Around the world, there are many bizarre rocks, which may have strange shapes, be in unthinkable positions, or are balanced in a way that defies gravity and nature. In America, we find dozens of examples, and among the most peculiar ones can be found in “Bowling Ball Beach” in California. It is as if someone decided to challenge themselves to bowl on the shore, or some giant played bowling while on vacation in California and later abandoned these round stone balls on the shoreline. If you are traveling along the coast, plan a stop here as well. You may be surprised to know that California also has walking stones!
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Location and Directions
Bowling Ball Beach is located along California’s coast in Mendocino County, almost 124 miles north of San Francisco and not far from Point Arena, exactly 7.4 miles south of the lighthouse, one of the main attractions in the area. Traveling here from San Francisco or one of the other major California cities with the express purpose of visiting this beach may seem like an absurd waste of time, and indeed you could say so if you are primarily interested in big cities. However, if we look at this through a different lens, there is great potential.
This peculiar beach is located along the Pacific Coast Highway, the scenic highway that runs along almost the entire California coastline and which, in the stretches between the cities, offers some of the most fascinating views of the West Coast. If you love road trips, the 1,000-mile drive on Highway 1 should definitely be on your list, and while you’re at it, why not visit this bizarre beach? Getting there is pretty simple. Use as your reference point the intersection of Highway 1 and Schooner Gulch Road, a small dirt road. The path down to the beach starts at exactly this point on Schooner Gulch Road.
How and When to See the Bowling Balls
Bowling Ball Beach is named after and is famous for the stone balls on the beach. This beach is a part of the large Schooner Gulch State Beach, an area protected by the State of California. The area is known as Galloway, because a Scottish man named John Galloway occupied this area between 1866 and 1868 for timber harvesting. But actually, this part of California has been frequented as early as the early 1800s by Russian and Alaskan Native hunters and then, in the 1840s, by Mexican landowners who began to set up plots of land here. In the late 1800s through the early 1900s, there was also a school here for 62 years, built on land donated by John Galloway himself. The school population never exceeded 40 students. Today the entire area is owned and protected by the state.
Bowling Ball Beach Trail
In this section, the Pacific Coast Highway is surrounded by vegetation, so it is almost impossible to see the beach directly from the road. Therefore, the only way to appreciate this natural wonder is to take a path from the road to the beach. One must park the car along the road at the intersection with Schooner Gulch Road, where there is a clearing on the side of the road where you can park. Once you have parked, you can venture along the trail. You will walk through trees and across a meadow, then take wooden steps down to the beach. The path is almost a mile long (about 1.55 miles round trip) and presents no particular difficulty, so it can be completed in a short time.
However, you must pay attention. A few feet past the trailhead, there is the entrance to another trail, the Schooner Gulch Trail. Make sure not to take the wrong trail. In any case, the Schooner Gulch Trail also leads to the beach, but to get to the stone balls you will have to walk further.
Bowling Ball Beach Low Tide
There are attractions that can be visited at any time, while in the case of others, you need to go at the right time. Such is the case if you want to see the stone spheres on this beach, which are located right on the strip of beach that is submerged at high tide. To avoid traveling all the way here only to not be able to see the stones be sure to arrive when it is low tide. If you are an avid photographer and want to take an incredible picture, the best time is when the tide is rising or falling. You will then be able to capture the balls sticking out of the water, which is truly surreal. But how to know when the time is right?
Fortunately, today finding out the times of the tides is quite easy. There are websites that list the rises and falls of the sea in real time. I recommend this site (The spot we are interested in is in Mendocino County), which can also be useful for visiting other California beaches.
The Origin of the Stone Spheres
When you are on the beach admiring this expanse of stone spheres, you will wonder how they ended up here. There is an explanation for this geological phenomenon. All the rocks in this area are formed by alternating layers of sandstone, shale, and mud. During the layering process, the heavier parts settled to the bottom and were covered by the lighter layers. Over time, the force of the sea consumed the surface layers, causing the tips of the harder, heavier rocks below to emerge. Day after day, the waves smoothed them out, giving them the appearance of abandoned balls on the beach.
Where to Stay in the Area
If you are planning to travel along Highway 1, you may find it convenient to find a place to stay overnight in the area. Here are some of the best alternatives near Bowling Ball Beach.
- Wildflower Boutique Motel (Point Arena). This lovely motel is located in Point Arena, the main place to stay in the area, a few miles north of the beach. It is the closest motel and is a great option for those who are taking an on-the-road trip along the coast.
- Point Arena Lighthouse (Point Arena). There is another place in Point Arena that is a little further from the main road but definitely more distinctive. The building adjoins the famous Point Arena Lighthouse that characterizes this coastline. Today the building is divided into several apartments, for different numbers of people, which are rented throughout the year.
- Surf Inn (Gualala). While Point Arena is the primary location for accommodations north of the beach, moving south we find Gualala, a small cluster of houses where we can also find some accommodations. One of the most popular ones is the Surf Inn, a motel a stone’s throw from the ocean that is very quiet and peaceful.
- Gualala Country Inn (Gualala). You may also want to consider this hotel as an alternative. It is located in a quiet area that is also a perfect place to appreciate the beauty of nature.
