Head to Sea Ranch, California for rugged coastal beauty and an unhurried vibe


Set at the very northern border of Sonoma County, Sea Ranch is a planned community with something extra that seems to make people poetic. “Sea Ranch remains, in my mind, the most beautiful place in California,” says A.J. Hart, Sea Ranch Lodge regular and owner of the vacation rental Sea Pony.
Hart has been coming to Sea Ranch for over ten years—still a relative newbie in a place where generations of families return decade after decade. He comes for the blissful quiet, the natural beauty, and the trails—nearly 50 miles of them weaving a network of paths around the property’s 3,600 acres.

Sea Ranch’s backstory, as Hart puts it, is a dramatic combination of “utopian idealism” and “capitalist hubris.” In the early 1960s, developers bought a sheep ranch (which explains the horns in The Sea Ranch Association logo) and, with the help of a group of architects, created an architecture school based on “living lightly on the land.”
Design guidelines favored buildings that reflected the landscape, meant to “incorporate the wild coastal setting,” according to Hart. For example, the nearly 2,000 homes here had stained (never painted) wooden exteriors, which helped them blend into the background so nature could take center stage.
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A getaway in Sea Ranch is a time to disconnect and reconnect. Hart’s perfect weekend combines exercise, nature, and a tall drink: “My three favorite things to do here are to run the trails, swim at Moonraker Recreation Center, and go for a drink at the bar at the Lodge.”
Ready to find your own Sea Ranch favorites? Here’s what to do, where to eat, and where to stay on your weekend to Sonoma’s far north coast.
—Christine Sarkis, SoCal’s Senior WeekEnder Guide
Editor’s Note: Stay up to date on weather alerts.
Things to do
Take in the twin beauties of Sea Ranch: nature and architecture.

For a moody beach stroll, Walk On Beach
Walk On Beach is really just a placeholder for any of the main beaches along Sea Ranch’s Coast: Black Point, Pebble, Shell, and Walk On (there’s also Stengel, but it’s closed until it gets new access stairs). All have parking lots along Highway 1, but if you’re renting a house at Sea Ranch, you can (and should) park on property much closer to the shore—or just walk to the beach from your rental. Walk On is my personal favorite because it’s scattered with sculptural driftwood. Hart prefers Pebble because it’s smaller and more protected than the others. He also likes Black Point because it’s “severe and impressive, so it's good for contemplative walks to remind yourself that you are a meaningless speck in the universe.” So really, there’s a beach for every mood.
For offbeat serenity, Sea Ranch Chapel
You don’t need to believe in the afterlife to appreciate this whimsical, non-denominational, and deeply-of-this-place chapel. Designed in the 1980s, architect James Hubbell worked with local craftspeople and artisans to create this building, which was modeled after a murex shell. Interiors are bathed in rich colors filtering through stained glass windows and furnished with hand carved redwood benches. It’s usually pretty quiet, so you can take your time admiring the details.

For rugged coastal views, Bluff Top Trail
In my humble opinion, Bluff Top Trail is the only non-negotiable activity on this list. Tracing three miles of coast and ending at Walk On Beach Trail, Bluff Top offers easy access to Sea Ranch’s beautiful beaches and a tour of its architectural gems (seriously, sometimes you’re close enough to admire the interior woodwork). Best of all, it embodies the rugged coastal beauty of Sea Ranch, with witchy cypress groves and stunning rock formations. Hart, an avid runner, says he sees “sunsets and sunrises, foxes and hawks, crashing waves and enormous redwoods” all on Sea Ranch’s beautiful trails.
For foraging in a redwood forest, Salt Point State Park
Imagine dense misty forests that spill down to the sea and you’ve got a pretty good picture of what you’ll find at Salt Point. While it isn’t technically in Sea Ranch, it’s cool enough and close enough to include. (If you’re coming up Highway 1 from the south you’ll drive right through it.). Salt Point is also the only state park where you can legally forage for mushrooms (including chanterelles), and the wet winter months are prime time for the hunt. Unless you’re a mushroom expert, though, opt for a tour with a pro who can spot the difference between what’s poisonous and what’s fine to eat.
For seaside golf, Sea Ranch Golf Course
The vibe at The Sea Ranch Links is Scottish-links-meets-wild-California-coast, and the effect is golf courses that are both challenging and gorgeous. There’s also a driving range and practice putting green for warming up or just working on your swing. Like all things Sea Ranch, the greens try to sit “lightly on the land,” following the natural terrain and giving the course a slightly wilder, more natural feel.
Where to eat and drink
Food with a view, from picnic supplies to coastal dining.

