Just Bluffing - Oceanfront home near Shell Beach & Bluff Trail with deck & ocean views

The ocean is your backyard -- hear the waves from every room in this coastal haven. A warm fire and ocean views anchor cozy evenings in. Your deck is a front-row seat to the Pacific. Room for 8 in this 3-bedroom home. Near Shell Beach tidepools. The Sonoma Coast's best-kept secret is waiting for you. The rhythm of the waves sets the pace here -- unhurried mornings, lingering sunsets, deep sleep. Summer fog burns off by midday, leaving warm afternoons perfect for trail hikes and tidepooling.

This is a place to wake up to a view of the ocean and cap your evenings by barbecuing, dining, and watching striking sunsets outside on the expansive deck.

This multi-level home boasts an enviable oceanfront location close to the midpoint of Sea Ranch, with the Bluff Trail right outside your back door. Shell Beach - a local favorite for tidepooling - is half a mile north and Stengel Beach is less than a mile south. You'll be just over a mile from the Ohlson Recreation Center and its heated outdoor pool, saunas, and tennis courts. Small-town Gualala's markets, galleries, and conveniences are only five miles north as well.

Enter by way of a private, sheltered courtyard to be greeted by a living space with lofty ceilings, details of richly hued wood, and a back wall of picture windows framing the ocean and open meadow. Curl up in the window seat with a good book and the gas fireplace flickering, use the telescope to glimpse passing seals and whales, and set up a favorite board game at the dining room table.

The kitchen is uniquely equipped for family holidays and special get-togethers, offering a wealth of cooking and baking tools that include double ovens and a six-burner gas stove. There's a gas grill and an outdoor dining area on the deck overlooking the ocean, and an inviting den back inside where you can watch DVDs late into the night.

All of the bedrooms have views of the ocean, each in its own wing of the house.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Choose from 3 bedrooms. Altogether, the home comfortably sleeps 6.

PROPERTY AMENITIES
-- 3 bedrooms, 2 bath + 1 half bath
-- Gas fireplace
-- Garage parking

COMMUNITY AMENITIES (at Sea Ranch recreation centers)
-- Heated pools and saunas (at Del Mar, Moonraker, and Ohlson rec centers)
-- Tennis and pickleball courts (at rec centers)
-- Miles of coastal bluff trails

Sea Ranch has three recreation centers with heated pools, saunas, and tennis courts. Access passes are provided with your stay -- check availability upon arrival as these shared amenities can be popular during peak times.

Exterior lighting is minimal by design to preserve the stunning dark sky -- bring a flashlight for evening walks and enjoy some of the best stargazing on the California coast.

Keep your eyes on the horizon from December to April -- gray whales migrate just offshore, and this property has a front-row seat. Visit in spring and the meadows explode with wildflowers. April through June is peak bloom season along the Sonoma Coast. The warmest months are June through September. Expect coastal fog most mornings that gives way to sunny afternoons.

Cell service can be spotty along the coast. The home has WiFi for staying connected.