Just Chillin'

As far as air conditioners go, it’s organic, can’t be found in stores, and if you hit the right spots it works for free.
That would be the scenic Sonoma Coast where ocean fogs and cool sea breezes off the Pacific add a welcome touch to a naturally spectacular summer wonderland.

Without much more than a drive to the coast—something large numbers of heat-suffering inlanders undertake each year during the hot summer days—keeping cool on the beach is a blessedly easy thing to do.

In addition to the cool sea breezes, the county’s long, sandy surf lines framed by rugged headlands and a coastline dotted with natural arches and hidden coves make the Sonoma Coast State Park and nearby Doran Beach County Regional Park some of the most scenic places around to refresh the body and restore the soul.
A series of sandy beaches separated by rock bluffs and headlands, the state park stretches some 17 miles from Bodega Head to the Vista Trail four miles north of Jenner—a paved, three-quarter mile stretch high above the sea with magnificent views. [Unfortunately, due to budget cuts to state parks, the Vista Trail is closed as of press time. You can call Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods at (707) 869-9177 for its current status. —Ed.]

Meanwhile, along Highway 1 as it hugs the coast between Doran Regional Park and the estuary of the Russian River just north of Goat Rock beach at Jenner, there are more than a dozen spots where visitors can comb beaches, fish, picnic, or just hang out in the sun.

The Beaches
For many motorists headed for a day trip along the Sonoma Coast, a good way to get there is via Bodega Avenue/Highway 12 through Sebastopol and the historic town of Bodega. Highway 12 meets Highway 1 a mile south of town. Take a right on Highway 1 toward Bodega Bay.

A few miles and curves down the road, just past the Bodega Harbor development, are the turnoffs to Doran Regional Park—Doran Beach Road (an immediate left on a curve) and Doran Park Road (another left, but a quarter-mile farther on a straightaway for a safer left turn). Both will take you past the Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa, which by the way, offers some rooms with splendid sea views.

Just past the hotel, the vista opens to allow a quick shot at the ocean, vegetated dunes and the Bodega Bay wetlands, a spot visited at both high and low tides with bright flocks of shorebirds, egrets and often white pelicans lounging in the distance.

Doran Beach requires a day-use car fee of $6, although most locals buy the annual county parks pass for frequent visits. There are also campsites. Although parking is ample in pull-offs and official parking lots, the beach fills rapidly during hot days.

In addition to the extensive beach, Doran also has several hiking trails and marsh walks that are of particular interest to bird watchers, which start near the entrance and ranger station. There’s also a boat launch for small craft and kayakers. For information, check www.sonoma-county.org/parks.

The town of Bodega Bay, with restaurants and stores, is where visitors can access Bodega Head, Spud Point Marina with its picturesque fleet of fishing and pleasure craft, and Westside Regional Park with camping, a large boat launch and a fish cleaning station. Check the above website for more information on Westside Park.

To get to Bodega Head, drive north through town, around and down a steep curve and up again; turn left onto Eastshore Road from Highway 1 and right on Westside Road at the bottom of the hill. Westside Road will lead you to the Head.

There is a large gravel lot on top of Bodega Head where whale watchers stand on the bluffs during the whale migration season, looking for the rolling leviathans. In between whale migrations, this is a good spot to watch sea birds, sea lions and the occasional dolphin, hunting in the offshore waves.
Birdwatchers and hikers also have the choice of either taking the circular walk around the head or heading north on a trail that crosses the U.C. Marine Laboratory property and goes all the way to South Salmon Creek Beach.

Red tail hawks as well as the low-flying harriers or Marsh hawks are commonly seen here, as are scores of gulls, pelagic cormorants, oystercatchers and other sea birds closer to the rugged coast.

Heading back to Highway 1 and continuing north will take you to the entrance of the Bodega Dunes Campground with its 98 developed spots, restrooms, hot pay showers, RV sanitation station and other amenities, including access to the beach. Information on fees and reservations can be had at www.parks.ca.gov or by calling (800) 444-7275.

Just a little farther north, however, Highway 1 crosses Salmon Creek and within a few hundred yards opens out to one of the most popular spots, especially for surfers and families, on the coast. This would be North Salmon Creek Beach, which provides a long stretch of sandy beach and, in late summer when Salmon Creek sinks into the sand, access to almost two miles of South Salmon Creek Beach, an excellent place for surf fishing, beachcombing, picnicking and surfing when the waves are good.

Like the Bodega Dunes Campground, dogs and fires are taboo on Salmon Creek Beach due to the protection of the western snowy plover. It is listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act as a threatened species because of loss of nesting habitat due to human development, invasion of European beach grass and predation by ravens, foxes, domestic dogs and cats.

North of Salmon Creek Beach, the wide sandy stretches tend to become broken by rock outcrops with smaller beaches tucked into coves. These include Miwok Beach, Coleman Beach, Arched Rock Beach, Carmet Beach and Schoolhouse and Portuguese Beach, both of which offer easy trails, dogs on leashes and sizable strands.
Outside of the last two beaches, access to the smaller beaches is sometimes difficult, if not impossible, particularly if trails have been washed away by winter storms.
Heed the signs and stay away from cliffs; these shale formations are highly unstable and dangerous, just as the surf generally is along the coast.

