California's Best North Coast Beaches
From the Marin Headlands to the Oregon Border
Which are the Best
North Coast Beaches?
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Great Play in the Sand and Surf
Family Beaches
All California beaches have dangerous rip-currents and other hazards. Beaches north of the Golden Gate are especially hazardous. Check with rangers or lifeguards before entering the water. Children playing near or in the surf should be supervised at all times.
Stinson Beach
- convenient parking, picnic area, restrooms and outdoor showers, plenty of sand, equipment rentals.Drakes Beach
- protected beach, convenient parking and amenitiesDillon Beach
- private beach, store, cafe, surf shop close byDoran Beach
- Located in Doran Regional Park at Bodega Bay. South facing, usually with milder surf than nearby beaches.
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Camping Beaches
North to South
Gold Bluffs Beach
- tent camping on the sand dunes next to a wild and desolate beachAgate Beach
- Patrick's Point State Park offers 3 great campgrounds amidst beautiful sceneryMacKerricher State Park
- More than 100 sites for tents and RV, walk to Laguna Point, next to Lake Cleone, special tent-only area.Russian Gulch State Park
- Thirty campsites along the creek, tent-only group site, back-country horse camp.Van Damme State Park
- camping along the creek and above in the meadow, showers, summer programs at amphitheaterManchester Beach
- Forty campsites, groups site, 8 environmental sites with 1-mile walk to reach.Gualala Point Regional Park
- small campground along the Gualala River, 1 mile from beach, showers, walk-in tent sites.Salt Point State Park
- Two campgrounds, over 100 sites, overflow camping, Gerstle Cove Campground close to beachFort Ross State Park
- Twenty primitive campsites at Reef Campground, currently closed in winter, no reservationsSonoma Coast State Park
- Two campgrounds, Wright's Beach sites close to ocean, Bodega Dunes next to Bodega Harbor and short walk to Salmon Creek Beach. Dunes has showersPoint Reyes
- Back-country, hike-in camps only. Coast Camp and Wildcat Camp are near the ocean. Boat-in camping site on Tomales Bay.Marin Headlands
- Four small campgrounds for tents, most require at least 1-mile hike, no drinking water.
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Scenic Beaches
Point Reyes
- Spectacular coast, meadows, forests, beaches, and headlands.Sonoma Coast Beaches
- sandy beaches, rocky coves, sea stacks, tunnels, jagged pointsMarin Headlands
- miles of beautiful coast with bays and points, dramatic views of the Golden Gate and San Francisco.Salt Point Beaches
- Sentinel Rock Viewpoint, coves and rugged coast, Kruse Rhododendron Reserve.Russian Gulch
- Devil's Punch Bowl, views from the trails along the points looking back toward the beach, dramatic cliffs, caves.Mendocino Headlands
- Spectacular views from the headlands of rugged coast, islands, ses tunnels, sea stacks.MacKerricher's Laguna Point
- wonderful panoramas of ocean and coast, tide pools, seal watching stationBowling Ball Beach
- unique spherical rocks visible at low tide, interesting geologic formations along the cliffs.Trinidad State Beach
- pretty setting with numerous sea stacks and islands with Sitka spruceAgate Beach
- sweeping curve of sand along the rugged north coast
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Best Wildlife Viewing Beaches
Point Reyes
- Whale watching, elephant seals, tule elk, nearly 500 species of birds.Mendocino Headlands
- a favorite whale watching spot, harbor seals and sea lionsMacKerricher Beaches
- Birding at Lake Cleone and Ten Mile Dunes Natural Preserve, whale watching at Laguna Point, tide poolsManchester Beach
- River otters at Alder Creek, lots of shorebirds, sea lions along Stornetta coastMuir Beach
- Redwood Creek, monarch butterfliesMarin Headlands
-deer, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, river otters, many varieties of birds, including brown pelicans, egrets, and great blue herons.Gold Bluffs Beach
- chance of spotting small herds of wild Roosevelt elk grazing nearby
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Best Fishing Beaches
Manchester Beach
- Fish for steelhead and salmon in local streams.Sea Ranch
- Cabezon, rock fish, eels and halibut caught off rocks at public access beaches.Salt Point State Park
- Catch lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings off the rocks. Use great caution because of sleeper wavers.Sonoma Coast State Park
- Rockfish, salmon, perch, smelt, and steelhead caught by anglers who are always mindful of the waves.Lawson's Landing
- a popular fishing spot. Launch a boat and fish Tomales Bay or try your luck from the pier.Stinson Beach
- surf cast for perch, sole, flounder, and halibut.Muir Beach
- surf fishing or off the rocks, most catches are perch.
Popular Diving Beaches
Vam Damme Beach
- A favorite north coast diving spot, easy acees, varied and interesting dive locations, abalone, sea life.Laguna Point at MacKerricher SP
-canyons, sea life, fairly easy accessRussian Gulch (Mendocino Co.)
- protected cove, eaasy access to water, canyons, valleys, sea life
Free diving for red abalone is especially popular along the Sonoma coast.
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Ocean Safety
California State Parks and Recreation cautions that "large surf, cold water temperatures, backwash, sudden drop-offs,
pounding shorebreak, and dangerous rip currents can turn what seem like safe activities such as
playing near the surf line, wading, or climbing on rock outcroppings, deadly."
Learn more about ocean safety at
CA State Parks: Ocean Safety
California's Best Beaches
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