Best Dog Beaches in Gualala

Located near the community of The Sea Ranch, Gualala Point Regional Park is a 195-acre community park with a large beach. The beach in Gualala Point Regional Park is situated at the mouth of the Gualala River and is surrounded by bluffs on both sides. It is important to note that while Gualala Point Regional Park is named after the Gualala River, it is actually in the northernmost part of the Sonoma County shoreline and is managed by Sonoma County. The beach in Gualala Point Regional Park is a sand spit that separates the Pacific Ocean and the Gualala River. The Gualala River forms an estuary behind this beach and occasionally also flows through the beach into the Pacific Ocean. 

Located near the mouth of the Gualala River, Gualala River Beach is a riverfront pebbly beach. This beach is situated along the banks of the Gualala River and is a part of a historic area known as the Mill Bend, which was recently acquired by the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. This beach is surrounded by dense vegetation and the Gualala River Bridge is also present nearby. This beach is a part of a region locally known as the "Banana Belt" which has sunnier and warmer weather than other parts of Mendocino County. Gualala River Beach does not have lifeguards. However, the beach has a small craft boat launch and some trails. The beach also allows dogs. Getting to Gualala River Beach is easy - the access trail to the beach is situated just north of the Gualala River Bridge along the western side of Coast Highway / Pacific Coast Highway. There is a free parking lot near the beginning of the access trail just across the highway. Since you need to cross an active highway from the parking lot to access the beach, we recommend being very careful.