The longest state route in California, Highway 1 traces the rugged Sonoma Coast along the Pacific Ocean, passing through Bodega Bay, Jenner, Fort Ross and other charming towns. This iconic drive offers endless opportunities for scenic strolls, seaside meals, wine tasting and soaking up unforgettable views. Here are a few standout spots for your next road trip.
Estero Cafe: Approaching Bodega Bay from the south on Highway 1, make a pit stop in Valley Ford for coffee or a tasty breakfast burrito at Estero Cafe. For the road, grab a brown paper bag of homemade teriyaki beef jerky next door at Valley Ford Market — it’s a local favorite. 14450 Highway 1, Valley Ford, 707-876-3333.
Saint Teresa of Avila Church: Just north of Highway 1 in the town of Bodega, you’ll find this New England-style white wooden church, captured in Ansel Adams’s 1953 black-and-white photograph “Church and Road” and 10 years later in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “The Birds.” Built in 1862, it is the oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in Sonoma County. 17242 Bodega Highway, Bodega
Doran Beach: Coming out of a steep ravine as you enter Bodega Bay, turn left on Doran Beach Road and wind down to the 2-mile spit that stretches into Doran Beach at Doran Regional Park (parking fee $7). It’s a great place to picnic, explore the beach and watch surfers and fishing boats come and go through the harbor. 201 Doran Beach Road, Bodega Bay.
Sonoma Coast Vineyards: As you enter Bodega Bay, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, specializing in limited production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is on the left. On a sunny day, the back patio makes a perfect cheese-plate picnic perch for watching snowy egrets that roost in trees along the eastern edge of the bay. 555 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-921-2860.
Fishetarian Fish Market: Just north of Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Fishetarian serves excellent seafood — oysters, chowder, crab sandwiches, grilled fish tacos, fish and chips and more — all available for online pickup and best enjoyed at picnic tables overlooking the bay. Or bring your meal to the beach. Doran Beach is nearby, or drive further north to Salmon Creek or Goat Rock Beach. 599 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9092.
Patrick’s Salt Water Taffy: The pink and white stripes that adorn this building — and serve as the backdrop for many Instagram photos — are only half as fun as what’s inside. Grab a bag of salt water taffy for the road, whether it’s chocolate caramel mocha, peach or another of the countless flavors available. 915 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9816.
Ginochio’s Kitchen: Just north, at Ginochio’s Kitchen, order our dining editor’s favorite crab sandwich served on buttery griddled slices of white bread. The chowder is among the best on the coast, with soft scallops and clams dotted throughout. They also offer great wines, beer and cider that are hard to find elsewhere. 1410 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 707-377-4359.
Two Spots to Get Your Chowder and Crab Sando: A five-minute drive from Highway 1, you’ll find the best clam chowder on the coast at Spud Point Crab Company (1910 Westshore Road), owned by crabber Tony Anello and his wife Carol. Next door, Fisherman’s Cove (1850 Bay Flat Road) is another favorite. Try the crab sandwich on toasted ciabatta or the barbecue oysters.
Bodega Head: This stop along the Sonoma Coast has it all — exceptional views, plenty of space to stroll around and a beach. There’s a short trail, just under two miles long, that’s easy to follow and offers panoramic views. Or take the short path down to the beach area with sand and room to hang out — just be mindful of sneaker waves. Plus, parking is free!
Salmon Creek Beach: One of the best places to watch surfers around Bodega Bay is Salmon Creek State Beach, located along Highway 1 north of town. The parking lot at the end of Bean Avenue, on your right off Highway 1, often fills up on busy days. About a quarter mile up the road, you can park in another lot along the bluffs overlooking the ocean and take the stairs down to the beach and lagoon where tiny Salmon Creek trickles into the Pacific.
Cafe Aquatica: Perched on a rocky knoll just above the Russian River estuary, this casual beach shack is an insider’s secret. The café micro-roasts its own coffee, serving excellent pour-overs, and makes its own soups, breads and other baked goods each morning using organic ingredients. The food is ridiculously good, especially when you’re sitting outside watching paddleboarders float by. Live music on weekends. 10439 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-865-2251.
