Reach the Pinnacle

Hike in to a hidden beach on Bodega Bay

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.)

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View