Things to Do in Gualala, California
In short
Gualala is the working town on the Mendocino side of the county line, where the Gualala River meets the Pacific, about three hours north of San Francisco. Walk the trails at Gualala Point, paddle the estuary, and stock the kitchen at the two groceries this whole stretch of coast depends on. The Sea Ranch starts just south of the river bridge.
Written by the Casago team in Gualala — our office is on Highway 1 in town.
Last updated August 17, 2026 · Last checked on the ground August 17, 2026
Know before you go
- Mendocino, on the Sonoma line
- Gualala sits in Mendocino County. The Gualala River is the county line, and Gualala Point Regional Park on the south bank is in Sonoma. The split matters mostly when you search, because weather pages, park sites, and county alerts file the same view under two different counties.
- This is the grocery town
- Gualala Supermarket and Surf Market, both on Highway 1 in town, are the last full shops for Sea Ranch and this stretch of coast. Buy food here. There is no 10 PM grocery run, and kitchens along Highway 1 stop serving around 8 PM.
- Fog, layers, and a quiet night
- The coast stays in the 50s and 60s year-round. Morning fog burns off by midday most summer days. Homes sit close together, and sound carries after 9 PM, so keep gatherings neighborly.
- Cell service
- Cell service drops in and out along Highway 1. Download offline maps before you leave town, and turn on wifi calling once you're on the house network.
- Water is shared
- Gualala runs on a local water supply. Take shorter showers and skip the extra loads of laundry. It is a small courtesy that matters in a dry month.
- Say it wah-LA-la
- Guests ask how to say it every week. Wah-LA-la. That is the whole lesson.
Things to Do in Gualala, California
Gualala Point Regional Park
Start at the park everyone actually uses. Gualala Point Regional Park sits at 42401 Highway 1, on the Sonoma side of the river, with an estuary beach, 2.9 miles of trails, and a visitor center most weekends. Day parking is $8, and dogs are welcome on leash. The paved path from the lot to the beach is the easy walk, and the bench at Whale Watch Point earns its name from December through May. The unpaved Bluff Top Trail runs about 3 miles one way south to Walk-On Beach.
Just south of the Gualala River bridge, 5 minutes from most homes in town.
Official siteGualala Bluff Trail
The in-town walk is a half-mile path behind Surf Market and the Highway 1 inns, looking down on the estuary and the sandbar. Redwood Coast Land Conservancy built it and still cares for it. There is no trailhead parking and no way down to the river from the edge. If you want the sand, drive to Gualala Point and walk in from there.
Access from the Surf Motel driveway, or between the Breakers Inn and the Sandbar, a few minutes on foot from downtown.
Official sitePaddle the Gualala River
The Gualala River is the calm paddle on this coast. Rent a kayak at the Mill Bend launch and stay on the estuary, with picnic beaches along the bank and the park beach a short way downstream. Call ahead outside midsummer. Life jackets on the kids, and stay off the Pacific side of the sandbar.
Mill Bend Road, just south of downtown before the Highway 1 bridge.
Official siteGualala Arts Center
Gualala Arts has been the town's public living room for art since 1961. The center at 46501 Old State Highway holds exhibits, concerts, workshops, and the annual Art in the Redwoods festival. Check the calendar before you come. An unhurried hour in the galleries is the most Gualala thing you can do on a foggy morning.
46501 Old State Highway, a few minutes inland from Highway 1.
Official sitePoint Arena Lighthouse
The lighthouse stands about 25 minutes north of town, open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. A site visit is $5 for ages 12 and up and covers the 23-acre grounds, the Fog Signal Building museum, and the store. Tower tours are another $5, and the grounds around the light are another favorite whale lookout in season.
About 25 minutes north on Highway 1 from downtown Gualala.
Official siteBowling Ball Beach at Schooner Gulch
Bowling Ball Beach is the north end of Schooner Gulch State Beach, about 20 minutes north of Gualala and 3 miles south of Point Arena. The round sandstone concretions show at low tide, and a negative tide is the day worth the drive. Check a tide chart before you leave town. The north trail down the slope washes out, so use the signed paths and stay off crumbling edges.
Highway 1 at Schooner Gulch Road, about 20 minutes north of Gualala.
Official siteSea Ranch Chapel, 15 minutes south
If you want a short, quiet stop after groceries, the Sea Ranch Chapel sits just off Highway 1 about 15 minutes south. It's open daily from 8 AM to sunset, and it's free. Sit for twenty minutes and then come back to town.
About 15 minutes south on Highway 1, in The Sea Ranch.
Official siteEat & drink
Trinks Cafe
Trinks at 39140 Highway 1 is the breakfast and lunch room with the water view out back. Coffee, breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and the cherry pie people drive for. It's a daytime place and closes mid-afternoon, so don't save it for dinner.
