Bodega Bay Beaches

1. Bodega Head Beach

One of the most northerly beaches at Bodega Bay, this beach is found right by Bodega Head, the large rocky formation that protects most of the bay. The waters here tend to be a little choppier than they are down in the bay, but it's still a great area to visit, offering some rugged coastline walks and a cozy little picnic area.

The winds can get quite high around Bodega Head Beach, so guests will need to be prepared for that, but it's a nice spot to do some hiking and take some photos, with lots of high points offering beautiful views of Bodega Harbor and the rest of the bay. This is also one of the best Bodega Bay whale-watching beaches.

The beach is 1.5 hours north of San Francisco.

2. Bodega Dunes

The Bodega Dunes State Park is named for the large sand dunes found around the area.

This is one of the biggest Bodega Bay beaches and includes a lot of amenities including camping facilities, picnic tables, BBQ grills, and public restrooms. Bodega Dunes is a nice beach to simply stroll along, picking up pieces of driftwood and exploring the dunes themselves, with many tourists choosing to set up camp in the area and stay the night.

3. Gleason Beach

The Bodega Bay area is well-known for its pretty cliffs and special rock formations, and Gleason Beach is one of the best places to visit if you're interested in the fascinating local geology of this part of the Pacific Coast.

It's a rocky beach, so not particularly suitable for sunbathing or beach games, but wonderful for those with an adventurous spirit. Gleason Beach visitors will have a lot of fun exploring the various rocks and admiring the sea stacks, but beware that there are no amenities at this beach and swimming is strongly discouraged.

4. Arched Rock Beach

Arched Rock Beach was named after a unique rock formation that has created a little archway.

It's a very pretty sight and a popular spot for tourists to take some photos, with lots of other rocks and boulders dotted around the surrounding landscape.

Waves all around Bodega Bay tend to be calm, but they're especially small and soft here.

Fishing is popular at this beach, which doesn't allow dogs and has no notable amenities to speak of apart from free parking.

5. Wrights Beach

This is one of the biggest and widest of the Bodega Bay Beaches, so even on the busiest of days, it never gets too crowded. Visitors to this beach will be rewarded with some truly breathtaking views out to the horizon, and there are some interesting rock formations to be discovered on Wrights Beach too.

A local campground offers easy access to the beach and has more than two dozen camping spots offering ocean views, so Wrights Beach is a good place to base yourself if you want to spend a weekend or longer at Bodega Bay. Fishing and hiking are popular at Wrights Beach too and there are restrooms and picnic tables by the beach.

6. Pinnacle Gulch Beach

Pinnacle Gulch Beach is one of Bodega Bay's best-kept secrets. Few tourists even know this beach exists, but it's actually quite close to Bodega Harbor and is a big hit with the locals.

This is one of the best places in Bodega Bay to come and watch the sunset as the sky starts lighting up with pretty shades of pink and red.

As with other Bodega Bay beaches, lots of large rocks can be found here and there's a good chance of spotting some wildlife too.

7. Dillon Beach

Although privately owned by the Dillon Beach Resort, Dillon Beach welcomes the public to enjoy its sandy shores for just a small fee.

Located on Marin County’s northern border, Dillon Beach is nestled in Bodega Bay and is known for the huge waves that come rolling into its shoreline.

It is the perfect beach for surfers, and when conditions are at their best, visitors are sure to find plenty of surfing enthusiasts dotted along the beach’s waters.

During low tide, and on calmer days, the beach is great for families with terrific and enjoyable tide pools to explore.

Meanwhile, the beach is also home to a lovely café, several cabins for rent, and even a small general store and surf shop in case of emergencies.

1 Beach Avenue, Dillon Beach, California 94929

8. Doran Beach

Featuring two beautiful miles of beach on Bodega Bay is Doran Beach, which is a portion of the Doran Regional Park. It is home to over 120 RV and tent campsites spread across five campground areas like the Gull, Cove, and Shell Campsites.

Meanwhile, it is known for its ideal terrain, which is great for recreational activities like kite flying, walking, surfing, and picnicking. Birdwatching opportunities are also available at Doran Beach, and it is also a beloved location for fishing enthusiasts as well as those who want to explore marine life under the sea.

Doran Beach is a great place for beginner hikers to visit too as it is the starting point for a 1.3-mile trail that will take explorers through grassy dunes and ends at a boardwalk.

Address: Doran Beach, 201 Doran Beach Road, Bodega Bay, California 94923

9. Coleman Beach

North of Bodega Bay, the Sonoma Coast State Park is home to several small pocket beaches, each of which makes a great place to visit for a day of recreation in the sun. Coleman Beach is just one of these small pocket beaches and these days can only be accessed safely during low tide via Miwok Beach. Unlike your typical beach, however, Coleman Beach isn’t the place to visit if you want to go swimming. Due to its narrow and rocky shoreline, Coleman Beach is better for adventurous visitors who have experience with navigating rocky terrain. Beachcombing and exploring are popular activities on this beach, which also has some fishing opportunities.

Address: Coleman Beach, Coleman Valley Road and Highway 1, Bodega Bay, California 94923