Cooks Beach

Cooks Beach — also known as Bourns Landing, or Cook's Beach — is a small, sandy pocket beach tucked into a rock-walled cove on the Mendocino coast, about two miles north of Gualala. The flat, nearly treeless headlands above give way to a crescent of fine sand that stays noticeably calmer and warmer than more exposed stretches of coast nearby, since the cove blocks the wind. A seasonal stream crosses one side of the beach, good for wading and sandcastle-building. During Prohibition, the cove's seclusion reportedly made it a favorite landing spot for rum runners, earning it the old nickname "Smuggler's Cove."

Until 2003, this stretch of coastline was privately held and inaccessible to the public. On July 1 of that year, the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC) completed an agreement with the Bonham family to dedicate two access easements across their Bourns Landing property, with financial assistance from the State Coastal Conservancy. RCLC still manages the site today.

The walk in is short and easy — about a quarter mile (0.25–0.3 miles) from the roadside pullout on County Road 526, with roughly 1 foot of elevation gain and about a 10-minute walking time. Two paths lead to the same cove: one climbs to a bluff-top overlook (the Bonham Overlook) with panoramic Pacific views, the other winds through a short bishop pine and redwood forest. Both are graded and pass a viewing platform above the beach before the final descent to the sand.

At low tide, a small sea cave opens up along the cove wall — worth a look for whatever the ocean left overnight, but pay attention: it's the only way in or out of that part of the cove, and an incoming tide can trap you against the rocks. Listen for sea lions barking from the nearby Fish Rock Rookery, and watch the horizon during migration season for passing whales; shorebirds are common along the tideline. Because the cove is sheltered, the beach tends to feel calmer and sunnier than the open coastline, but it's also small, so even a handful of other visitors can make it feel busy.

Cooks Beach is free to visit and open sunrise to sunset, year-round. To find it, drive Highway 1 to about mile marker 3.14 (roughly two to three miles north of Gualala) and turn onto County Road 526, the old Coast Highway; the trailhead pullout is a short distance in on the right. Parking is free but limited to a handful of spaces along the road shoulder, so arrive early on weekends. There are no facilities of any kind at the beach or trailhead.

Dogs are allowed on a leash. Fires and overnight camping are not permitted. Check rclc.org for current conditions or closures before visiting.