Cooks Beach and the Bonham Trail in Gualala offer two pretty different experiences depending on what you’re in the mood for. If your dog is up for a longer hike, the Bonham Trail takes you through a Bishop pine forest that eventually descends to a spacious sandy beach—it’s a solid workout with real payoff at the end. The blufftop route is easier if you want something shorter, giving you straight-ahead views of the Pacific without all the elevation change.

Both trails are leashed-dog friendly, which is good because Mendocino County’s coastal trails can be strict about that. The sand beach at the end of the Bonham Trail is the kind of place where dogs genuinely seem happy—open, not crowded, and with room to move around without bumping into other hikers. The Bishop pine forest itself is cool to walk through, with that specific damp coolness you get in coastal woodlands.

Parking is actually the main constraint here. The trailhead lot fills up, especially on weekends, so you’ll want to arrive early if you’re coming during summer or on a nice day. There’s not much of a backup option if it’s full, so timing matters. Once you’re on the trails though, it doesn’t feel crowded. You might see a handful of other people, but it’s nothing like the popular parks closer to the Bay Area.

The Mendocino Land Trust manages the property and keeps the trails maintained. If you’re curious about current conditions or want more details about the route before you go, their website has decent trail maps. The whole setup here feels less polished than state parks but also less trafficked, which some people prefer. Bring water—there’s none available at the trailhead, and both routes are exposed enough that you’ll want extra on a warm day.