For sandwiches and snacks to go, Twofish
I love stopping at Twofish on my way into Sea Ranch for freshly made breakfast foods, sandwiches, calzones, and baked goods, plus picnic supplies like local cheeses, house-made breads, and North Coast wine. Friday is pizza day, so if you order by 3 (it closes at 4), you can grab a "light-bake," which is perfect for bringing to your rental house to heat to bubbly perfection come dinnertime. Twofish is in the barn-like old Stewarts Point Store, and there’s some seating indoors and out if you want to stop and enjoy an afternoon treat like a scone or a sticky bun along with a great cup of coffee.
For dining and drinking with a view, The Sea Ranch Lodge Restaurant
Since Hart can walk to the Lodge from his house, he spends a lot of time here and says that it’s become “a friendly gathering place for the community,” just as the founders intended. The fantastic food, great staff, and stunning coastal views make it “a must” in his book. Dishes lean heavily on local goods, like fish from the ocean right out the window and local mushrooms. If you want something a bit simpler, head to the Bar + Lounge at the Lodge. Hart says you can’t go wrong getting a burger and a martini from Kate.

For cozy, hearty, and local, Trinks
Don’t let the mini-mall entrance fool you: Trinks is a true gem. The bakery, cafe, and restaurant in Gualala is a favorite with both visitors and locals, serving up daily breakfast and lunch along with dinner on Wednesday and Friday nights. And when the weather is nice, there’s no better place to eat than the massive lawn out back that slopes toward the ocean. It also has a whole bunch of takeout options so you can enjoy a meal at your vacation house without having to actually cook.
For upmarket pizza to go, Upper Crust Pizzeria
Upper Crust, which is mostly a takeout joint, has plenty of fans. Pizza purists, you’re safe here, with all the usual classics on the menu. And pizza weirdos, you’re going to find some fun departures from the norm, too (blue cheese chicken, I’m looking at you). And for pizza visionaries, there’s a long list of ingredients so you can design your perfect pie. And in case you’re wondering what Sea Ranch would be in pizza form, the Sea Ranch Pizza is a delicious combo of Canadian bacon, chicken, red onion, and parsley.
For exceptional local seafood, Gualala Seafood Shack
People come from miles around for the fish tacos and the clam chowder at this no-frills local seafood shack. But right now, in the middle of crab season, the Dungeness Crab Melt is the star of the show (if it’s available, it’ll be posted on the Specials menu on the window). There’s some seating outside if you’re too hungry to wait for a better backdrop, but most people take their to-go orders to the beach and savor it on the sand.
Places to stay
Seaside properties with epic views.

For a reinvented icon, The Sea Ranch Lodge
When it reopened last summer after its multi-year facelift, The Sea Ranch Lodge embraced local history by blending minimalist luxury with the surrounding landscape. The lodge’s 17 guest rooms have natural wood walls, sleek desks with mid-century modern chairs, and window seats for enjoying the incredible views. Designed to be an unplugged escape, rooms don’t have TVs, but they do have journals, activity and hiking guides, Bang & Olufsen speakers, and binoculars for bird and whale watching (Plus Wi-Fi if you can’t stay offline for long). The location puts you close to the Bluff Trail and steps from the restaurant, bar, general store, and gathering areas of the Lodge.
For an affordable in-town stay, Gualala Country Inn
If a stay at the swankier Sea Ranch Lodge isn’t in the cards and you don’t want to rent a whole house, your next best option is to look north to the town of Gualala, about a 15-minute drive up Highway 1. This seaside town has grocery stores, some restaurants and cafes, and a few little roadside motels and hotels, including the Gualala Country Inn. Rooms are nothing fancy, but many have amazing ocean or river views.

For an ocean-view house, The Rookery
Tucked away and overlooking the ocean, this vacation rental has pretty, peaceful, and very Sea Ranch vibes with a rock fireplace, wood-beam ceilings, and wood-paneled walls. With two bedrooms and an office with a sleeper sofa, the property can sleep up to six. Spend sunny afternoons on the property’s acre of land with a private creek, two decks, and a meditation garden. At night, climb in the hot tub and stargaze far from the city lights.
For a romantic weekend or solo retreat, Standing Wave
The studio cottage Standing Wave is actually the guest house on a gated estate—one of The Sea Ranch’s largest oceanfront properties. Separated from the main house by a beautiful meadow (the perfect place to spot foxes and deer), the studio is ultra-modern with stone floors, wood ceilings, and a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Pacific. You’ll also find a kitchenette with a wet bar, microwave, and mini fridge, a bathroom with a double shower and bathtub, a wood-burning fireplace, and a private deck.
For Sea Ranch Style in the forest, Sea Pony
On the ocean side of Highway 1, Sea Ranch is all wild meadows and windswept bluffs. But across the two-lane highway, Sea Ranch turns into dense redwood forests and fern-covered gulleys. And that’s what surrounds Sea Pony, Hart’s vacation rental. With four bedrooms and two separate living areas, it’s pretty large by local standards. Built in 1967, the house rocks that classic Sea Ranch style of wood interiors with tons of natural light. It also has nice extras like a hot tub and a wood-burning stove (along with central heat). The ocean doesn’t feel far; from the deck, you can see the glitter of the Pacific through the trees and hear the sound of crashing waves. Bonus: It’s a half a block from a trailhead that will lead you deep into that gorgeous forest on your walk toward the water.