Back to results

Salmon Creek, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Bodega Bay

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

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

About Salmon Creek

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

The spot faces W (258°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (78°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 49). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August, September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7; in May and June, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Bodega Bay, 2.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

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

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 8 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), direct.

    See flights MDW → OAK · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 05 from the airport to Salmon Creek.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Bodega BayAd

    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 Bodega Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Bodega Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Salmon Creek on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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 intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct354 ft10 ssoft356kJ18°C
Mon 19Oct95 ft8 smushy377kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct08 ft11 ssoft1,207kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct594 ft8 smushy177kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct203 ft7 smushy94kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct443 ft9 ssoft177kJ18°C
Sat 24Oct386 ft8 smushy324kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct264 ft7 smushy141kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct236 ft8 smushy340kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct594 ft7 smushy160kJ21°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to OAK, then 2h 05 by road. About 8h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Salmon Creek

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Salmon Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Salmon Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, wind 2 kn (5 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Salmon Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 0 kn (0 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to OAK, then 2h 05 by road. About 8h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Bodega Bay each day: Doran Beach, Omar shereef, Salmon Creek, Seal rock.

The trip from Bodega Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,845 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 OAK, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£465
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£1,020–£1,845

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

Places to eat near Bodega Bay

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.