Sonoma Coast State Park is one of the stretches that is approximately 17 miles on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It has fantastic scenery of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines that gives it that tremendous summer experience even for the one who lives there. I usually envy the people who are born and raised in such a place.
This state park is a collection of around 11 other parks that are all at the shores of the ocean. It also has a wide range of rugged headland, crags, and even coves. The park has a highway called the Highway 1 that allows you to drive across the parks as you enjoy the fantastic view of the ocean and the heaven merging up.
One of the many amazing things about this place is that the mornings awake you with a thick fog that covers everywhere. As the morning sun shines, it clears and gives way to an incredibly clear sky and perfect afternoon.
How to get to the park
When you decide that you would like to go to the park, there are some basic things that you should consider. It is always advised that you have a clear route understanding of where you are going, especially if you are driving to the park. That is where this guide now comes in handy.
See Also: 12 Beautiful National Parks in California
If you are at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, you will need to take Highway 101 north, then Highway 116 when you get to the Sonoma County Town of Petaluma. Drive towards Lakeville and then to East Washington Street which turns to Valley Ford Road. It will lead you directly into the Sonoma Park where you can have your adventures.
Recommended activities
1. Hiking
As much as the rounds in this place are reasonably flat, you will get fascinating places that you can hike and enjoy. You won’t use as much energy as other hiking adventures, but I can assure you, you will have fun. Most of them have parking and picnic tables where you can have a small snack when you come from your hike.
Some of the areas include the Bodega Head that travels across the headland giving you an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean, the town of Bodega Bay and the harbor. You can decide to try out the one that runs across the Bodega Dunes to the beach.
There is the Kortum Trail that is from the Blind Beach to the Wrights beach. There is another trail that runs from the Shell Beach through the Pomo Canyon and ends up at the Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp. The Vista Point is one that loops around for some time and eventually gets you back to the same point that you started.
2. Picnicking
The park has created several places that you could use to set up an exciting picnic for you or with a family. Many of them may not have tables, but they sure have enough space for you and your troop.
They include the Goat Rock each as you have fun with the seals, Duncan Landing, Bodega Head and Wrights Beach where you enjoy your Meal as you take amazing pictures of the views that are before you.
3. Fishing
The place is known to be at the mouths of many large rivers, which means that there are so many fish that visitors are allowed to fish. You will have to get a license or permission just as a means of regulating the fishing exercise. There are various species like smelt, salmon, perch, and rockfish that you could find in the waters at any time.
This is one of the most fantastic experiences that are highly recommended as an exciting family experience for you.
4. View the migrating whales
There is a period when you can enjoy an exciting event that is not common. The migration of whales from December to February during their calving season and March to April when they come back is worth remembering. Many people are used to wildebeest migration, but in Sonoma, you get to experience one for whales.
The period between March and June you then get to see so many baby whales and seal pups that end up jumping around in the coastline. You can get closer to them at their reserve at the Goat Rock Beach. I should, however, warn you. They can get quite wild. It is therefore vital that you keep at least 50 feet away from them.
5. Take many pictures
The Sonoma Coast Park has very many headlands and high cliffs that present incredible points for people to photographs of the coastline and the scenery in general. Any photographer will tell you how nature and marine pictures taken from an aerial view are usually the best that there can be.
Areas like the Shell Beach present amazing tie poling sceneries where you can even find children having some school activity while others are fishing. Duncan’s Landing has an amazing has unpredictable surf that has been known to be the source of many photographers who also want to have a view of this amazing natural ability.
Places to eat
1. Gators Rustic Burger and his Creole Friends
This is a hotel that majors in exquisite Cajun and Creole dishes that are hand made by the head-chef Gator himself. They have been slightly manipulated to have some Californian approach to it so that they can attract a more significant client base.
You are assured of fresh food because it is ordered at the counter before the food can be cooked. The experience that the chef has meant that the food will be presented just as you wanted it. Possibly even better.
There is an excellent assortment of salads that are freshly set as per your preference. Their unusual happens to be the farro tossed with dried cherries, feta cheese, and green beans. You can also find some fantastic southern dishes like brown rice with gravy and chicken, hot sausage and peppers.
Address: 5 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, CA 94952
2. B & V whiskey bar and grille
This is one of those places where you will not regret going. It has the best of the American diet and also a fully packed bar that allows you access to drinks at any time. The place is known for its gluten-free meals which many people are opting for nowadays.
