Beaches in Northern California

1. Baker Beach

This is a great family beach in the Bay Area, particularly at low tide when the whole gang can go tide pooling together. The only tricky part may be getting to the beach.

Visitors park along the shoulder of the road on Scenic Drive and locate the beach trailhead sign. The trail is steep with cable steps at the bottom, which could prove difficult to navigate for families with small children.

Baker Beach is an ecological habitat with alder trees, tide pools, and offshore rocks that make for a dramatic setting.

Tidepooling reveals delicate creatures that can be easily damaged by doing something as simple as turning over a rock, so careful exploration is called for here.

1237 Scenic Drive, Trinidad, CA, Map

2. Black Sands Beach

Nestled in the eastern side of Bonita Cove, Black Sands Beach is in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It sits at the bottom of Fisherman's Trail, a dirt path that begins at the trailhead parking area.

Numerous wooden steps aid hikers down the otherwise strenuous, steep path to the beach. By stopping just a few steps down the trail, visitors will get epic views of the beach and Point Bonita Lighthouse across the cove – a perfect spot for taking photos.

The narrow beach is great for sunbathing or fishing, but visitors will want to check tide charts, as the beach narrows significantly at high tide. Black Sands Beach is an unofficial clothing optional beach.

Conzelman Road, Sausalito, CA, Map

3. Caspar Headlands State Beach

Caspar Headlands State Beach is located in Caspar, a quaint Mendocino coastal town in a deep cove known as Caspar Anchorage. It is situated between the drainage of two distinct creeks, Caspar Creek and Doyle Creek. Caspar Beach is known as one of the safer places to swim in the area, but the water is typically chilly, and the conditions can change randomly so dangerous rip currents are possible. There is an RV park across the street from the beach, to the south there is a small park called Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve, and to the north there are hiking trails on a bluff that provide beautiful coastal views.

14441 Point Cabrillo Drive, Mendocino, CA, Map

4. Centerville Beach

Centerville Beach is a nine-mile long secluded beach separating the sandstone cliffs of dairy country from the Pacific Ocean. Located just five miles west of the historic Victorian Ferndale area, visitors to this beach will enjoy being surrounded by magnificent sandstone cliffs while viewing birds and other wildlife.

On occasion, guests to Centerville may even get the chance to see mother whales migrating with their children during April and May. Centerville Beach is the ideal locale for picnicking, beachcombing, horseback riding along the coast, and making s'mores over a bonfire. This windswept beach is also perfect for windsurfing and kiteboarding.

322 First Street, Eureka, CA, Map

5. College Cove Beach (Humboldt County)

College Cove Beach (Humboldt County) is located in a cove north of Trinidad State Beach in the quaint town of Trinidad. The beach is quite large and splits into two sections when the tide comes in. It is recommended that visitors only travel between the two sections during low tide.

Although the water can be quite chilly, this is a sought after swimming destination and year-round surf spot. Marine life is often present at the beach, mainly sea lions and seals. On rare occasions, visitors will spot whales making their way between Baja California and Alaska. Starfish, sea urchins, clams, and mussels can also be found in the small tide pools.

College Cove Beach (Humboldt County), 585 Stagecoach Road, Trinidad, CA

6. Shell Beach

Shell Beach is a slender and rocky beach south of the Russian River located in the small town of Jenner. To get to the beach, visitors make a quick hike down the bluffs along the trail until they hit the sand.

The pathway can be slippery when wet so it's important to wear the proper shoes. The beach feels very private due to the steep bluffs that surround it, making it the perfect locale for beachcombing, fishing, and hiking. Shell Beach is known for its huge rocks and tide pools that become exposed during low tide. It's a fishermen's haven as some of the rocks are entirely covered in mussels.

Shell Beach, Highway 1 and Shell Beach Road, Jenner, CA

7. Fort Funston Beach

Fort Funston Beach is situated 200 feet below striking cliffs at the southernmost edge of San Francisco, and it is revered as one of the most magnificent and unspoiled beaches in the city.

There is a steep and rugged path that leads to the beach, providing beautiful views of the bluffs and the Pacific Ocean, which often features Bottle Nose dolphins, whales, and seals. The entrance begins south of Ocean Beach and runs along the cliffs for a quarter mile allowing for 20-minute leisurely strolls from start to finish during low tide. Fort Funston is not a beach for swimming as the waters are quite dangerous; hang gliding is the most prominent activity here.

Fort Funston Beach, Fort Fundston Road, San Francisco, CA

8. Glass Beach

Glass Beach is an iconic southern beach in the MacKerricher State Park of Fort Bragg. It was previously the location of a trash dump and many pieces of old broken bottles covered the beach, which is how it received the name Glass Beach. The remnants of these bottles have been smoothed by the ocean and turned into treasured, colorful sea glass, which is the beach's main draw.

Visitors will discover everything from unique ruby red sea glass made from pre-1967 automobile taillights to sapphire glass from smoothed apothecary bottles. It is against the law to remove sea glass, so visitors should bring a camera to capture the beauty.

Glass Beach, W Elm Street and Glass Beach Drive, Fort Bragg, CA

9. Gray Whale Cove (San Mateo County)

Gray Whale Cove (San Mateo County), also known as Devil's Slide, is a protected cove encircled by cliffs that abruptly drop into the Pacific Ocean. As its name states, the beach is known for gray whales traveling close to the shore, making it an ideal locale to whale watch during their migration period mid-April to mid-May.

Visitors can get to the beach using a clearly marked and slightly steep trail. This beach is also widely popular for sunbathing, especially for people who prefer to tan in the nude. As an unspoken rule, sunbathers with swimsuits head to the left, and the nudists head to the right when entering the beach.

1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA, website, Map

10. Greenwood State Beach

Greenwood State Beach is situated in the small town of Elk where Greenwood Creek spills into the Pacific Ocean. There is a parking lot off Highway 1 across from the Elk store that gives visitors access to the beach with a graded trail leading from the parking area to the beach.

The picturesque area includes Gunderson Rock, a rock island that sits just slightly offshore. When the waters are calm, Greenwood Cove is an excellent place for kayakers to view prominent rock arches and sea stacks as well as visit Elk Creek Beach, which is only accessible from the water.

Greenwood State Beach, 6101 Highway 1, Elk, CA