Salt Point State Park
Jenner, CA
Salt Point State Park covers six thousand acres along the Sonoma coast, including Gerstle Cove's underwater park, a rare protected area for divers, plus the North Horseshoe Cove and Horseshoe Point pullouts and the Kruse Ranch loop trails through the park's more historic corners. Few state parks on this coast pack in this much range of terrain and activity.
The sheer range of terrain, from the underwater dive park to historic loop trails, makes this a genuine standout, though six thousand acres means one visit won't cover it all.
How we score beachesBring dive gear if you have any interest in diving at all, Gerstle Cove's underwater park is a genuinely rare protected dive site for this stretch of coast.
A day use fee applies; the exact amount is best confirmed at the entrance station.
A path leads from parking to the beach; conditions vary by access point across the park's many pullouts.
Dogs are allowed on leash in the campground and on paved areas, but are prohibited on park trails and beaches.
Summer mornings run foggy before clearing, typical of the Sonoma coast, with water staying cold year round.
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