Sonoma Coast view of Gleason Beach

This photo of the Sonoma Coast and Gleason Beach was taken from a pullout on the famous Pacific Coast Highway 1. Route to the GPS coordinates, park, and face southwest for this vast view of rugged rocks and beach.

Visit the Sonoma Coastline and Gleason Beach in the springtime to capture blooming wildflowers, which makes this place so unique. If you arrive in early spring, you'll also avoid the summer heat wave and the fog, which might prevent you from getting clear views of the landscape. The summer tends to be foggy.

The sun sets on the west coast, so its a great time to visit—you'll enjoy beautiful colored hues as the light hits the oceanside. The late-afternoon into golden hour will also offer great light.

A wide-angle lens (35mm) will allow you to easily frame both the wildflowers in foreground and mountains in the distance.

Getting low will make the wildflowers appear closer to you and gives a lot of character and color to the vantage point.

To create a 'frame by nature' effect, frame the distant rocks in between the two large rocks that are closest to you.

Get creative—there are several ways to compose the rugged rocks and landscape. Walk around and explore!

There are many great beaches to visit nearby! While in the area, take a hike down to Gleason Beach, Rock Point Beach, and Scotty Beach.