Bowling Ball Beach(Schooner Gulch State Beach)

Located in the city of Point Arena, Bowling Ball Beach - also known as Ross Creek Beach - is a popular beach with light brown sand and some rocky parts. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and is present in the northern part of a larger state-protected beach named Schooner Gulch State Beach. This beach gets its name from the natural spherical sandstone concretions which are present here and interestingly resemble bowling balls. Ross Creek flows through the northern end of the beach into the Pacific Ocean. Bowling Ball Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs on leash are allowed on Bowling Ball Beach. 

Bowling Ball Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, surfing, wildlife watching, rockhounding, hiking, fishing, and tidepooling. A surfing spot is present in the water near the northern end of Bowling Ball Beach which is named Whiskey Shoals. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Bowling Ball Beach, we recommend being very careful as the water here has strong currents and dangerous waves. If you are planning to fish in the water near Bowling Ball Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. During low tide, you can explore the tidepools present in Bowling Ball Beach - these tidepools are home to a variety of amazing creatures including crabs and anemones. The natural spherical sandstone concretions present in Bowling Ball Beach are immensely popular with photographers and offer excellent Instagram-worthy photos. The blufftop area above Bowling Ball Beach has a vibrant coastal landscape which can be explored via a hiking trail. In addition, this blufftop area also offers excellent Instagram-worthy views of the Northern California shoreline. 

Getting to Bowling Ball Beach is easy - the small free parking lot for this beach is situated near the intersection between Coast Highway / Pacific Coast Highway and Schooner Gulch Road, from where you need to walk on the north-bound access trail which leads down along the steep, slippery, and unstable bluffside to Bowling Ball Beach. We recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear as this beach is known to have lots of driftwood. We also recommend visiting the beach during low tide as during high tide the beach is significantly submerged and inaccessible. It is also recommended that you access the beach from the north while driving here as its parking lot is present along the southbound lane of Coast Highway/Pacific Coast Highway. In addition, a blind curve is located to the north of this beach - this makes any attempt to cross over the highway to get to the beach’s parking lot from the northbound lane extremely dangerous.

There are many attractions near Bowling Ball Beach. B. Bryan Preserve offers guided tours on land rovers/trucks within its conservation area that has many interesting and extremely endangered herbivores from the continent of Africa including roan antelope, greater kudu antelope, sable antelope, and grevy’s zebra. The Point Arena Light Station is a historical landmark that has a lighthouse which was constructed in the early 20th century (after an earlier lighthouse on the site was severely damaged by storms) and is over a hundred feet tall. Apart from this lighthouse, there is also an indoor museum which is set in a 19th-century Fog Signal Building - this museum has interesting exhibits offering a unique insight into the property and the surrounding coastal region’s interesting natural and cultural history. The Light Station property also serves as a 23-acre outdoor museum that has many interesting exhibits including a stone labyrinth (which is the westernmost part of a series of public artworks spread across the 39th Latitude known as the "Art Line"), a druid’s circle made from shale pillars, a gazebo from the 1992 Mel Gibson movie Forever Young (which was shot on the light station property), a native plant garden, and a number of interpretive historical plaques and markers present around the museum grounds. If you are looking for another attraction near Bowling Ball Beach, Point Arena Fishing Pier is a 322-feet long pier which is a popular fishing spot. Depending on the time of the year, you can catch many kinds of fish here including cabezon, salmon, and greenling. In addition, the water around the pier is a popular spot among surfers, scuba divers, and kayakers.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Bowling Ball Beach. Bird Cafe and Supper Club offers excellent gourmet dishes which are prepared using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. The Pier Chowder House and Tap Room offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience and it also serves amazing seafood. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Bowling Ball Beach, Pirates Cove Restaurant offers amazing Mexican dishes including enchiladas, tacos, tortas, and fajitas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Bowling Ball Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Elk Cove Inn & Spa is 20 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 Wharf Master’s Inn which offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, two observation decks, and a balcony. In addition, the hotel also offers complimentary coupons for the nearby Garcia River Casino. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Bowling Ball Beach, the Wildflower Boutique Motel is located close to some of the major attractions in Mendocino County and offers complimentary breakfast.