Bodega Head is the rocky headland that forms the entrance to Bodega Harbor in Sonoma County, about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco and roughly 20 miles west of Santa Rosa. It marks the southern end of Sonoma Coast State Park, which stretches 17 miles from Bodega Head to the Vista Trail about 4 miles north of Jenner.
Why people go
California State Parks says the high cliffs offer excellent vantage points for watching migrating gray whales. Hiking trails on the ocean side lead to small sandy coves and sweeping views, and the harbor side is a popular crabbing area along the jetty.
A piece of land that moved
The promontory sits just west of the San Andreas Fault, which runs between the base of the headland and the mainland. During the 1906 earthquake, Bodega Head shifted roughly 15 feet. Its rocks are exposed granite, while the mainland just to the east is made of Franciscan Complex rock of oceanic origin. Bodega Head is the northern tip of the Salinian Block, a slab of continental crust that has been carried north along the fault; Point Reyes and the Farallon Islands are part of the same block.
The power plant that never was
Pacific Gas & Electric tried to build a nuclear power plant on the peninsula, but the effort was abandoned in 1964 amid environmental concerns and worries about the site's earthquake risk.
Science and protected waters
UC Davis runs the Bodega Marine Laboratory on the grounds of the Bodega Marine Reserve. Offshore, Bodega Head State Marine Reserve and State Marine Conservation Area protect ocean wildlife. Campbell Cove, on the headland's east side, is one candidate for Sir Francis Drake's 1579 landing site.
Before you go
- Drones may not be launched, landed or flown on State Park property in the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District.
- The weather can change quickly; State Parks recommends layers and a charged phone.
- Summer fog usually burns off by midday.
Related: the Farallon Islands, another piece of the Salinian Block.