surfers in the water.
There’s a parking lot at the top of the hill by the water — the street leads right to it. You can walk down a path toward Bodega Head. There’s also nice viewing spots across from the parking lot and then you can also walk down to the beach to the right of the parking lot.
If you’re in the area, you must stop and check it out!

I’ve been to these trails twice. Once in October and once in April. Both days were incredibly windy. But the wind didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying myself. It is so gorgeous up here. This last time I took my friend with me and we walked the loop and went up to the Horseshoe Cove Overlook. The wind made certain areas of the trails a bit challenging (especially if you have an issue with heights), but it was still an easy hike. I would definitely recommend it!

This beach is so beautiful and relaxing. I come here once a week with friends, and we home around the cliffs and oceans. it’s very mild terrain, easy to do with no shoes. The nature and wildlife I beautiful. The visitors are very good about keeping this place clean.
The road up to the head has many potholes, but nothing that can’t be taken in by any car! The views are totally worth it. Times when I have been so stressed out I have wanted to cry, I have came here and Just stared at amazement at natures beautiful wonders. This beach is perfect for summer, with small coves and sand areas, and cliffs that are easy to climb with small pools and wildlife all around! Very amazing!

I think this is one of the prettiest spots on the bodega coast. It’s my favorite to catch a sunset for sure! The beach is beautiful, slightly steep hike down but the vistas at the top and trails along the top are all worth a gander as well.
The road up to the beach needs some TLC so tread with caution not only for the single lane road but to save the shocks on your ride.
There isn’t much to say but ample parking, faces the coastline, even clean facilities nearby.
It’s at the end of the marina stretch. So keep going out then hook right up the hillside. Near one of the best chowder spots ever and the harbor where you can rv camp.
Pictures will show what to expect but nothing captures the gorgeous coloring at sunset like being there. It’s like a painting with the green sea that looks like glass against the popping ice plants sprinkled with pink and purple flowers and warm sunset sky. Best way to end a day.

Wonderful place for a day trip from San Francisco. It’s a beautiful place to walk around, and the drive up there is beautiful too.

beautiful hiking trails and great scenery. Not too windy (at least when we went).

Great views of ocean and bay. Great walking trails and a lot of fun, even with a lot of people sharing the park. A great day trip.

No whales, but a cool little trail (very very casual and not strenuous at all – we had hiking gear and looked way too hardcore for this) that takes you to the cliffs, where you can see some nice views. No whales, unfortunately. Ton of flies though, so bring the repellent. There’s a bathroom onsite in the parking lot also, which is convenient. A lot of good eating establishments in the area too for the post-​game calorie re-​up.

A must see spot if you visit Bodega Bay. Perfect for a picnic, ocean viewing or hiking. Beautiful at any time of year.
Grab a crisp roll sandwich and clam chowder from a local takeout on the drive to Bodega head.

Breathtaking views, easy and fun hiking, phenomenal sunset watching and you may even spit some whales too! Love this special place!

This has got to be one of my most favorite beaches ever. It’s so beautiful, even on a foggy day (we happened to come on a day where it was partly sunny/​cloudy). Just sitting on one of the rocks and looking out to the ocean gives me such an incredible feeling of peacefulness and calmness. It’s such a lovely place with friends, family, or even by yourself. It’s a great place for pictures (although they are never close to how incredible and beautiful this place really is). There are also trails around the area to stroll around the cliffs and getting different views and angles of the ocean.
I am so glad my friends and I were able to come out here and visit. It’s an amazing place to just sit and stare out into the ocean, the cliffs, and just being there. It’s so nice to get away from the city and come absorb and see what nature has to offer. It’s kind of an indescribable feeling to be honest. You kind of just have to be there to know it, to feel it.
Overall, I highly recommend a trip to this place. Yes, it’s far. The drive out here could be pretty tiring and difficult. But it’s so so so worth every moment of it. And I’ll conclude this review with this: west coast, best coast.

The location/​trail takes a little bit of slow driving and «Wait, is that the– no… wait, yes, turn here!» to find, but the views are like a dream. Lots of scenic trail options along the cliff in addition to beach access. Well worth the drive from Sac or the Bay!

nice and sunny day at bodega bay— plenty of hiking trails, beautiful sceneries, parking are available, friendly informative and helpful people around and of course the whales! so lucky to have seen them on their way to alaska from baja.

