SUP CALI Locale : Bodega Bay

One of our favorite travel locations happens to be one of our favorite paddle board destinations, as well. Bodega Bay is about 110 miles east of Sacramento, and about 67 miles north of San Francisco along Northern California’s gorgeous coast line. From Sacramento, it generally takes us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there when hauling our boards and travel trailer.

One of the best parts of Bodega Bay is that it is a combination paddle sports destination. If camping on or visiting Doran beach, there is a bay side and an ocean side, providing two different types of paddling experiences. The bay is a mostly quiet - although not always wake-free - paddling spot, with terrific scenery, birds and seals. Don't forget to check the times for high and low tide!

For flat water paddling, the best entry point for the bay is from the boat ramp and dock located just across Doran Beach Road from the Miwok Campground. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you could paddle across the bay to get your fish and chips fix. We stop into The Fishetarian Fish Market nearly every time we go.

Another good entry point and campground is the Westside Regional Park and Campground. It’s located on the far side of the bay off of Westshore Road. Nearby Spud Point has a great and famous crab sandwich shop The Spud Point Crab Company. Legit crab rolls!

If SUP surfing is more your thing, that is also available from the Doran Campground on the other side of the jetty from the boat ramp. The waves are (usually) not extreme.

Pro Tip: The US Coast Guard has a rather large training group at Bodega Bay, and they train regularly in the ocean side in the cove. It’s a big cove, and you are unlikely to run into them or their operations, but it’s always good to check what’s going on before you head out in that direction.

If you do go out to Bodega Bay, send us a note to let us know how you liked it. We love hearing from others who enjoy their time there.