Goat Rock Beach(Sonoma Coast State Park)

Located in the town of Jenner, Goat Rock Beach is a long and wide beach situated northwest of the Russian River Bridge in Sonoma Coast State Park. Goat Rock Beach is a popular destination for beachcombing and there are many sea stacks and a large rock arch offshore.  Goat Rock Beach offers a couple of amenities including restrooms, picnic tables, barbecues, and driftwoods. There are many fun activities at Goat Rock Beach including beachcombing, bird watching, wildlife watching, kayaking, and beach walking – but swimming here can be very dangerous because of large waves. Please note that fishing is prohibited here and you must stay at least 50 yards away from the shore if the local colony of seals is present. Getting to Goat Rock Beach is easy – after you get off of Coast Highway, drive down to the northern end of Goat Rock Road to reach a parking lot that is within walking distance of the beach.

If you are looking for nearby attractions, you can drive 20 minutes to many options near Goat Rock 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, horse carousel, go-karts, and bumper cars. Another great attraction near Goat Rock Beach is Saint Teresa of Avila Church that has been the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds.

If you are looking for nearby attractions, you can drive 20 minutes to many options near Goat Rock 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, horse carousel, go-karts, and bumper cars. Another great attraction near Goat Rock Beach is Saint Teresa of Avila Church that has been the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds.

If you get hungry, you can drive 25 minutes to many restaurants near Goat Rock 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 Goat Rock Beach is Tap Room offering sushi, sandwiches, burgers, chips, burritos, fries, and beer in outdoor seating.

If you are looking for a hotel near Goat Rock Beach, you can drive 20 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 Goat Rock Beach, the 2-Star Good Nite Inn Rohnert Park Sonoma County has a nice pool.