Shell Beach(Tomales Bay State Park)

Located in the town of Inverness, Shell Beach is a mile long and is the southernmost beach in Tomales Bay State Park. Shell Beach is situated on the west shore of Tomales Bay and is a great destination for swimming because of its calm waters.

 Shell Beach offers a couple of amenities including restrooms, trails, and wetlands.

There are few fun activities at Shell Beach including swimming and hiking.

Getting to Shell Beach is easy – after you get off of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, drive north to 255 Camino Del Mar to reach a free parking lot at the end of the road. After parking, you will need to walk eight minutes north to the beach. Visitors can also get here by hiking on the Jepson Trail or Johnstone Trail at the end of Shallow Beach Road.

If you are looking for nearby attractions, you can drive 50 minutes to many options near Shell Beach. Sonoma County Fairgrounds offers a horse-racing track, jockey club, carnival rides, and several open-air amphitheaters. It hosts many annual events including the Sonoma County Fair, The Harmony Festival, and The Sonoma Valley Harvest Fair – a wine festival with a grape stomping contest. The famous road course Sonoma Raceway plays host to many annual racing events including the NASCAR Cup Series, the IndyCar Series, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and the American Federation of Motorcyclists series. Scandia Family Fun Center is an awesome amusement park featuring many rides including a pirate ship swing, train ride, merry-go-round swings, horse carousel, go-karts, and bumper cars. Another great attraction near Shell Beach is Saint Teresa of Avila Church which has been the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film, The Birds.

If you get hungry, you can drive nine minutes to many restaurants near Shell Beach. The European restaurant Vladimir's Czech Restaurant features rye bread, chicken paprikash, duck, pork, ribs, a bar, and live music. Saltwater Oyster Depot is a nice oyster bar-restaurant that serves seafood, mollusks, and regional wines. Another good restaurant near Shell Beach is Tap Room offering sushi, sandwiches, burgers, chips, burritos, fries, and beer in outdoor seating.

If you are looking for a hotel near Shell Beach, you can drive 53 minutes to many nearby hotels. The upscale Mediterranean-style and pet-friendly 4-Star hotel Sonoma Coast Villa features a pool, spa, restaurant, miniature golf course, and hiking tours. Bodega Coast Inn & Suites is a 3-Star seaside hotel that welcomes pets and offers canoeing, diving, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, and windsurfing tours. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Shell Beach, the 2-Star Good Nite Inn Rohnert Park Sonoma County has a nice pool.