Rating: C
If you’re frustrated by Sonoma County’s harsh anti-nudity laws, then take heart: a quiet, clothing-optional riverbank that’s just three miles over the county line in Mendocino County, not far from Cloverdale. Seldom visited and protected from the wind by a canyon, this site off Comminsky Station Road also can’t be seen by passing drivers. Says a July 2010 visitor: “it has friendly people, spectacular scenery, and relatively easy access.”
Legal status:
Unknown.
How to find it:
From San Francisco, follow Highway 101 north, past Santa Rosa and Cloverdale. When you cross into Mendocino County, check your odometer and drive 2.9 miles north. Exit onto Comminsky Station Road and take it west to the end. Park and walk down a short path to the beach.
The beach:
The river curves here, leaving a ribbon of fine sand for sunning along its banks.
The crowd:
The sandbank is visited by a few nudists and non-nudists, depending on the time of year.
Problems:
Unknown legal status; needs better directions.