Know before you go
Jenner is easy to reach and easy to love, but it is a remote stretch of coast with its own rules. Read this once and you will have a better day than most visitors.
Three ways in, all of them pretty
From San Francisco
Fastest: US-101 north to Santa Rosa, then River Road / Highway 116 west through Guerneville and Duncans Mills to the coast. Prettiest: Highway 1 the whole way, over the Golden Gate, through Point Reyes Station and Bodega Bay. Allow three hours and stop often.
From Santa Rosa
Highway 116 west through Sebastopol, Forestville and Guerneville, following the Russian River all the way to the bridge in Jenner. Or Bodega Highway to Bodega Bay and Highway 1 north.
From the north
Highway 1 south along the cliffs past Salt Point and Fort Ross, finishing with the Jenner Grade descent into town. One of the best drives in the state; slow, and very slow behind an RV.
By bus
Public transport is thin. Mendocino Transit Authority's coastal route runs along Highway 1 between Point Arena and Santa Rosa via Jenner and Bodega Bay about once a day each way, and Sonoma County Transit reaches Guerneville and Monte Rio but not the coast. Check both timetables before relying on them.
Road conditions
Highway 1 and Highway 116 close occasionally for slides, flooding at Guerneville and Monte Rio, or fire. Check Caltrans QuickMap before you set out in winter.
Pack for two seasons in one day
The coast at Jenner lives in a narrow band: rarely below 40 °F, rarely above 70 °F. What changes is the fog and the wind. In summer the marine layer often sits on the coast until early afternoon while Guerneville, fifteen miles inland, is 90 °F. The wind picks up most afternoons from the northwest. The sunniest, warmest, calmest months are September and October. Winter brings the rain, dramatic storm swells and perfectly clear days between fronts.
- Always: a windproof layer, a warm layer, sun protection.
- Summer: expect fog mornings; plan the redwoods or the river for the morning and the coast for the afternoon.
- Winter: rain gear, and check the surf and road reports after storms.
| Season | Typical day | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dec – Feb | 45–58 °F, rain between clear spells, big surf | Whales, storm watching, empty beaches |
| Mar – May | 48–62 °F, windy, green hills, wildflowers | Seal pups, hiking, birds |
| Jun – Aug | 52–65 °F, foggy mornings, breezy afternoons | Kayaking, river swimming inland |
| Sep – Nov | 55–72 °F, clear and calm | Everything, especially sunsets |
The ocean here is not a swimming ocean
Sneaker waves
Every few years someone is swept off the Sonoma Coast by a wave much bigger than the ones before it. Sneaker waves run far up the beach without warning, especially in winter and on big-swell days. Stay off wet sand, off rocks and jetties, and keep children and dogs on the dry side of the driftwood line. If someone is pulled in, do not go after them: call 911 and keep sight of them.
Rip currents and cold water
The water is 50–55 °F year round and rip currents are strong at Goat Rock, the river mouth and Wright's Beach. There are no lifeguards anywhere on this coast. Wading above the knees is not advised.
Cliffs and trails
The bluffs are crumbly sandstone. Stay on the trail, keep back from edges, and do not climb down to beaches on unofficial paths. Poison oak is everywhere in the brush; ticks are common in the grass in spring.
Wildlife etiquette
Stay 50 yards from harbor seals and do not approach a pup that looks alone: its mother is usually fishing. Keep dogs on leash where allowed and off the beaches where they are not. Never feed anything.
Fees, dogs, gas, cell service and the rest
Park fees
Sonoma Coast State Park charges $10 per vehicle at its main parking lots (Goat Rock, Wright's Beach, Bodega Dunes and others), payable at the machine. Roadside pullouts and the Shell Beach lot are free. The Jenner Headlands Preserve is free. Fort Ross, Salt Point and Armstrong Redwoods are $10 per vehicle; Stillwater Cove is $8.
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on Goat Rock Beach or anywhere near the seal colony. Leashed dogs are welcome on Blind Beach, Shell Beach and Wright's Beach, in the Bodega Dunes campground (not on its dunes or beach), and on the Jenner Headlands and Stillwater Cove trails. They are banned from the environmental camps and from Salt Point's trails and beaches. Rules change to protect wildlife, so check the park page.
Gas and groceries
Fuel is scarce on this coast. The small store in Jenner and the Fort Ross Store 11 miles north sell gas when they are open, at coast prices; Bodega Bay has one station. The reliable fill-up is Guerneville (14 miles) or Santa Rosa. There is no supermarket in Jenner.
Cell service and Wi-Fi
Expect no signal in the village and along most of the coast. Some inns and the cafés have Wi-Fi. Download offline maps, screenshot bookings and tide tables, and agree on a meeting place if your group splits up.
Restrooms and water
Restrooms at the Goat Rock lot, the visitor center, Shell Beach, Wright's Beach and the Jenner Headlands trailhead. Carry your own water; there are few fountains.
Accessibility
The paved 0.7-mile Vista Trail loop, the Armstrong Redwoods Pioneer Nature Trail and the Goat Rock overlook are wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms at Vista Trail. Café Aquatica and River's End are at road level. Most beaches are reached by stairs or steep trails.
Check the tide, then plan the day
Low tide opens the tidepools at Shell Beach and makes the sand walks longer; high tide pushes the seals around and makes the river mouth dangerous. The nearest official tide station is Bodega Harbor Entrance, which is close enough for Jenner. Minus tides (below zero feet) in the early morning are the best tidepooling and usually happen on the new and full moons in winter and spring.
If you have…
Two hours
- Seals from the Goat Rock overlook.
- Walk the beach, well above the tide line.
- Coffee on the lawn at Café Aquatica.
One day
- Breakfast in Duncans Mills.
- Morning kayak on the estuary.
- Kortum Trail from Blind Beach to Shell Beach and back, tidepools if the tide is low.
- Sunset and dinner at River's End.
A weekend
- Day one as above, sleep in Jenner.
- Day two: Highway 1 north to Fort Ross, lunch at Timber Cove, tasting at Fort Ross Vineyard, back down the grade for the sunset.
- Foggy morning? Swap in Armstrong Redwoods.