Things to Do in Bodega Bay with Kids: Attractions and Activities

Bodega Bay is a picturesque fishing village located on Northern California coast just 2 hours away from San Francisco. For a small town, Bodega Bay packs a big punch in terms of attractions and activities for families. It is a perfect destination for a weekend getaway. This itinerary lists things to do in Bodega Bay with kids in order of their appearance on your drive from San Francisco.

The yummiest things to do in Bodega Bay

There are several routes you can drive from San Francisco to Bodega Bay. This itinerary goes along Roblar and Valley Ford Roads once you exit HW 101. The first two attractions will be right on the Valley Ford Road and don’t require any detour.

Bodega Bay Oyster Company

Bodega Bay Oyster Company is a truly unique place where you can buy fresh and BBQ oysters that are grown just a short drive away in Tomales and Bodega Bay. An oyster that has just been picked out of the ocean tastes like nothing you have ever tried before, even in the most expensive restaurants. And oysters here are much cheaper than in a restaurant. If you like shellfish, this is a must stop!

Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery

Dear cheese lovers, rejoice! This Bodega Bay attraction is perfect for you. Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery, located in Valley Ford, producers several award winning cheeses that you must try. I personally loved their “Estero Gold” parmesan style aged cheese that goes well with wine. In addition to cheeses, their store/café sells tea and coffee, delicious freshly baked cookies, salads, and other snacks. It was open even on Thanksgiving day! Definitely worth a stop.

The most “Hollywood” thing to do in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay and a small town of Bodega, just a couple miles away, served as a set for Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous movie, “The Birds”. You can check out the old Porter school house, the Tides restaurant and the surrounding scenic views of the bay that were captured in the film. The Porter school house (location address: 17110 Bodega Lane, Bodega, CA), which is now a private residence, looked a little creepy even on a sunny day. There is something about this place that makes you shiver a little bit… and with enough imagination you can definitely feel the presence of something… spooky…

The best outdoorsy things to do in Bodega Bay with kids

Bodega Bay Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail

Once you checked the spooky birds off your list, how about the cool ones? Bodega Bay Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail is an easy level trail going through the marshes along a creek (Cheney Creek Trail) which is a prime destination for birdwatching. We saw half a dozen species on just a short walk there! Our favorites were turkey vultures and egrets (see image below). This trail directly leads to the next destination on my list of outdoorsy things to do in Bodega Bay – Doran Beach.

Doran Beach

Doran Beach is easily the most beautiful beach in Bodega Bay area. It is a 2 miles wide sandy beach that is perfect for strolling or running, flying a kite, building sand castles, surfing or picnicking – everything that kids would love to do. You can easily spend half a day at Doran beach. However, please, note that the beach parking lots are not too big and they get full very quickly, since it is one of the most famous Bodega Bay attractions. Therefore, I suggest visiting either early in the morning or closer to the evening.

Kayaking

If you had to choose just one thing to do in Bodega Bay with kids, you MUST choose kayaking. We have been kayaking a lot in the past few yeas and Bodega Bay is one of the best kayaking destinations that we explored, hands down.

What makes kayaking in Bodega Bay an excellent experience for families, even with young kids, is that the Bay is protected pretty much from all sides. If you look at the map of the Bay, it has a very narrow strip of water connecting it to the ocean and it is located on the opposite side from the place where you will be starting your kayaking adventure. So the water on a normal day is very calm, like on a lake.

BUT, this is still ocean water so you will be able to encounter ocean dwellers here, such as rays, leopard sharks and harbor seals. There are tons of harbor seals in Bodega Bay and they are very curious and not afraid of humans at all. You’d think you’ll have to chase them to see them up close – nope, they come to you! In my “Things to do in Bodega Bay” video guide below you can see our amazing encounters with the seals in the Bay.

In addition to the seals we saw lots of sea birds, such as pelicans, gulls and several others.

Bodega Bay Kayak located in Bodega Bay, has everything you need for a perfect kayaking experience. It is very easy to schedule your adventure, just email or call Bob. He will advise you on the best times to kayak, the weather and routes for exploration. You will get your kayaks for at least 4 hours, life jackets for safety, and in addition to that you will also receive a waterproof bag for your belongings and a waterproof lanyard for your phone. In all the years of kayaking, no one ever offered us free waterproof bags as an add-on to kayaks, isn’t it neat?

