Schooner Gulch State Beach, State beach in Mendocino County, California, United States

Schooner Gulch State Beach is a California state beach with rocky cliffs, sandy coves, and a creek running into the ocean. Two separate walking trails from the highway parking area lead to different parts of the shoreline.

The park takes its name from the long-abandoned settlement of Schooner Gulch, which stood in the area; no trace of it remains within the park today. The site became a California state beach in Mendocino County, roughly 50 miles northwest of Santa Rosa. Its offshore waters are now part of a wider network of marine protected areas, with the Point Arena reserve beginning three miles north.

The park's name comes from the schooner ships that once worked this stretch of coast; the long-abandoned settlement of Schooner Gulch stood in the area, and no trace of it remains within the park. Offshore, the Point Arena State Marine Reserve and Conservation Area, three miles north, protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Two trails leave the highway parking area: one descends to Schooner Gulch Beach, the other reaches Bowling Ball Beach to the north. The spherical sandstone concretions at Bowling Ball Beach are exposed only at low tide, so time your visit to the tide tables. The beach lies about 50 miles northwest of Santa Rosa.

At low tide the northern section reveals perfectly round sandstone balls arranged in grid-like patterns along the shoreline. These unusual formations look almost man-made but are entirely shaped by natural forces.