What to Do at the Sea Ranch

In 2016, as summer started to wind down, we realized we hadn’t taken a trip with just the four of us for months. After no luck finding a last-minute vacation rental on the Mendocino coast, we found a beautiful vacation rental in the Sea Ranch on Airbnb, somewhere we’d never heard of (more info here). It’s a rugged, sparsely-populated area just south of the Mendocino County line on one of the most beautiful stretches of coast on the West. We wanted a relaxing trip of hiking, biking, and animal watching, and that’s exactly what we got.

After posting photos on Instagram, I realized that this place is definitely not unknown! I heard from people who have loved to vacation there for years or even plan to relocate there. It’s truly a unique destination that will stick with you long after a visit. Here are some tips for what to do at the Sea Ranch:

(See more off-the-beaten-path ideas in my Secret California category.)

Experience the Sea Ranch with a vacation rental

Stay a few days at a vacation rental in Sea Ranch for the best experience. The Sea Ranch is a small community of about 1000 people at the northernmost part of the Sonoma County coast, just south of the small town of Gualala (pronounced “Wa-la-la”). The community sits on the meadows between Highway 1 and the ocean, so most houses have a sea view. The houses are purposely simple, designed not to stand out against the nature. There’s no landscaping or lawns; instead, the natural vegetation surrounds the houses (wildflowers, cypress trees, ice plant, and low-growing shrubs).

Staying there means that you can take walks, view wildlife, hike, and enjoy awe-inspiring stargazing anytime. For the ultimate experience, look for a rental that has a sea view and a hot tub.

Hiking

What attracted us to the Sea Ranch was the coastal trail system that connects miles and miles of bluffs and beaches. Just outside all the Sea Ranch homes are miles of trails. The coast allows public beach access for everyone, so even though the trails are part of the Sea Ranch community, the public can use the trails, too. There are even a few small parking lots with restrooms for the public to use. But we rarely saw anyone while walking! It was usually just us and a bunch of deer.

The coast here is rugged, and I find it fascinating to see how the ocean has shaped the nature, from cypress trees that mimic the wind’s flow to cliffs like the one above that have been terraced by the constant force of the waves. And, like so many places along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts, there are sea caves:

Gualala Point Regional Park

If you walk north, the trails take you to Gualala Point Regional Park, a 195-acre park with coastal and inland hiking trails through meadows and forests, the Gualala River (for kayaking), and Gualala Beach, where we spent a fun morning. If you’ve spent much time on the beaches in Northern California, you know that the water is generally not safe, so we kept our distance from the crashing waves and instead played among the cliffs and driftwood.

Food in Gualala

The town of Gualala has two grocery stores, a few shops and restaurants. Make time to eat at Trinks Cafe — the food is good, the baked goods are homemade and the view out back toward the water is lovely.

Beaches

All along the Sea Ranch coast are beaches, some accessible (via trails and steep stairs), and some not so much. We visited Stengel Beach, which felt small and secluded, and Walk On Beach, which was bigger and a bit busier with local kids and their dogs having fun.

(The downside to visiting the beaches on most late afternoons in summer…overcast and cold!)

What’s the weather like at the Sea Ranch?

In case you’re wondering about the scarves and long sleeves you see above, the weather was cool and mostly cloudy, with misty mornings and evenings–normal weather for summer on the coast, but we did get some clear weather toward the end of our stay.

Viewing stars and wildlife

A clear night at the Sea Ranch makes for spectacular star-gazing. We saw the Milky Way, planets, and several shooting stars! And being in such a remote place meant lots of animals to see right from the house windows: foxes (in fact, a fox family greeted us when we arrived!), raccoons, quail, vultures, and lots of deer around at all times of day.

Drive north for amazing hiking and beaches:

A 30-minute drive north, past spectacular views of the water, are Point Arena Lighthouse, Manchester State Park, and Stornetta Public Lands. These are all worth visiting, but I highly recommend Stornetta, especially if the weather is nice! Here’s how we spent a day in Mendocino County visiting those three places.

Have you been to the Sea Ranch or the Sonoma coast? I’d love to hear your suggestions for our next trip there!

(This is the Airbnb vacation rental we stayed at, in case you’re interested. It was one of the nicest rentals we’ve stayed in.)

Tips for what to wear at the Sea Ranch: