Salt Point State Park

Salt Point lies on the west side of the San Andreas fault, so the rocks present have been transported hundreds of miles north from their original location.

Seismic and tectonic geomorphology along tectonic plate boundary
exotic terrane
tafoni

More coming soon.

Features/Process:

Hikes

Coming soon.

Camping

Salt Point has five camping areas

three for individual reservations (two vehicles, eight people max)
one group campsite (40 people, ten cars)
one hiker-biker site (no reservations required)
one overflow lot (self-contained vehicles only, no tents)

Reservations are handled through ReserveCalifornia.com

Nearby sites

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Videos

Salt Point Geology & Culture

By Bay Nature Institute, featuring Geologist Tom Williams and retired Salt Point State Park ranger Bill Walton lead a Bay Nature Magazine walk through geology and culture at this stunning North Coast locale. (posted Dec 2010)

Hiking & more videos

A walk through Salt Point

By Natalie Nicosia: Enjoy the beauty of the rocky Northern California coast at Salt Point State Park. Explore breathtaking ocean views, exceptional bird watching, and geological features that will make you feel like you’re on Mars. One of the most unusual and beautiful features of the sandstone along these sea cliffs is the honeycomb-like network called tafoni. This video features Salt Point Trail in Salt Point State Park.

Sonoma County – Salt Point Hike

By ‘Hiking the Golden State:’ Enjoy stunning ocean vistas from a coastal terrace. Erosion has created intriguing rock formations. Seals lounge off-shore & seabirds search the rocks for their next meal. Mountainous North Pacific waves crash against the bluffs. Savor a sand beach cove. It’s an unforgettable stretch of the California shoreline.

Bouldering Tafoni Traverse in Salt Point State Park

By ‘Climbing Whispers:’ We bouldered in Salt Point State Park a few weekends ago — my guidebook describes this place as “otherworldly” — and it was accurate! Hundreds of rocks with spectacular rock formation looked like wavy sand, tide pools with sea urchins… This place is totally a hidden gem! Walking along the coastline among the rocks, it constantly reminded me of Iceland — who would think this is only 3-hour drive away from the Bay Area? We climbed two classic lines and a few warm-up routes. Check them out!

Sonoma Coast Mushroom Diversity Survey: Salt Point Summary

By “Fascinated by Fungi:’ Here’s a video I made explaining all of my finds after a fun day trip to Salt Point. The Kings are starting to slow down, but the Queen Boletes and Coccora were in full swing! Hopefully the video is self explanatory, I would write more but I wanna get out into the woods and find more mushies!

Remember, however, that mushroom harvesting in state parks is illegal. Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Salt Point State Park Campgrounds – California

By ‘Campsite photos:’ Salt Point State Park is located on a beautiful coastal promontory about 90 miles north of San Francisco and has two campgrounds. Gerstle Cove Campground is situated atop the coastal bluffs on the ocean side of Highway One and has 30 family campsites. Woodside Campground has 79 campsites is located on the east side of Highway One.

He has nice photos of every campsite in the park!