Best LGBTQ Beaches in Point Arena

Located in the city of Point Arena, Pelican Bluffs Preserve has a very small, narrow, and rocky beach that is backed by a large bluff.  Pelican Bluffs Preserve is a coastal park that is spread across 73 acres and was opened on May 19, 2018 by the Mendocino Land Trust and the California State Coastal Conservancy. Also known as Pelican Bluffs Reserve, Pelican Bluffs Preserve features a small Bishop pine forest, small stream, two-mile-long hiking trail called the Pelican Bluffs Coastal Trail, open meadows with wildflowers, and lots of plants, birds, and animals.  

Located in the city of Point Arena, Bowling Ball Beach - also known as Ross Creek Beach - is a popular beach with light brown sand and some rocky parts. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and is present in the northern part of a larger state-protected beach named Schooner Gulch State Beach. This beach gets its name from the natural spherical sandstone concretions which are present here and interestingly resemble bowling balls. Ross Creek flows through the northern end of the beach into the Pacific Ocean. Bowling Ball Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs on leash are allowed on Bowling Ball Beach. 

Located near Point Arena, Stornetta Public Lands - also known as the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands - is a protected open area which is primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Stornetta Public Lands are also a part of the California Coastal National Monument. This blufftop protected open area has multiple rocky and sandy beaches below it. While almost all of the beaches in Stornetta Public Lands are unnamed except for a single beach (named Garcia River Beach), these beaches are also collectively known as the Stornetta Public Lands Beaches. 

Located in the city of Point Arena, Moat Creek Beach is a small, narrow, and rocky beach that is part of a park named Moat Creek Coastal Access. Moat Creek Beach is situated at the point where Moat Creek meets the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as Whiskey Shoals, Moat Creek Beach is a well-known spot for surfing, abalone diving, scuba diving, kayaking, and tide pooling. Moat Creek Beach is managed by the State Coastal Conservancy and the non-profit Moat Creek Managing Agency. The Surfrider Foundation and the Conservancy played a major role in the opening of Moat Creek Beach along with the adjacent H Bar H Ranch that gifted the property for the beach.