- Best beaches in northern california

Looking for:

Best beaches in northern california 

Click here to ENTER

     

Best beaches in northern california.

 

College Cove Beach embodies the natural beauty of Northern California. The beaches themselves are lined with beautiful bluffs, and the water is dotted with towering rock formations.

Visitors come to College Cove Beach for incredible views and photo ops, scenic hiking trails, tide pools rich with marine life, and great surfing. For those interested in leaving the beaten path in search of secluded shores, check out Drakes Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Getting to this isolated beach requires a long albeit scenic drive, so you need to be willing to make a whole day out of it. To ensure the drive is worth your while, pack a lunch, some snacks, some drinks, and some warm clothes. Visitors come to Fort Funston Beach for a wide array of activities including horseback riding, hiking the bluffs, biking, fishing, and dog walking. The wind conditions in the area are often highly suitable for hang gliding, as well, so Fort Funston has become a popular spot for airborne activity.

Like Baker Beach, some of the trails near Fort Funston run through former military installations. Carmel Beach is located right next to the beach town of Carmel-by-The-Sea. It is about a 2-hour drive south of San Francisco. Visitors from all over the world come here each year. It is a great surfing location, as it is known for having clear water and good waves. Surfers have even spotted dolphins and sea otters out in the water. This beach is very dog friendly. Dogs are free to run without a leash.

Some great spots to access the beach are at the parking lot on Ocean Avenue, the on-street parking on Camino Real and along Scenic Road which can be found next to Carmel beach. The one-mile-long crescent shape of Carmel Beach is the perfect place to spend some time on the coast. Visitors enjoy swimming, surfing, kayaking, volleyball, and beachcombing. It is also an amazing place to watch the sunset. There is a walking trail that runs along the entire area.

It is one of the prettiest beaches in the bay area. Fort Funston Beach is known for its foot high sandy bluffs and expansive trails for hiking and horseback riding.

The views from the bluffs are breathtaking. You might even be lucky enough to see some hang-gliders , as it is one of the most popular hang-gliding locations in the country. It is also a great spot to watch the sunset. Some even say that the view of Fort Funston Beach is one of the most beautiful views in Northern California. During whale migration season you can sometimes spot whales off in the distance.

Since it does get so windy at this beach, if the weather report is calling for high winds you might want to visit another day. On top of the bluffs overlooking the beach, there are hiking trails and a hang-glider platform. Two places to access this beach are from the easy one-mile paved Sunset Trail or the more difficult Sand Ladder near the southern end of the beach. Swimming is discouraged since the currents are strong and it can be very dangerous. This beach is one of the best beaches in the Bay Area to bring your dog, as it is very dog friendly and you can let your dog run free without a leash.

There are tunnels and concrete remnants that you can explore near the trails. This beach is part of the Asilomar Marine Reserve. It is a marine protected area, so you are not allowed to fish or collect shells and rocks. Across the street from the beach is the Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve. This acre area of dunes has boardwalks and scenic outlooks overlooking the stunning coastline and waters of Asilomar Beach. There is parking right next to the beach and you can walk down a short trail to go down onto the sand.

This beach does have riptides and unpredictable surfs, so be careful near the water. If you visit low tide, there are some great tide pools for exploring.

There are also flat sandy sections and walking trails along the top of the beach area. Located right near the beach is the Asilomar Conference Grounds. Which is a hotel and conference center that is a location for family reunions and social events. This famous road follows the coastline through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove and passes by some of the most expensive mansions, through an exclusive gated community, famous golf courses, and scenic attractions.

With the breathtaking views, beautiful sand and water, and all that there is to see and do near Asilomar State Beach. This beautiful beach cove is a must-see beach near San Francisco and a beautiful spot for hiking, surfing, or exploring the beach. There is parking right near the beach, so accessing the beach is just an easy walk from the parking lot. Rodeo Beach is also the perfect spot for birdwatching. On the south end of the beach is Bird Rock.

A small arched rock out in the water that you can spot birds on if you have binoculars. Rodeo Lagoon is also great for bird watching. This beach is a large open area, perfect for spending some time on the sand by the water. It is also a great surfing location. There are long, sandy leisure beaches, sand dune beaches , and beaches favored by surfers.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

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. Fun day trip ideas: South Carolina , Oregon , Texas 2. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Fort Funston is known for windy conditions […]. See details. Behind the beach there are stunning sculpted sandstone cliffs making this a […]. The cove is inside the boundary of the San […]. Despite the name, the park is not in the nearby town of Gualala which lies across […]. The beach at Bodega Dunes is vast and remote so beachcombers will […].

The beach itself is a sandy spot sandwiched by the […]. Greenwood was the name of Elk back in the logging times of […]. Glass Beach gets its name from the smooth colorful glass pieces that you can find mixed […]. A rock sticks up out of the sand at the […]. Kids can play in the safe […]. Related: Best Beaches in Monterey. Fort Funston Beach is a popular spot for hang gliding because of the windy conditions in the area. As long as you keep your dog on a leash, you and your pet can have an enjoyable time on the sandy grounds.

Related: Best San Francisco Restaurants. Related: Best Beaches in San Francisco. Your little ones and yourself will love looking for shiny treasures among the beautiful, pebbly shores of this beach. Though the glassy shores of Glass Beach are safe for your little ones, the waves in Glass Beach can be rough.