Bodega Dunes Beach(Sonoma Coast State Park)

Located in the village of Bodega Bay, Bodega Dunes Beach is a large beach that has light brown sand and a large amount of driftwood.  This beach is located below oceanfront bluffs and it is located adjacent to a campground named Bodega Dunes – Bodega Dunes Beach is part of a state park named Sonoma Coast State Park.  Although Bodega Dunes Beach does not have any lifeguards, the bluff top area above the beach has many other amenities including restrooms, picnic tables, walking trails, horse riding trails, and barbecue areas.  Dogs are not allowed at Bodega Dunes Beach.  Getting to Bodega Dunes Beach is easy - the access trail to the beach is located on the western end of Bodega Road.  The western end of Bodega Road is located near the northern end of Bodega Bay.  Bodega Road is easily accessible from California State Highway 1 / Pacific Coast Highway.  There is also a paid day-use parking lot near the beach access trail.  We recommend visiting this beach while wearing appropriate footwear because this beach has a large amount of driftwood.

Bodega Dunes Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, swimming, beachcombing, wildlife watching, surfing, horse riding, hiking, kite surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, windsurfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, picnicking, and boating.  If you are planning to swim, surf, kayak, or bodyboard  near Bodega Dunes Beach, we recommend being extremely careful because the water here is known to have strong currents, dangerous waves, and extremely cold temperatures.   Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Bodega Dunes Beach including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April).  Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and harming them can result in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment.  Bodega Dunes Beach is ideal for vistors looking for a quieter beach experience because it sees fewer visitors as compared to other nearby beaches.  

If you like hiking or horse-riding, there are many equestrian and walking trails around this beach – these trails offer a unique way to explore the vibrant coastal Sonoma County landscape.  If you like taking pictures with amazing views,  there is  a boardwalk and an observation deck on the bluff top area above the beach – this observation area offers amazing views of the Bodega Bay shoreline.  If you like camping, the Bodega Dunes Campground offers a memorable accommodation experience in the rugged wilderness of coastal Sonoma County.  The campground accommodates both RVs and tents and has many amenities including showers, restrooms, picnic tables, a trailer sanitation dump station, and campfire rings.  If you want to camp in Bodega Dunes, you can make a reservation in advance by contacting Reserve California through phone at 1-800-444-PARK.

There are many attractions near Bodega Dunes Beach.  The Ren Brown Collection is an art gallery that displays mesmerizing Asian-Californian artworks and has a koi pond, a Japanese garden, tea house, a stone garden, and a bamboo grove occasionally open for public viewing.  If you like wine, Sonoma Coast Vineyards organizes memorable wine tasting experiences and it also has a picnic site on a knoll – this picnic site offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Bodega Bay.  Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail is a one-and-two-tenths-of-a-mile long hiking and biking trail that is ideal for birdwatchers – the trail passes near two ponds and a marshland and you can see many kinds of birds while hiking on this trail including waterfowl, songbirds, and shorebirds.  If you are looking for another attraction near Bodega Dunes Beach, Children’s Bell Tower is a monument erected in the memory of a seven year old Bodega Bay resident named Nicholas Green.  Green’s parents’ decision to donate his organs after his death in Italy played a crucial role in generating awareness about organ donation there.  In addition, the monument features bells donated by many Italian schools, ships, mines, and churches and the main bell in the monument was blessed by Pope John Paul II.

There are many attractions near Bodega Dunes Beach.  The Ren Brown Collection is an art gallery that displays mesmerizing Asian-Californian artworks and has a koi pond, a Japanese garden, tea house, a stone garden, and a bamboo grove occasionally open for public viewing.  If you like wine, Sonoma Coast Vineyards organizes memorable wine tasting experiences and it also has a picnic site on a knoll – this picnic site offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Bodega Bay.  Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail is a one-and-two-tenths-of-a-mile long hiking and biking trail that is ideal for birdwatchers – the trail passes near two ponds and a marshland and you can see many kinds of birds while hiking on this trail including waterfowl, songbirds, and shorebirds.  If you are looking for another attraction near Bodega Dunes Beach, Children’s Bell Tower is a monument erected in the memory of a seven year old Bodega Bay resident named Nicholas Green.  Green’s parents’ decision to donate his organs after his death in Italy played a crucial role in generating awareness about organ donation there.  In addition, the monument features bells donated by many Italian schools, ships, mines, and churches and the main bell in the monument was blessed by Pope John Paul II.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Bodega Dunes Beach.  Terrapin Creek is an upscale restaurant that serves delicious gourmet dishes with international culinary influences for lunch and dinner including seafood, pastas, poultry dishes, steaks, burgers,and salads.  The restaurant has been also praised by a variety of publications including the MICHELIN Guide and ZAGAT.  Gourmet Au Bay is a waterfront restaurant that has a casual ambiance and it serves a variety of deliciious dishes including seafood, salads, and pizzas – the restaurant’s dishes are cooked in an exquisite wood-fired oven.  The restaurant is also known for serving amazing wines.  Fisherman’s Cove offers fantastic seafood dishes including crab salad, fish and chips, clam chowder, and beer battered shrimp and is known for its delectable grilled oysters.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Bodega Dunes Beach, the modestly priced Ginocchio’s Kitchen offers excellent lunch and breakfast dishes including burritos, brisket hash, sandwiches, eggs, and monkey bread – the restaurant’s clam and scallop chowder has been listed as one of the “Top 50 Best Foods to Eat in Sonoma County” by Sonoma Magazine.

If you are looking for a hotel near Bodega Dunes Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Sonoma Coast Villa offers many amenities including a spa, a hot tub, a pool, a nine-hole putting green, a restaurant, complimentary wine tasting sessions, and complimentary breakfast.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Inn at the Tides that offers many amenities including massage services (available for a fee), a gift shop, a sauna, an exercise room, a whirlpool spa, a pool, multiple restaurants, a pastry shop, and ATM machines.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Bodega Bay Inn that offers many amenities including a living room (with a DVD library, board games, books, magazines, and complimentary popcorn and coffee), a sculpture garden, a water fountain, picnic tables, lounge chairs, and a fire pit.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Bodega Dunes Beach, the modestly priced Bodega Harbor Inn offers many amenities including a lawn with ocean views, picnic tables, barbecue area, lounge chairs, a garden, and seasonal complimentary continental breakfast.