Reach the Pinnacle

Hike in to a hidden beach on Bodega Bay

08.23.2018
Man sitting on the beach with his dog at Pinnacle Gulch near Bodega

The thing about hidden beaches is you’ve usually got to do a little legwork to find them! In this case, the legwork is a lovely 0.5-mile hike to a gorgeous beach on Bodega Bay. The Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail is found in the quiet Bodega Harbour golf course community.

There’s a small parking area, and you’ll cross the street to the trailhead, descending wide wooden stairs first, before leveling off to a dirt trail down a gulch surrounded by coastal shrub and cypress. The beach at low tide is a quarter-mile in length, with soft sands, driftwood, and sea-castles that soak in late-day sunlight.

Pinnacle Gulch hidden beach near Bodega

People walking on the sand near the ocean at Pinnacle Gulch beach near Bodega

Tide pools make fun explorations, and strolls here can be peaceful and quiet—not many people frequent this beach. Swimmers take dips; just use caution and remember the Pacific can be fickle. Towards sunset the shore takes on a periwinkle glow. Return the way you came. Bodega booyeah!

The trailhead is across from a small parking area in the Bodega Harbour golf course community at the southern entrance to Bodega Bay off Hwy. 1 (map) Dog-friendly! (Photo cameo by our very own fur-pal, Hank, dignified dog and office goofball.)

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