Another great thing about Bodega Bay Kayak is that if you are out there kayaking around the Bay and get stuck or tired, Bob will drive in his car to pick you up. It would be best, of course, if you could return your kayaks to the same place where you rented them but it is nice to have that feeling of security that if something happens, you’ll be picked up. Again, no one ever offered this service to us before, so double kudos for Bodega Bay Kayak!

In “normal” times, when there are no Covid-19 restrictions, Bodega Bay Kayak also offers guided kayaking tours and not just on Bodega Bay but also on Salmon Creek and Russian River. In winter, when most of nearby Russian River kayak rentals are closed, Bodega Bay Kayak is open, they are open all year round!

The price of the rental is very affordable compared to some Russian River rentals (only $69 for a double kayak and $49 for a single for 4 hours). At a nearby Russian River rental place we found the prices to be twice as high!

We had a wonderful time kayaking in Bodega Bay and we will definitely be back. I guarantee that both kids and adults will love this Bodega Bay activity.

Hiking and whale watching at Bodega Head

Bodega Head is piece of land that sticks out into the Pacific Ocean and protects the entrance into the Bodega Bay. Because Bodega Head extends into the ocean from the mainland in a rather significant way it is a perfect spot for whale watching. Grey whales migrate along the California coast in the months of December – March. First, they swim in the Southern direction to Baja California to give birth and then return in spring to Alaska with their babies. Even though the whales will be swimming closer to Bodega Head than to the rest of the coast around it, I still suggest having good binoculars with you to be able to observe them well.

Since Bodega Head has high rocky cliffs it is also an excellent spot for scenic hiking any time of year. There is plenty of parking on top of the Bodega Head and it is FREE of charge. For this reason and the fact that you can “kill 2 birds with one stone” here (hiking + whale watching), I put Bodega Head on my list of must do things in Bodega Bay.

Salmon Creek State Beach

Salmon Creek State Beach is located at the Northern end of Bodega Bay area. It is known for gorgeous views and tons of drift wood brought in by the Salmon Creek. So if you or your kids love building forts from drift wood, this is the place to be. In comparison to Doran beach Salmon Creek State Beach has bigger waves and rougher surrounding, while Doran Beach is more protected due to its position sideways to the ocean, not directly along the ocean.

Bodega Bay Video Guide

To see a cool detailed visual review of the best things to do in Bodega Bay with kids, including attractions and activities, check out my video guide:

Additional tips for visiting Bodega Bay with kids

Where to eat in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay is famous for its fishing harbor, so one essential thing to do in Bodega Bay is munching on some delicious seafood. My personal favorite is Dungeness crab. The season for it typically runs from December to June and that’s when you can taste the freshest crab right off the boats.

Several local restaurants serve dishes with Dungeness crab and the rumor is that the Spuds Point Crab Company does it best. I cannot vouch for that because I did not have a chance to try their crab dishes – the line to order takeout on the weekend was at least 20 people long, I honestly think it is ridiculous. Instead of going to this place we went to one right across the street – Fisherman’s Community Market. It is only open on weekend when fishermen bring in seafood and at that time they set up a shack there that serves crab sandwiches, clam chowder and a couple of other things.

This place is not even on Google maps so there were not many people there, no line, BUT their crab sandwich was super delicious and super fresh. And we can definitely be the judges of fresh crab meat because we go crabbing ourselves and we know how fresh crab, right from the ocean, should taste like. So my advice is: don’t waste your time and eat at Fisherman’s Community Market if you come to Bodega Bay on the weekend.

Weather in Bodega Bay

Weather in Bodega Bay is similar to the weather everywhere along North California coast. It will probably be colder than you expect in summer and warmer than you expect in winter. We visited at the end of November and it was a glorious sunny weekend. Beware of the potential fog and the winds. The weather on the coast can change quickly. Dress in layers, have a windbreaker, a warm sweater and a sun hat.

Where to stay in Bodega Bay

We never stayed in Bodega Bay proper. Typically when we visit the area we love to stay along the western part of the Russian River because there are many more options there than in Bodega Bay and prices tend to be much cheaper. Lots of cabin rentals too. Check out the current deals on the lodging nearby Bodega Bay below (use Zoom Out function of the map to see more options):

Booking.com

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