Tag Archives: Gualala Point Regional Park

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As it happens every year in the spring, the Gualala River is closed at the river mouth by a big sandbar. Rick and I went to Gualala Point Regional Park to photograph it.

The closed Gualala River (Large) A sandbar closes the ualala River' (Large)

Once the river is closed, the mouth of the river is called a lagoon. When the river is open it is called an estuary. With the river closed it is a very safe river to kayak.

To rent a kayak on the Gualala River, here is the website for Adventure Rents: http://www.adventurerents.com/

The river will remain closed until we receive storms in the fall. Any Steelhead in the river are now trapped in luxury.

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Earth Day saw the last of a  recent series of small storms. The last one brought another beautiful rainbow, as vibrant as can be. Peggy Berryhill got this photo from Gualala Point Regional Park.

Beautiful Rainbow on Earth Day by Peggy Berryhill

This  view spot is on the way into the park. It is a favorite of many of us for taking photos of the Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean. How fortunate for us that Peggy was there at the exact moment this rainbow appeared.

The Gualala River closed Sunday night and has since filled up. I will share some photos of that soon. It's a perfect time to go kayaking on the river.

Now we are having a heat wave. With no wind the ocean looks like a lake. Locals went diving for abalone today and tomorrow looks ideal too.

Thanks to Peggy for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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The Salal Trail is a public access trail that starts at Gualala Point Regional Park. Once you pass the pay station, park at the first parking area on the left. The trail head is to the left. The trail goes between Highway One and The Sea Ranch Golf Links. It then turns west, meandering through some lovely trees and bushes. The trail eventually brings you to a very special waterfall. Robert Scarola hiked the trail just after one of the big February rain storms. This is what he found.

It's a magical place to visit when the creek is full. The trail eventually ends at a small beach, a perfect end to a wonderful trail.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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Rick and I went to Gualala Point Regional Park this morning, hoping to see the Bald Eagle pair. No luck, darn it. We stopped to talk to a visitor from Michigan and he related that he saw one yesterday. In fact, it flew 15 feet over his head!

Phil Wendt recently photographed the pair.

In an exciting development, the male Bald Eagle was seen gathering nesting materials. We are wishing and hoping this pair builds a nest by the river. The biggest concern is that people might get too close in their desire to photograph them. So stay a safe distance away, using your longest lens. We don't want to scare them or disturb them in any way.

To see more of Phil's photography, including more photos of these Bald Eagles, here is the link to his website: http://philwendt.com/

And thanks to Phil for allowing me to share these photos with you here.

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White-tailed Kites are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. They are interesting to watch while they hunt as they hover over a meadow while they search for prey. Siegfried Matull recently photographed one hunting near his home on The Sea Ranch.

White-tailed Kites eat mostly small mammals, but they do eat lizards, insects and some birds. I often see one hunting over the grasslands along the Gualala River while hiking at Gualala Point Regional Park.

To hear the call of this beautiful raptor, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here.