Two years later, I rented a 26’ motor home from CruiseAmerica and we went back. It was such a wonderful experience, I bought my own 24’ motor home a year later. Third trip, we went in June and it was hard to get reservations, even 3 months early. Luckily, we got a nice spot on the edge. All the sites on the outer edges have their own beach access which is nice unless you become the path for everyone who doesn't have beach access to pass through down to the bay. I ended up having to string a rope across from my picnic table to my motor home. On the coast guard side, the sites are much more isolated due to trees and brush, so people don't cut through. On the opposite side, where we were this time, it's just sand and very low lying plants.
I can't do as much walking as I used to because the dogs are getting older. The first day is fine, then they start to slow down quite a bit. On this trip, I used the stroller twice and the backpack once. And I decided that I would start walking them separately. There are three places we walk to while at Doran. Across the road from the camping spots is several miles of ocean beach making for easy walking, especially when the tide is out. Even on the busiest day-use days in the summer, when the parking lots are packed full, the beach still seems sparsely populated with plenty of wide open space. Certainly not like the beaches in Southern California.
Next good place to walk is down to the jetty, which is at the end of the peninsula and takes you past the group camping. This is another day use area and there are lots of people out fishing early in the morning. There is also beach access here and I've seen seals on more than one occasion. There are public bathrooms as well if you are just there for the day.
Finally, and virtually unknown by the general public -- the off leash dog beach! I found out about this from a dog friendly places web site. The sign is still there, 5 years later, and still says “experimental.” There is only one sign, very hard to find, and the area is virtually hidden from the general public. It's next to the dump station and fish cleaning station by the coast guard and is a small beach area on the bay side with rock barricades left and right, keeping the dogs confined to a 200 foot area. My dogs love it. Only thing that would make it better for them is if there were other dogs to play with.
If you choose to camp at Doran, be prepared for any kind of weather. I've been there in early April and in late June. In June, our mornings went from cold and foggy one day, to hot already by 7:30 am the next day. One evening was gorgeous and the next evening, the fog rolled in early and everyone was inside by 7:30 pm. On the bay side, the tide is really noticeable. Twice a day, the whole area is a huge mud flat and then next thing you know, it's full of water. It's really pretty amazing to document.
Doran Regional Park is pricey for boondocking, about $38 a night plus $2 per dog per night. We paid $132 for 3 nights with 3 dogs. But if you love Northern California beaches and want to be in a really dog friendly place, then this is a great choice.
