Shell Beach

Located to the south of the town of Jenner in the northern part of Sonoma County, Shell Beach is a small brown sand beach with a few rocky parts and a small amount of shrubs and grass. This beach is located below steep oceanfront bluffs. The beach and the surrounding area have important geological significance because many kinds of rocks are found here including shale, sandstone, and serpentine. The beach is a part of a state park named Sonoma Coast State Park. Please note that Shell Beach should not be confused with another separate beach with the same name called Shell Beach – this other Shell Beach is located in the La Jolla neighbourhood of San Diego. Additionally, if you're traveling around California, consider visiting the charming towns of San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach, both offering unique coastal experiences.

Shell Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a nearby restroom, so please plan accordingly – please note that the restroom near Shell Beach is located on the blufftop area above it. Shell Beach allows dogs on leash.

Shell Beach offers many fun activities including kayaking, canoeing, boating, beachcombing, tidepooling, wildlife watching, rockhounding, and fishing. The water near Shell Beach is extremely cold and is not safe for water activities including swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, and boogie boarding due to dangerous rip currents and its strong waves. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Shell 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 up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment. Shell Beach is a popular fishing site - depending on the time of the year, you can catch a large variety of fish here including salmon, steelhead, rockfish, and lingcod. If you are planning to fish in Shell Beach, please follow the fishing regulations that can be found on the website of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Large numbers of mussels can be found on the rocks around Shell Beach – these rocks can be explored during low tide. There are many hiking trails around the blufftop area above Shell Beach that highlight the vibrant landscape of northern Sonoma County. In addition, you can also explore a unique rock formation near this beach called the Sunset Boulders.

Getting to Shell Beach is easy - the access trail to the beach is located near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Shell Beach Road. There is also a free parking lot near the access trail. We recommend being careful and wearing appropriate footwear while accessing Shell Beach because the access trail to the beach is steep and partially eroded. In addition, the access trail can get very slippery after it rains.

There are many attractions near Shell Beach. Bodega Marine Laboratory is a part of University of California Davis’ Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute and it offers informative docent-led tours. The tours display the laboratory’s interesting aquariums and exhibits which highlight the unique marine plant life and fauna of Northern California. If you like golfing, The Links at Bodega Harbor is a challenging 18-hole golf course that was designed by the renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and it also offers Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean. Another great golfing facility near Shell Beach is Northwood Golf Club – this golf facility has a beautifully landscaped 9-hole golf course that was developed by golf architect Alister MacKenzie and it has been rated the 30th best 9-hole golf course in the world by Golf Magazine’s online website (golf.com). This golf club offers a fun and challenging session of golf. If you are looking for another attraction near Shell Beach, Jenner Headlands Preserve is a 5,600-acre natural preserve that features diverse landscapes – these landscapes include coastal grasslands, woodlands, and redwood forests and the preserve offers an interesting insight into the vibrant biodiversity of Sonoma County. You can see many kinds of animals while exploring this preserve including mountain lion, deer, bobcat, coyote, and falcon – in addition, the preserve is also a great picnicking site.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Shell Beach.  River’s End Restaurant & Inn is an upscale restaurant which offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience and serves delectable steaks, pasta, vegetarian dishes, pork dishes, elk, and seafood.  In addition, the restaurant was also awarded TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award in 2020.  The Tides Wharf & Restaurant serves amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including delicious seafood, steaks, pastas, poultry dishes, sandwiches, burgers, and pancakes.  Spud Point Crab Company is a popular restaurant that offers excellent seafood dishes and is famous for its crab sandwiches and clam chowder.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Shell Beach, La Bodeguita offers amazing Mexican dishes including enchiladas, burritos, tacos, Mexican-style soups, salads, and fajitas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Shell Beach, there are many great options.  The 4-Star The Lodge at Bodega Bay offers many amenities including a restaurant, complimentary coffee and evening wine tasting sessions, a lounge with a firepit, a fitness center, a spa, a pool, a hot tub, and a sauna.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Jenner Inn that offers many amenities including a bar, a restaurant, a garden, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Shell Beach, River’s End Restaurant & Inn offers accommodation in beautiful waterfront cabins and it also has a restaurant.  If you like camping, the Pomo Canyon Campground is also located near Shell Beach and it offers many amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, and restrooms.