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Park · Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County

Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park) picnic guide

Picnics welcomeWine allowed$10/vehicle

Can you picnic at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

Yes — Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $10 per vehicle day-use fee. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

Checked September 2026 from parks.ca.govStated on the venue's own website

Sandy trail between grass-covered dunes leading to the ocean at Bodega Dunes, Sonoma Coast State Park
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking
Picnics welcome
Bring your own food
Allowed
Alcohol
Allowed
Purchase required
No
Reservation
Not required
Fee
$10 per vehicle day-use fee
Groups
Groups of about 20–50 setting up a party in a day-use area need a special-event permit.
Dogs
No dogs on the beach or dunes; leashed dogs allowed in the campground
Hours
8am to sunset
House rules
Alcohol: Allowed under California State Parks rules unless a ban is posted (14 CCR §4326); check signs. No dogs, fires or camping on the beach or dunes (snowy plover habitat); leashed dogs only in the campground. The dune boardwalk to the beach is permanently closed. Not a swimming beach.

What the picnic area is like

The day-use lot inside the Bodega Dunes campground has accessible picnic sites and flush restrooms among the dunes behind a long, classic sandy beach just north of Bodega Bay.

  • Picnic tables
  • Restrooms
  • Parking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Hiking trails

Good for: Families · Views

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About Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)

An accessible picnic stop in the Bodega Dunes section of Sonoma Coast State Park, with flush restrooms and trails through the dunes behind a long sandy beach. Dogs must stay off the beach.

  • Accessible picnic sites and flush restrooms
  • Dune trails behind a long sandy beach
  • $10 per car; open 8am to sunset
  • No dogs on the beach (snowy plover habitat)

More dog-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore family-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore best views spots in Sonoma CountyMore parks that allow wine spots in Sonoma County

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Rocky cliffs, sea stacks and surf along the coastline seen from Bodega Head in Sonoma Coast State Park
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Bodega Head (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Sonoma Coast

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

The rocky headland at the mouth of Bodega Harbor is the Sonoma Coast's classic whale-watching lookout, and it's free. Pack a windproof layer, claim a table at the west lot, then walk the 1.9-mile Bodega Head loop for views over Bodega Bay and the open ocean.

Bodega Head (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
yes
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Outside
Fee
Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Wild Flour Bread · 9.5 mi

Details: Bodega Head (Sonoma Coast State Park)
Surfers carrying boards along the wide sandy curve of Doran Beach below coastal hills at Doran Regional Park
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Doran Regional Park

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Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

Sonoma County's first regional park is a long, sheltered strand of sand on Bodega Bay. It's the easiest Sonoma Coast beach for a relaxed family picnic, with tables, restrooms, a dune boardwalk and a reservable group site, and it's minutes from Bodega Bay's restaurants and shops if you need supplies.

Doran Regional Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
yes
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
$8/vehicle

Nearest picnic food: Wild Flour Bread · 7.8 mi

Details: Doran Regional Park
Redwood Russian Orthodox chapel, stockade wall and cannons on the lawn at Fort Ross State Historic Park
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Fort Ross State Historic Park

Sonoma Coast

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

The reconstructed 1812 Russian-American Company outpost on the Kashia Pomo homeland of Metini sits on a marine terrace 12 winding miles north of Jenner. It's one of the few Sonoma Coast stops that pairs a picnic with real history, and you can eat at tables right inside the stockade. Bring everything with you, since the park sells no food.

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
yes
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Outside
Fee
$10/vehicle

Nearest picnic food: Dry Creek General Store · 20 mi

Details: Fort Ross State Historic Park

All picnic spots in Sonoma Coast →

Frequently asked questions

Can you picnic at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

Yes — Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $10 per vehicle day-use fee. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

Can you bring your own food to Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

Yes. Outside food is allowed at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park).

Can you drink wine at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

Yes, alcohol is allowed at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park). Alcohol: Allowed under California State Parks rules unless a ban is posted (14 CCR §4326); check signs. No dogs, fires or camping on the beach or dunes (snowy plover habitat); leashed dogs only in the campground. The dune boardwalk to the beach is permanently closed. Not a swimming beach.

Do you need a reservation to picnic at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. Groups of about 20–50 setting up a party in a day-use area need a special-event permit.

Is there a fee to picnic at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

$10 per vehicle day-use fee.

Are dogs allowed at Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park)?

No dogs on the beach or dunes; leashed dogs allowed in the campground.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Park page and June 2026 infosheet map). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Bodega Dunes Day Use (Sonoma Coast State Park) before you go. How we verify.

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