Jenner Headlands Preserve: Jenner Headlands Preserve is a 5,630-acre coastal hiking paradise with a mounted telescope for whale watching, a creek crossing, plenty of redwoods and Douglas firs and, for the truly gung-ho, the chance to bag a major peak with the 7.5-mile round-trip hike up 2,204-foot Pole Mountain. 12001 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-243-3064.
Timber Cove Resort: This Jenner property is the only Sonoma County hotel with an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. Featured on Amazon Prime’s “Epic Hotels,” the resort was built in 1963 as a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired A-frame. It received a complete face-lift a few years ago, giving it a modern hippy vibe with chic midcentury accents. The lobby and decks are great places to hang out, as is on-site restaurant Coast Kitchen, which serves seasonal dishes, seafood and more seven days a week. 21780 North Coast Highway 1, 707-847-3231.
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery: The outdoor deck at this coastal winery offers jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean, coastal redwoods and lush meadows. The tasting room is open by appointment and the Pinot Noir is not to be missed. Wine tastings include four estate-grown wines accompanied by a sit-down meal of locally sourced charcuterie and artisanal cheeses; a vegetarian option is available. 15725 Meyers Grade Road, Jenner, 707-847-3460.
Fort Ross State Historic Park: Fort Ross State Historic Park has attracted visitors for over a century with its unique and multifaceted history. Once the territory of the Kashaya Pomo tribe, Fort Ross became the southernmost Russian settlement and fur trading post in North America from 1812 to 1842. When the Russians moved on, the fort became a commercial agricultural and logging hub. In addition to viewing reconstructed historic buildings, you can see where the San Andreas Fault comes ashore and several clearly visible markers of the 1906 earthquake. 19005 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-847-3286.
Twofish Baking Company: Approaching Sea Ranch from the south on Highway 1, you’ll find the Stewarts Point Store on the left, just a few miles before you reach Sea Ranch. Twofish Baking Company, inside the store, is famous for its sticky buns, but you have to get there early — they often sell out by 10 a.m. The pizza is great, too. If you’re looking for vacation reading material, there’s a rack of vintage pulp fiction by the door. And don’t miss the Bigfoot photo-op at a neighboring ranch by the parking lot. 32000 Highway 1, Stewarts Point, 707-785-2011
Sea Ranch: More than half a century after the first structures went up in this coastal enclave, Sea Ranch stewards remain committed to maintaining its original design ethos of “living lightly on the land,” as defined by its celebrated designer, landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. Walking the bluffs and admiring the sleekly designed houses is one of the most beloved pastimes here. Public access to beaches may be taken for granted today, but it was once the focus of fierce legal wrangling in the 1970s, when Sea Ranch became the center of a hard-fought environmental battle that led to the formation of the California Coastal Commission.
The Sea Ranch Chapel: Turn right into an unmarked parking lot across from the turn for Bosun’s Reach Street to check out one of the most photographed spectacles in the region: the Sea Ranch Chapel — part hobbit house, part meditation sanctuary. Built from local materials, the nondenominational chapel was designed by architect James Hubbell in 1985. The door is open from sunrise to sunset every day, and visitors can step inside for a quiet retreat, bathed in stained-glass wonder. 40033 Highway 1, Sea Ranch
Gualala Point Regional Park: The northernmost Sonoma County Regional Park along Highway 1 before crossing into Mendocino County offers sweeping coastal trails and an ideal setting for beachcombing or spotting river otters near the mouth of the Gualala River. It also provides a scenic northern entry point into Sea Ranch via the 3-mile Bluff Top Trail, which leads to Walk On Beach. 42401 Highway 1.
Watch whales along the coast: Highway 1 boasts several excellent whale-watching spots, with peak viewing season running from December through May. Around 20,000 gray whales migrate along the California coast each year, heading south in winter to breeding lagoons off Baja California, then returning north in spring to the Bering Sea. For a chance to see them, stop at Bodega Head, Sea Ranch or Gualala Point Regional Park. Set up a lawn chair, grab your binoculars and enjoy the show.
Watch waterfalls along the coast: The Sonoma Coast is characterized by steep bluffs fronting beaches or coves. Small ravines that traverse the coastal forest and grasslands transport water seasonally. The water spills directly over the cliffs creating lovely beach waterfalls. Two of the best ones are Phillips Gulch at Salt Point State Park and Stengel Beach at The Sea Ranch.
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