Hare Creek Beach
Fort Bragg, CA
Hare Creek Beach sits south of Fort Bragg, reached by walking from the College of the Redwoods parking lot and turning toward the trailhead on Bay View Avenue, a route locals know better than any visitor with a map. The beach itself is a quieter rocky cove, worth the slightly indirect approach for the lack of crowd.
Genuinely quiet thanks to an access route most visitors don't know about, though the indirect walk in means it takes a bit more effort than the beaches right off Highway 1.
How we score beachesPark at the College of the Redwoods lot rather than hunting for closer street parking, the walk from there to the trailhead is short and it's the route locals actually use.
No fee, though the CCC records no formal parking area; use the College of the Redwoods lot.
A path leads from the trailhead on Bay View Avenue down to the beach.
Dogs are welcome; check posted signage for specific leash rules.
Summer mornings run foggy before clearing, typical of the Mendocino coast, with water staying cold year round.
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