Gualala Regional Park Beach

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. 

The beach in Gualala Point Regional Park does not have lifeguards. However, the county park has many amenities including picnic tables, barbecues, and restrooms. The beach also allows dogs on leash. 

The beach in Gualala Point Regional Park offers many fun activities including beachcombing, wildlife watching, sunbathing, picnicking, hiking, swimming, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, and boating. If you are planning to engage in aquatic recreational activities in Gualala Point Beach, we recommend doing so in the Gualala River as the Pacific Ocean near the beach is known to have strong currents and dangerous waves. The best time to canoe, kayak, and paddleboard in the water near the beach is generally during May and June, as the Gualala River has ample water during this time which makes it great kayaking, canoeing, and paddling spot. In addition, if you are planning to kayak or canoe in the Gualala River, we recommend visiting this beach early in the morning as the area around this beach is known to be windier in the afternoon. The beach is a great spot for wildlife watching - you can see many marine animals in the Pacific Ocean near the beach including seals and migrating grey whales (between January and May). In addition, you can see many kinds of birds around this beach including ospreys and eagles. 

If you like fishing, you can catch many kinds of fish in the ocean and the river water present on this beach. However, if you are planning to fish in the Gualala River, keep in mind that fishing in the Gualala River is only permitted during adequate river water flows between October 1 through April 30. We also recommend you to get prior confirmation from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife by calling their Low-Flow Hotline at (707) 944-5533) to determine if fishing in the Gualala River is indeed allowed during your visit. In addition, we also recommend that you also follow the local fishing regulations while fishing here. The blufftop coastal area above the beach offers marvelous Instagram-worthy views of the Northern California shoreline. One particular blufftop observation area above the beach is known as the Whale Watch Point and is a popular whale viewing spot during the grey whale migration period between January and May. This point also offers fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean throughout the year.

Gualala Point Regional Park offers a unique way to explore the vibrant oceanfront blufftop landscape of the North California shoreline and the interesting riparian habitat around the Gualala River. The park also offers interesting hiking and biking trails. The park has picnic tables and a campground that accommodates RVs and tents and has many amenities including showers, electrical outlets, washrooms, and a dump station for RVs. Gualala Point Regional Park also has a visitor center that offers interesting information about the local geography, history, and biodiversity. The park also has beautiful wooden serge posts that were carved by craftsmen from the Sakha Republic of northeastern Russia in 2014.

Getting to the beach in Gualala Point Regional Park is easy - Gualala Point State Park is located near 42401 Pacific Coast Highway, where there is also a paid parking lot nearby. There are many hiking trails that start from this paid parking lot and lead to the beach in Gualala Point Regional Park. We recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear as the beach has driftwood.

There are many attractions near Gualala Point Regional Park. The Sea Ranch Chapel has unique architecture and was designed by the architect James Hubbell. In addition, the chapel also has beautifully landscaped grounds. Sea Ranch Golf Links offer two fun and challenging nine-hole golf courses designed in the Scottish links-style by Robert Muir Graves. If you are looking for another attraction near Gualala Point Regional Park, Bower Park is a community park with pine trees and a duck pond. The park also has a picnic area, children’s playgrounds, and a baseball field.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Gualala Point Regional Park. The restaurant at St. Orres hotel has an outdoor dining area and serves excellent gourmet dishes. Gualala Seafood Shack offers delicious seafood including seafood tacos, fish-and-chips, and delicious seafood sandwiches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Gualala Point Regional Park, the modestly priced Gualala Pizza & Bakery offers fantastic pizzas, sandwiches, desserts, and Mexican dishes including nachos, burritos, tacos, tortas, and quesadillas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Gualala Point Regional Park, there are many great nearby options. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Elk Cove Inn & Spa is 40 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a rooftop deck, a day spa, a beachfront gazebo, a guest lounge, and complimentary breakfast and wine and cocktails. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star St. Orres that offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, complimentary breakfast, and a spa with a hot tub, a sundeck, and a sauna. As another moderately priced option, Seacliff Motel offers excellent views of the Pacific Ocean and also serves complimentary sparkling cider on request. The hotel also has a binocular loaner facility. If you are looking for a hotel near Gualala Point Regional Park, The Surf Motel at Gualala offers many amenities including an outdoor area with Adirondack chairs that offers Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and complimentary breakfast with homemade pastries.