Best Family Friendly Beaches in Gualala

Located a couple of miles north of Gualala, Cooks Beach is a small beach with light brown sand and a few rock formations. The beach is situated in a deep cove below steep rocky oceanfront bluffs and also has sparse vegetation. The beach has three alternative names - it is also known as Bonham Beach, Bourns Landing, or simply as Bourns. The Glennen Gulch Creek flows into the beach and often forms a lagoon here. Cooks Beach is also sunnier and warmer than other beaches along the Mendocino County shoreline. In addition, this beach is rarely windy. 

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 to the north of Gualala, Anchor Bay Beach - also known as Fish Rock Beach - is a half-a-mile long beach with light brown sand. The beach is situated below steep oceanfront bluffs. The edges of the beach are narrower than its center. Anchor Bay Beach is a part of the Mendocino County coastline locally known as the "Banana Belt," which makes the beach sunnier than the other Mendocino County Beaches. During storms, the beach loses much of its sand and turns into a rocky beach. A creek flows through the beach into the ocean and sometimes forms a lagoon here. This popular beach was also featured in the "Top 10 Beaches in the West" list by Sunset magazine, where it was listed as the third-most-popular beach. Anchor Bay Beach gets its alternative name, Fish Rock Beach, from a nearby town named Fish Rock which was abandoned during the early 20th century. Anchor Bay Beach does not have lifeguards. However, there is a private campground near this beach that has restrooms.