The burgers and vine bar and grille offer quite some interesting meals that will make you appreciate the amazing culture if that place. It has been set in that you enjoy your meals while listening to some live music and television programs if that is your preference. You can also call in advance and reserve some space if you are out of town but you would like to have your meal there.
Address: 400 1st St E, Sonoma, CA 95476
3. Acme burger
We all love some junk once in a while. Especially when you are on vacation. Therefore, the quality of the meal will determine if you enjoyed the food or not. Stopping at the Acme Burger place for a sizzling burger will then be the best decision that you could make.
The best meal you can get at this place is the Franco American Bakery Sesame sandwiches with mountain beef, lettuce, and some tomato and spice thousand island sauce. Added p with some toppings makes it the best burger you could ever have. It is the best of its kind no matter where you go.
You could also get a turkey or chicken filled- meal if you are not for the beef. Apart from those you and also get quite an assortment of fries. There is show string, sweet potato, Cajun spice, and chili cheese. You can, therefore, choose any of them.
Address: 550 E Cotati Ave, Cotati, CA 94931
4. Fig café and wine bar
At times, you may not be really in for a great meal, but you want a sophisticated one. Especially if you are trying to impress a few people in the society. The fig café and the wine bar will then be the best place for you.
Its collection of wine and their desire to satisfy their local people is what has earned them their fame and made them loved by the locals. They offer a bowl of steamed mussels that is to die for. Covered in roasted onions, garlic, white wine, house cut bacon and some herbs, the meal becomes heaven in your mouth.
There are also some exciting chicken and beef meals that you should try out when you get there. Amazing sets of drinks are also available with some of the local labels and cocktails listed on the menu. You should, however, note that they don’t accept reservations meaning it is a first come first serve the type of system.
Address: 13690 Arnold Dr, Glen Ellen, CA 95442
Accommodation facilities
This is one of the areas that you will want to stay for a few nights. The many adventures that await you may not be easy to exhaust in just a few hours. Therefore, it is wise that you think of a beautiful place that you would wish to spend the night.
1. Camping
The park has some camping grounds, each with different amenities and services. The Bodega Dunes Camping site has bathrooms, showers and a dump station instead of RV hookups. The Wrights beach campgrounds do have toilets, but they don’t have showers. There are, however, those camps that are generally environmentally friendly or natural ass most people would call it. These are the Willow creek and the Pomo canyon grounds.
2. Rivers end restaurant and Inn
This is one place where you can get great deals on meals and accommodation too. The Inn, apart from the fantastic meals it also offers you a great view at sunset which creates a perfect scene, especially if you want a romantic getaway. While having your meals, you will be able to enjoy many exciting things like the seal pups playing and sleeping on the rocks along the shores.
Address: 11048 CA-1, Jenner, CA 95450
3. Jenner Inn
It is known for its excellent views and great accommodation. It is also quite close to the Golden Gate Bridge. It also has quite some collection of beers and wines apart from a fully functioning kitchen that serves all the local dishes available on the menu. If you happen not be going out of the Inn, you could choose many activities to participate in. There is whale watching, abalone diving, wine tasting, and star gazing among many other things you will find at that place.
Address: 10400 CA-1, Jenner, CA 95450
4. Farmhouse Inn
It is a land that is in a six-acre farm on the outskirts of California. Its history has made it one of the highly-rated hotels in the world and not just in Sonoma. Being, at the center of the wine country, it offers some of the best wines that you could have taste in the world. Most of them local. The accommodation is well furnished with luxury spas, and outdoor fire pits and even a beautiful garden where you can enjoy.
It is close to the Michelin Farmhouse restaurant that has amazing dishes that you can enjoy while you are in this place. It has both the local and organic fares listed out on the menu. It will, therefore, be one of those places that you will enjoy very much that you would want to come back to.
Address: 7871 River Rd, Forestville, CA 95436
Final word
The Sonoma Coast State Park is one that has been able to handle the exquisite nature of the Sonoma marine life and the adjacent features of the beach. It has opened up the area to many tourists who have come to enjoy and also see the many things that the land has to offer them as a tourist. You should ensure that you keep to the guidelines that you are given. This includes the maps, rules, and dressing codes. By the time you are leaving this place, you should have at least participate in more than half of the things that have been listed in this article. Find out which ones attract you more and try them out. A trip to this place should be one that will be memorable to you even years later.
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