Schooner Gulch State Beach
*HEAT ALERT: With temperatures set to exceed 110 degrees throughout much of the state this week, California is urging everyone to take extra precautions as they celebrate the Fourth of July. Governor Newsom has directed the Office of Emergency Services to activate its State Operations Center. Read about how California is preparing for this heatwave. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for parts of California from 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, through Sunday, July 7, at 8 p.m. PDT. Please be sure to take extra precautions when heading outdoors and know before you go by checking the park’s webpage ahead of time. Visit our safety tips webpage and get the latest on the weather at weather.gov.
The Park is currently OPEN.
Park Facilities
Boating
No Drones Allowed in Park
- The noise and sight of drones can alter other people’s enjoyment of nature.
- A drone hovering nearby can feel intrusive and threatening.
- Drones can capture photographs and video without someone’s permission.
- Drones mimic the behavior of predatory birds and can frighten wildlife.
For these reasons State Park units in the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District do not allow launching, landing or the operation of drones on State Park property.
The beach and headlands preserve a scenic spot along the Mendocino Coast and offers a stunning perch for watching sunsets, or merely sitting in the grass as the afternoon sun glistens on the waters below. Fishing, picnicking, and surfing are popular activities here.
A small parking area with two trailheads is on the west side of the highway. The southern trail leads to Schooner Gulch Beach.
Location/Directions
The state beach is located three miles south of Point Arena, where Schooner Gulch Road intersects State Highway 1.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended.
Facilities - Activities
Historically, Schooner Gulch is within the territory of the coastal branch of the Central Pomo Indians which extends from the mouth of the Navarro River to the mouth of the Gualala River.
This area was frequented by Russians and native Alaskan hunters as early as 1812, and by Mexican land owners in the 1840's.
John Galloway was the first recorded occupant of the area. John was born in Scotland and occupied an area of Schooner Gulch between 1866 and 1868, which was largely used as a milling operation for timber. Logging continued at Schooner Gulch until the late 1800's, through various other milling operations.
Another interesting part of the history of Schooner Gulch is the Galloway School. The school land was donated by John and Margaret Galloway. Galloway School operated for 62 years, from 1874 to 1936 with never more than 40 students. In 1940 the school lot was sold, and land around the lot was farmed by the Nobles family until 1986 at which time the land was sold to the State of California.
Legend has it that Schooner Gulch got its name from a story in which a schooner was sited, one evening, stranded on the beach in the mouth of the gulch, yet in the morning showed no evidence of being there.
