Shell Beach (Sea Ranch)
About
Shell Beach (Sea Ranch) is a public ocean beach in California, about 0.8 miles from the community of Sea Ranch. It's a simple stop with restrooms on site, no fee to visit, and dogs allowed, so it works well for a quick beach day with a pet along. The weather stays mild year-round. Typical averages from the nearby Ft Ross weather station show highs in the upper 50s to low 60s from December through March, and highs around 65 to 67°F from July through September, with lows in the upper 40s. Several short trails start close by. Wild Moor Meadow Trail is about 0.1 mile away, and Lupine Close Trail and Chapel Trail are each about 0.3 mile off. For paddling, Buckeye Creek is roughly 5.7 miles away.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Dogs
Allowed
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Shell Beach (Sea Ranch)
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–67°F and lows of 43–50°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Ft Ross, CA weather station, 19 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan57° high42° low
- Feb59° high42° low
- Mar59° high42° low
- Apr60° high43° low
- May62° high45° low
- Jun66° high46° low
- Jul65° high48° low
- Aug67° high50° low
- Sep67° high48° low
- Oct66° high47° low
- Nov61° high44° low
- Dec57° high42° low
Nearby
Wild Moor Meadow TrailHikingPhoto: Peter Alfred Hess, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi
Lupine Close TrailHikingPhoto: Peter Alfred Hess, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.3 mi- Chapel TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Big Tree TrailHikingPhoto: Peter Alfred Hess, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.5 mi
- Breaker Meadow TrailHiking0.9 mi
- Bluff TrailHiking0.9 mi
- Buckeye CreekCanoeing5.7 mi
- North Fork Gualala RiverCanoeing5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
