Camping on Sonoma County’s North Coast: An insider's guide to Stillwater Cove and Gualala Point

By Regional Parks staff

Seeking a camping experience off the beaten path? Stillwater Cove and Gualala Point regional parks each feature tucked-away campgrounds on Sonoma County's North Coast. Discover rugged beaches, hike scenic trails, explore unique ecosystems and uncover why these parks are favorites for campers in the know.

Stillwater Cove Regional Park

Stillwater Cove is located on Highway 1, between Fort Ross and Salt Point state parks. Its wooded campground is on the east side of the highway and offers 23 year-round sites for tent, trailer and RV camping and two first-come, first-served sites for cyclists and hikers.

Early morning kayaker prepares to launch off of Stillwater Cove Regional Park's beach

Stillwater is a destination not only for campers but also fishers, divers and ocean kayakers, who can launch from the cove beach on the west side of the highway. However, Stillwater is a lesser-visited spot for tourists and day-trippers. That means your camping experience should be chill, and you might have the park’s 3 miles of trails all to yourself.

Wooded trail among ferns at Stillwater Cove Regional Park

Just north of the beach is the 1.4-mile Stillwater Bluff Trail, where you can wander headlands that jut into the ocean and maybe spot raptors or even whales while marveling at the views. Inland, the Canyon Trail is a 1.6-mile loop under towering redwoods and Douglas firs. The trail follows fern-lined Stockhoff Creek, which is home to young steelhead trout and salmon. The rare “fringed corn lily,” found only on the Sonoma-Mendocino coasts, grows along this trail, showing off blooms of delicate, six-petaled white flowers in summer and fall.

Take a short trail spur to see a one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1885 at Fort Ross and moved here for preservation in the 1970s. The building isn’t open to visitors, but you can peek in the windows to imagine what a classroom looked like 100 years ago.

Gualala Point Regional Park

Gualala Point Regional Park is Sonoma County’s northernmost coastal park, bordering the Gualala River and Mendocino County. It’s about 20 miles north of Stillwater Cove and next to the iconic Sea Ranch community.

Like Stillwater, Gualala Point is bisected by Highway 1. On the west side is an expansive ocean beach and the river estuary, where harbor seals and sea lions often bask and paddleboarders and kayakers explore when waters are calm.

Kayakers paddle on the Gualala River at Gualala Point Regional Park

The campground is east of the highway, along the Gualala River, and has 19 year-round sites for tents, trailers and RVs. Some sites have river views, some are set among redwoods and others are shaded by large bay laurels. Tent campers also can try one of six walk-in sites that are nestled in a dense grove of laurels and are an easy distance from the parking area. Gualala has one campsite set aside for hikers/bikers.

Blue tent in wooded campsite at Gualala Point Regional Park

A 1-mile trail lined with coastal shrubs and ferns links the campground to the ocean side of the park and a visitor center with displays on natural history. From there, campers can stroll the long beach or the grassy headlands. Along the cliffs, you’ll be awed by the terraces of layered shale and honeycombed sandstone that stretch into the sea. In spring and fall, it’s not unusual to spot migrating whales from the bluff, and hikers can follow the 3-mile Bluff Top Trail to the network of coastal access trails in The Sea Ranch.

Wildflowers and view from beach bluff and pacific ocean below

Reserve a campsite

Yes, campsites are in demand, especially in the summer and on warm-weather weekends, but they’re not out of reach. Read our tips for reserving a campsite at Stillwater, Gualala or our other campgrounds.
Learn more about campground rates, amenities and make reservations.
Remember, Regional Parks members get one free night of camping each year, so be sure to buy or renew your membership to take advantage of that benefit.
After you get your reservation, please don’t be a no-show. If you can’t make the dates you’ve booked, be courteous and cancel in advance so others have a chance to reserve.

View this video in Spanish

Know before you go

Coastal weather can vary by the day... and the hour, so check the forecasts and bring plenty of clothing layers and sun protection. The warmest and sunniest seasons on the Sonoma Coast tend to be late summer and fall.
Black bears have been seen in and around Stillwater Cove and Gualala Point. You can help us protect them by practicing Leave No Trace principles and learning how to be bear aware at your campsite and on the trails.

Published September 2024