Outings in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay is teeming with hiking and bike routes that provide stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, and the neighboring beaches are fantastic locations for picnics, stargazing, or kite flying (in fact, Bodega Bay has two kite shops: Second Wind and Candy & Kites).

Here are suggestions to find the Amazing Things to Do in Bodega Bay:

Watch the whales

The Bodega Head peninsula is one of the top whale-watching locations on the West Coast. It is about four miles long and a mile wide, and it protects Bodega Bay from storms in the Pacific Ocean.

Bodega Head projects into the water, bringing you a little bit closer to cetaceans that are passing by. Whale sightings are possible off the coast throughout the year, but the best opportunities are during the main migrations (October through February, when grey whales are southbound from Alaska to Mexico, and February through April, when they reverse course).

Volunteers from the Whale Watch Public Education Program are available at Bodega Head on weekends from January through Mother’s Day to answer queries and impart their expertise on whales and migration. A four-hour guided Bodega Bay Bike & Hike Tour is also available from Ace It Bike Tours if you’re feeling really daring. On this tour, you can explore Bodega Head both on foot and on two wheels while learning about the area’s fauna and history.

Read Whale Watching along the Sonoma Coast for more information, or browse our alternatives for fishing, boating, and whale watching in Sonoma County, including charter boats.

Step up to the saddle

Bodega Bay has two places where you may go horseback riding: Chandler Stables and Horse N Around Trail Rides.

A working western horse ranch called Chandler Stables provides guided equestrian trail excursions with stunning coastal views. Follow the kilometers of trails that lead to soaring mountain summits, lush meadows, coastal dunes, or the beach. Private transportation is offered.

Year-round business Horse N Around Trail Rides offers a selection of paths or the ability to ride on the beach. Choose between trail rides on the Hageman Ranch Trout Farm, an incredible family-owned ranch with gorgeous views of the rolling coastal hills, a 60-minute sand dunes ride that offers panoramic views of the Bodega Bay harbor and Sonoma Coastline, a 90-minute beach ride that includes the dunes and harbor views as well as riding along a long stretch of beach, and.