Let me preface this by saying, I am a huge fan of Northern California beaches and this is not a warning to avoid them. But if you’re imagining bikini weather and sunbathing, you’ll need to head south to find that California ideal. Because we do things a little differently on Northern California beaches. So pack your jacket and dive into the details with me.
Northern California beaches vs Southern California beaches
At the root of this misunderstanding about what a California beach is is Point Conception, a headland near Santa Barbara where the coastline switches from running in a north-south direction to more of an east-west direction. It’s here that the cold and nutrient-rich waters from the north meet currents bringing warmer water from the south. (I’m not a scientist, but as far as I can tell the whole thing is called the California Current and the water coming up from the south is a result of the Southern California Countercurrent, which is what happens when the part of the current that makes it to Mexico does a U-turn and comes back up the coast.)
So even though the California Coast seems like–and is–a single body of water, the water north of Point Conception is colder and the water south is warmer. For sea life, this is fantastic–the California coast has staggering biodiversity because the cold waters are nutrient rich. But for beachgoers, it means the beaches of Northern and Central California north of Santa Barbara are chillier than what you’ll find at Southern California beaches.
While Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Coast north of Santa Barbara all fall into this colder water category, that’s only part of the equation when it comes to the particularly chilly charm of Northern California Beaches. Air temperatures get warmer as you go farther south, so February highs in Sea Ranch (along the Sonoma coast) are 59 degrees (Farenheit), highs in Santa Cruz are 63, and the average high in Santa Barbara is 66. The same trend continues in June, when Sea Ranch clocks in with average highs of 66, Santa Cruz of 74, and Santa Barbara of 76.
How to make the most of a Northern California beach day
Now that I’ve gone maybe way to deep into the why, let’s get to the advice about making the most of a Bay Area or Northern California Beach Day.
Gear up
First, you’re going to need layers. Lots of layers. Puffer jackets, maybe a windbreaker, a hat for cold and a baseball hat (sun hats are a little tricky because the beaches are often windy). There may be fog, but it’s going to be moody and beautiful, so that’s not really a drawback. And occasionally, there’s a brilliantly warm and sunny day, so you’ll want to have some layers in the mix in case you get the chance to soak up the sun.
Even though it doesn’t seem like you’re going to get a sunburn, it’s still a real possibility. The worst forehead sunburn I’ve ever had was at San Francisco’s Presidio on a cold day.
If you bring a picnic blanket, make sure it has those little corner pockets you can weight with sand or rocks so it doesn’t catch the wind and sail away.
Figure out what’s special
Once you give up on the idea of lying out in the sun and swimming at the beach, you have plenty of time to enjoy what makes these beaches really special. A lot of beaches around here have amazing tide pools, but you’ll need to time your visit for the low tide in order to go on an explore. It also helps to do a little advance research so you can identify the various crabs, fish, stars, urchins, anemones you see (though honestly, there’s usually someone wandering by who knows what’s what so you could also just ask).
Many Northern California beaches are also rich in cool stuff like driftwood and sea glass. Beaches with a lot of driftwood are great if you’re the sort of person who likes to have a beach construction project (I am one of those people). Rarer but still around are beaches where you can find a lot of sea glass. Fort Bragg and Santa Cruz are two towns with sea glass beaches. Note that at both, people are discouraged from taking the glass off the beach.
More beach activities
Though the water is chilly, there are still plenty of people out enjoying it. All along the coast you’ll find surfers, and some of the world’s best big wave surfing is along the San Mateo coast south of San Francisco. There are also a lot of places along the coast known for great sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, SCUBA diving, and boogie boarding.
Some people swim, though you really have to be careful and take seriously any signs warning of undertow or rough surf. On safer beaches, there are usually lots of kids out playing in the waves at the shoreline.
Beach walks do double duty since they’re a nice way to enjoy the beach and stay warm. One of the things I love most about Northern California beaches is that there’s usually a pretty good chance of seeing marine mammals. Sea lions and seals are most common, but if you time your visit for winter or early to mid-spring and scan the ocean, you might see a whale as well. The Mendocino and Sonoma coasts are particularly good for whale watching from shore, as is Point Reyes National Seashore, since it’s a cape so it extends out into the Pacific. In the winter, there’s also elephant-seal watching at places like Año Nuevo and more recently Point Reyes. You’ll want to give all sea life, but especially elephant seals, a very wide berth since they are giant, can be aggressive, and more a lot faster than you’d expect.
