Cook's Beach
Gualala, CA
Cook's Beach is reached by the Bonham Trail, a blufftop path ending in a set of beach stairs north of Gualala. The views along the trail itself are part of the draw, wide open bluff scenery before the stairs drop down to a quieter stretch of sand than the beaches right in town.
A genuinely scenic blufftop walk to a quiet beach, though the stairs down mean it takes more effort than the beaches right in Gualala.
How we score beachesTake the walk slow, the blufftop views along the Bonham Trail are worth lingering over before you commit to the stairs down.
Free parking is available at the Bonham Trail trailhead.
The Bonham Trail leads along the bluff to a set of stairs down to the beach.
Dogs are welcome; check posted signage for specific leash rules.
Summer mornings run foggy before clearing, typical of the Sonoma-Mendocino coast, with water staying cold year round.
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