39140 Highway 1 in downtown Gualala.
Official siteUpper Crust Pizzeria
Upper Crust bakes the town's pizza. Eat in or carry a pie back to the house, and check hours before you walk over, because midweek closings are common on this coast.
On Highway 1 in downtown Gualala.
Official siteSt. Orres Restaurant
St. Orres at 36601 South Highway 1 is the dinner you book by phone. The dining room serves Thursday through Sunday and closes Monday through Wednesday. Call 707-884-3335. Voice mail and third-party apps don't hold a table.
36601 South Highway 1, a few minutes south of downtown.
Official siteGroceries & essentials
Gualala Supermarket and Surf Market
These two shops on Highway 1 are why people stop in Gualala. The supermarket is the weekly shop. Surf Market is the specialty and local stop. Buy here on the way in. The rule holds for a stay in town and for the drive south into The Sea Ranch.
Both on Highway 1 in downtown Gualala.
Official siteRedwood Coast Medical Services
Redwood Coast Medical Services is at 46900 Ocean Drive, in town. Call ahead for a non-emergency visit. For emergencies call 911. Coast Life Support runs the ambulance on this coast. Put both numbers in your phone while you still have bars.
46900 Ocean Drive in Gualala.
Official siteThe ocean is in charge
The surf at the river mouth is not a swimming beach. Sneaker waves climb higher than the set you are watching, so never turn your back on the water, even on a flat-looking day at Gualala Point.
Stay on the marked paths. Bluff edges crumble, and the Gualala Bluff Trail does not drop you to the sand. Tidepool and walk the bowling-ball rocks only at low tide, and head back up before the tide comes for the route you used.
The river estuary is the calmer paddle. Keep life jackets on, and treat the sandbar as a wall between the river and the surf.
What a Saturday morning here actually looks like
We start at Surf Market for coffee and whatever we forgot, then walk the bluff trail behind the inns while the fog is still sitting on the water. The river is a quiet sheet against the sandbar. By late morning the gray lifts and we drive two minutes south to Gualala Point, pay the $8, and take the paved path to the beach.
If the tide is right we keep going north to Schooner Gulch. If it isn't, we paddle the estuary from Mill Bend and eat at Trinks before it closes. The supermarket run happens on the way home, because this town is the last aisle for miles.
From our team
- Adorable, clever, and completely shameless — a raccoon will go through a window screen for your dinner. Keep food inside and close up at night.
- Buy the week's food at Gualala Supermarket or Surf Market before you drive south. The next full aisle isn't around the corner.
- Wah-LA-la — say it once at the office and you'll say it right all weekend.
- Bowling Ball Beach is a tide errand, not a sunset whim. Check the chart, then go.
- St. Orres takes the phone, not an app. Call Thursday through Sunday if dinner is the point of the night.
Gualala questions
What is there to do in Gualala?
Walk the trails at Gualala Point Regional Park, take the half-mile Gualala Bluff Trail above the estuary, and paddle the Gualala River from Mill Bend. The Gualala Arts Center holds exhibits and the Art in the Redwoods festival. Point Arena Lighthouse is about 25 minutes north, and Bowling Ball Beach at Schooner Gulch is a low-tide drive. Shop the two groceries in town. The Sea Ranch Chapel is 15 minutes south.
How far is Gualala from San Francisco?
Gualala is about three hours north of San Francisco by Highway 101 and the coastal stretch of Highway 1. The last hour along the coast is the slow, scenic part, so leave room for it. The town sits in Mendocino County on the Sonoma line, 15 minutes north of most Sea Ranch homes and about 1.5 hours from Santa Rosa if you stay inland until the last stretch.
What county is Gualala in, and how do you pronounce it?
Gualala is in Mendocino County. The Gualala River is the county line, and Gualala Point Regional Park on the south bank is in Sonoma County. Say it wah-LA-la. Guests mix the county up because the town and The Sea Ranch share one stretch of Highway 1 and one grocery run.
How is Gualala different from The Sea Ranch?
Gualala is a working town with restaurants, two groceries, a bookstore, and our office on Highway 1. The Sea Ranch is a planned residential community just south of the river, with a private trail network guests of the homes there can use. They sit next to each other, so many guests stay in one and spend the day in both. Stay in Gualala if you want to walk to dinner.
Are there grocery stores in Gualala?
Yes. Gualala Supermarket and Surf Market, both on Highway 1 in town, are the full shops this coast uses. The supermarket is the weekly shop. Surf Market is the specialty and local stop. Stock up here if you're staying in Gualala or continuing into The Sea Ranch. This isn't a 10 PM grocery town.
Can you swim at Gualala?
Not in the Pacific. The water is cold, with sneaker waves at Gualala Point and along Schooner Gulch. The Gualala River estuary is the calmer water in summer if you rent a kayak and stay inside the sandbar. Life jackets on the kids, and enjoy the ocean beaches from dry sand.
