Sweet as the Sea

Hike the Bluff-Top Trail at Sea Ranch in Sonoma County

01.01.2025
Two people walking along the bluff trail at Sea Ranch on the Sonoma Coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Rough-and-tumble coastline, twisting Highway 1, open grasslands, hidden beaches, bluff trails, and a rustic lodge for storm watching from indoors—we’re not talking about Big Sur. We’re talking Sea Ranch and its namesake lodge on the Sonoma Coast. Walk its famous bluff-top trail, a cliff-hugging sensation with soaring Pacific scenery.

It stretches for 10 miles (one-way), but even if you go just a few miles, you’ll be privy to plentiful highlights. Start from Sea Ranch Lodge and head north with the ocean to your left and homes that blend with nature on your right. You’ll soon pass Black Point Beach, accessed via a steep wooden stairway. Whale migration season is starting, so keep an eye out for spouts on the sea. Harbor seals can sometimes be spotted lounging on two of the area’s marine preserves (the preserves are off-limits, but bluff-trail vantages let you sneak a peek.)

If the tide’s cooperating, hidden beaches and pocket coves along the way make nice resting spots. We like Pebble Beach (about 2 miles in), a lovely crescent cove dramatized by giant driftwood. If it’s a clear day, time your return journey for the magic hour. Sea Ranch Lodge’s Adirondack chairs are prime for catching a sunset. Their bar is a great place to grab a cocktail. Golden moment goes down easy.

Sea Ranch Lodge, 60 Sea Walk Dr. Both the bluff-top trail and lodge are dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View

  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.

    View

  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View

  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View

  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View