Gleason Beach, a low dip in the road, has easy access but little parking—it’s a nice place if you can get a spot.

Just north of Gleason Beach is a small picking area called Rocky Point. It has space for a few cars and a picnic table on top of the bluff, which overlooks historic Duncan’s Landing—famous as an early-day landing for loading small coastal ships with lumber and food products and, because of large and unpredictable surf, for being the most dangerous point along the Sonoma Coast.

Just on the other side of Duncan’s Landing is Wright’s Beach. Wright’s Beach is one of the two State Beach campgrounds in the county and has 27 developed campsites close to the beach. Reservations are recommended, especially on the weekends and during the peak season.Try www.parks.ca.gov or call (800) 444-7275 for more information.
the hikes

Driving up Highway 1 from Wright’s Beach is a pretty stretch of highway, with rising hills to the east reminiscent of the historic land-grant ranchos. The descendants from some of these outfits are still working seaside cattle today amidst the coast’s growing conservation lands.

A lot of the shore’s scenery is not very visible from the highway here, being tucked away from fast-moving eyes except for the odd parking sign such as the one at Shell Beach north of Furlong Gulch.

One way to see it all would be to walk the bluff-top Sonoma Coast Trail, which hooks up a lot of the hidden stuff as it meanders along though a lot of native growth and noisy coastal birdlife.

The Kortum Trail, named after a locally famous environmentalist, Bill Kortum, starts at Wright’s Beach and winds its way north to Blind Beach. It intersects the Pomo Canyon and Red Hill trails just south of Shell Beach, which is a favorite beachcombing and tide pooling spot used by schools as an outdoor classroom for the study of tidal pool marine life.

The trail from Shell Beach to Blind Beach is four miles, round trip; from Wright’s Beach to Blind Beach is a 6.5 mile round trip.

Just north of Blind Beach, at the end of Goat Rock Road is—surprise—Goat Rock, located a half-mile north of the Blind Beach trail-head that provides access to the beach.

In addition to the trail, Goat Rock has large parking lots and, via the beach, is adjacent to the south end of the estuary of the Russian River. Across the mouth to the north is where harbor seals haul out to rest and conduct other seal activities in season. Visitors are forbidden to approach the federally and state protected animals too closely.

The estuary itself, depending upon tide and season, is generally filled with wheeling seabirds and other icons of the fertile places where fresh and salt water mingle. This watery interface creates a vibrant habitat for the likes of osprey and California brown pelicans, many of which nest on Penny Island, the former home of a Native American family in the river’s mouth.

No dogs are allowed on the Goat Rock Beach to protect the wildlife.

Meanwhile, for hikers interested in the Kortum Trail, the northern end of this portion of the Sonoma Coast Trail begins at a small parking lot on the left of the road. One can start the walk from Goat Rock’s parking area.
The trail heads south along the edge of the bluffs, over a stile and across a pasture. The trail climbs to a saddle on the shoulder of Peaked Hill before descending to a bridge that crosses over a fern-lined ravine or two before reaching the Shell Beach parking area, where a short trail descends the bluffs to Shell Beach.
Another trail extends northwest and crosses the highway to Pomo Canyon. Picnic tables and walk-in campsites are located near the creek. The Sonoma Coast Trail continues south, skirting some private property before heading back toward the sea and falling into Furlong Gulch; then it switchbacks back up to the bluffs.

You can follow the trail either to the beach or to Wright’s Beach Campground.
All in all, not a bad way to spend a cool day at the Sonoma Coast.  •

[RESOURCES]
The following notice appears on the Sonoma Coast page of the State Parks website:
“Due to service reductions, the Bodega Head East, Campbell Cove, Bodega Dunes, South Salmon, Schoolhouse Day Use area, Blind Beach, Russian Gulch, and Vista Point Day Use area, parking lots and restrooms closed December 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Bodega Dunes Campground will close all but 20 campsites December 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Willow Creek and Pomo Canyon Campgrounds closed December 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.”

Due to the shifting landscape of California fiscal matters, it’s probably a good idea to call ahead to check on the current status of any of the places mentioned in this story before visiting.

California State Parks:
(800) 444-7275; parks.ca.gov
Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods: (707) 896-9177;
stewardsofcoastandredwoods.org
Sonoma County Regional Parks: (707) 565-2041;
sonoma-county.org/parks

Off-Beach Camping Near the Coast
Note: These campgrounds are not on the reservation system and won’t open until June 30th. To protect the wildlife, no dogs are allowed.

Willow Creek Environmental Camp
Eleven primitive campsites with fire rings, picnic tables, and pit toilets. Campsites are within 1/4 mile from the parking lot and there is no running water. The only State Park campground on the Russian River, sites are shaded by willows but close to a large beach for swimming and fishing. Blue heron, egrets, osprey, and occasionally river otters can be seen by the river.

Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp
Twenty campsites with fire rings, picnic tables, pit toilets and running water nearby. Campsites are within 1/4 mile from the parking lot, one is disabled accessible. Camps are set in a beautiful redwood grove among the ferns. A three-mile trail to Shell Beach takes off from the campground, crossing seasonal streams and rising up into the grassland with marvelous views of the river and finally the ocean.

—California State Parks