The cliffs… wow. As in, «I’m small!» kind of wow. Very wild area, very untamed. You’re a visitor here and respect your limits both on land and at sea.
That’s the feeling I got here. No room for error if you’re perched on the edge of the cliff, or venturing close to it, that’s for damned sure. Beautiful beyond belief. Seriously. Little kids… well, I honestly would NOT take them here. My hands are getting sweaty just thinking about it! We took a hike on one of the paths, and there’s not much to it really if you’re healthy and can move well. Not hard at all.
To be fair, I’m kind of a freak when it comes to gathering facts about risks –not that I’d be the first to trip you if the zombies were chasing us, but just to let you know, Bodega Bay sits RIGHT on the San Andreas fault line. If you’re sitting right on the edge of the cliff like quite a few couples we saw, one good shaker and you better have some cat-​like reflexes, that’s all I’m gonna say. There are tsunami signs scattered all over Bodega Bay –earthquakes are a reality that all native Californians like me are aware of.
I was just floored by a walkway that was practically vertical going down the side of one of the cliffs. I’m just not that kind of a soul but I totally get people that want to venture forth and mountain goat it down the cliffs, God bless ‘em.
The view is so spectacular, just unbelievable. I couldn’t believe the color of the ocean –it was this deep marine and teal color that was something I’ve never seen. The oceans here are rich with life and the beach is wild –really coarse sand and the ocean seems to have a temper so it’s not what I’d call waters I’d let little ones splash around in. There’s a very safe and man made stairway to a beach that’s easy to get to –that was a wonderful and doable thing for a wimp like me. It’s very romantic and a lovely place to go to, seriously. But again, I’d leave the little ones at home, because there are no guardrails or people to watch over them.
Parking is good. There are places that people can sit and look out or have a little impromptu picnic lunch. Some of the lower tree areas had little manmade caves dug into them. Looked like a place that some had brought their party to, but the kids love to play in these little hobbit-​like hidey holes.
The bathrooms are not so romantic… One men’s, one women’s. It’s like a permanent port a potty (a big hole with a fairly long drop) and if you don’t go before you head out on the hike (which isn’t that long), you might be heading off to find a suitable bush somewhere :-0
Just beautiful.
From
: «Since 1989, at least 12 people have died after falling down cliffs along the Sonoma Coast, three were at Bodega Head. One woman fell to her death after a misstep while flying a kite. Suffice to say, these hikes are not safe for young children who can be easily distracted. And the trails are not well suited for strollers. Otherwise, both of the two main trails have been rated as easy, and older kids should be fine.»
More info:

This place is awesome… the views are unparalled. PERFECT spot to take sunset photos. Trust me, the Hubby dragged me around to several different spots within the Sonoma Coast State Beach (Marshall Gulch, Arched Rock, etc.), but we ended up right where we started, because none of those areas had «It» compared to what Bodega Head offered.
From the parking lot, which is free and has restrooms (although they were out of toilet paper… ewww!), you can walk to the outlook and see beauty all around. There are also the trails you can follow, which will take you out to different vantage points, both high up on the bluffs, or down to shore/​beach level. Hubby had a field day, and I loved just sitting on the overlook, taking in the beauty of Bodega Head, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks and the seagulls clamoring for space on the many rock formations. Add to that the majesty of watching the soft golden light of the setting sun washing over everything, casting languid shadows… made me remember that there are some parts of CA that I will miss once we retire and get outta this taxed-​to-​the-​hilt state.
We will be back to Bodega Head when it’s whale watching time… I can imagine that’s pretty awesome to see, and Hubby is just dying to get some pics of that :)

Most spectacular views of the shoreline and ocean here; as well, for spotting grey whales. We came out the day after Valentine’s, and had hoped to spot a few. no dice (since then, I’ve booked a reservation to get on a boat and go whale watching in the deep blue) in the end, despite waiting over an hour with binoculars.
It was really fun hill walking and easy hiking along the bluffs… along the way, some nice birders allowed me to see a falcon perched on the rocks below. Too, another kind of bird actually devouring some prey (another bird). That was unforgettable.
It’s really really peaceful out here… something quiet and a hush descends upon you as you walk along the head bluff. Such a wonderful thing. these great places to come and visit.
No dogs allowed, though we spotted a good few many. And bring lots of layers, as the wind factor can pick up any minute.