In
brief:
2.8 mile partial loop on Sonoma coastal bluffs near Bodega Bay.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 2.8 mile partial loop hike is easy, with about 420 feet in elevation
change. There is one short easy uphill stretch, and the rest of the hike
is nearly flat. Elevation ranges from 90 to 275 feet. You can split this
hike into two, shorter ones -- a 1.1 mile out and back to the overlook,
or a 1.8 mile loop through the headlands.
Exposure:
Completely exposed.
Trail traffic:
Moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails.
Hiking time:
1 1/2 hours.
Season:
Nice year round.
Getting there:
(Note: Google will direct you to a spot quite short of the trailhead. Continue to the obvious parking lot at the end of the Westshore Road.)
From Bodega Bay (Sonoma County), turn west onto Eastshore Road. Drive about
0.3 mile on Eastshore to a stop sign, then turn right onto Bay Flat Road.
Drive about 3.4 miles, initially along the harbor (where the road seamlessly
turns into Westshore Road), then after a sharp hairpin turn, uphill to an
unsigned fork. Bear right and continue 0.2 mile to the parking lot.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
38°18'13.96"N
Longitude 123° 3'51.48"W
(* based on Google
Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Stores, gas, and restaurants in Bodega Bay. No camping at Bodega Head, but
there are several campgrounds close by, including Doran Park, the Sonoma
State Beach campgrounds, near Bodega Bay and Salmon Creek.
Trailhead details:
No entrance or parking fees. Large gravel parking lot. No designated handicapped
parking, and trails are poorly suited to wheelchairs and strollers. Vault
toilets at edge of parking lot. No drinking water or maps at trailhead --
maps are available for $1 from the Salmon Creek Ranger Station, about 1.5
miles north of the Eastshore Road turnoff, on the west side of CA 1. Nearest
phone at Bodega Harbor. There is no public transportation available to this
trailhead.
Rules:
Park hours are 8 a.m. to sunset. No dogs, horses, or bikes permitted on
the trail.
The Official Story:
CSP's Sonoma
Coast State Beach page
Park office 707-875-3483
Map choices:
• Sonoma
Coast State Beach map (pdf)
• The Hiker's hip Pocket Guide to Sonoma County, by Bob Lorentzen
(order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and trail descriptions.
Bodega Head in a nutshell
-- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page