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Hare Creek, United States

Stay in Fort Bragg: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Fort Bragg

Watch this spot We email you when Hare Creek is worth the trip.

GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC
California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Hare Creek

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (274°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (94°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in September, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July, August, September and October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Fort Bragg, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 10 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to SMF, direct.

    See flights MDW → SMF · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 55 from the airport to Hare Creek.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Fort BraggAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Fort Bragg · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Fort Bragg · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Hare Creek on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct467 ft8 smushy615kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct487 ft9 scrumbling573kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct499 ft10 scrumbling1,569kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct355 ft8 smushy248kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct134 ft6 smushy121kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct116 ft6 smushy243kJ14°C
Sat 24Oct315 ft7 smushy188kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct547 ft7 smushy374kJ16°C
Mon 26Oct526 ft8 smushy452kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct345 ft7 smushy226kJ19°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 55 by road. About 10h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Hare Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 9 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Caspar

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 55 by road. About 10h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Fort Bragg each day: Caspar, Hare Creek, Jug Handle State Beach, The Oasis.

The trip from Fort Bragg, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,015–£1,835 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£220–£455
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,015–£1,835

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Fort Bragg

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.