By Nick Terzakis

SPAN Editor Dave Kennedy gave me a tip about an area up the Northern California Coast called Storenetta Public Lands that has some sea arches. This area was once a dairy farm owned by Clover Creames based in Petaluma, CA. So I drove up to the area near the Pt. Arena lighthouse, parked at the Stornetta Public Lands trailhead, and walked the trail along the bluffs. It was quite windy. Coordinates given are from Jay Wilbur’s GIS section of the NABS website; sizes are estimates.

Off shore on a island is CA-85, Pt. Arena Arch, at 10S-43670-4310290, 30×35 feet, Photo 1:

 

Just east of CA-85 are two other sea arches, 10×8 and 20×15 feet, Photos 2 and 3:

 

South on the trail can be seen an island called “Sea Lion Rock” which contains two arches, 10S-436670-4310055, 30×20 feet, and 10S-436730-4309980, 20×5 feet, Photos 4 and 5:

 

Further south along the trail near some trees is a sinkhole that has a sea arch with a pillar inside it, 10S-437040-4309680, 15×8 feet, Photo 6:

 

The trail soon crosses a creek, then goes up hill, and then goes around an agricultural conservation easement which is private property. The trail turns left onto a road and then goes right through a gated fence and follows the fence to the bluffs. On the bluffs on the private property side you can see an arch, 10S-436795-4309005, 10×8 feet, Photo 7:

 

Go south along the bluffs to the first  rock outcropping to find a nice arch, 10S-436805-4308560, 30×15 feet, Photo 8:

 

To the left is another sea arch, 10×5 feet, Photo 9:

 

The second rock outcropping has 3 sea arches, one of which is a double, 30×15, 15×25, 25×40/30×20 feet, Photos 10-12:

 

The next rock outcropping is The Hitch’n Post, 10S-436855-4308455, 20×40 feet, Photo 13:

 

Below the view point of The Hitch’n Post is another sea arch, 10×40 feet, Photo 14:

 

South along the bluffs is a sea arch with seaweed growing inside it, 10×30 feet, Photo 15:

 

Further south in a cove is sea arch which was the last one I saw, 10×8 feet, Photo 16: