Carmet Coastal Access Guide: Schoolhouse Beach and Two Carmet Beach Trails Have Separate Parking Areas

CARMET, Sonoma County — Visitors to Carmet should distinguish the two beach access points near the community from Schoolhouse Beach to the north, because their parking and trail arrangements are different.

A public-access appendix in Sonoma County coastal planning records lists Schoolhouse Beach as an existing state park access point with a trail and 79 day-use parking spaces. The North and South Carmet beaches are served by a separate highway turnout and two trails, with 57 parking spaces recorded in the planning inventory. These are figures from a 2024 planning document and are not a guarantee of currently open spaces.

State Parks manages the access areas. Trails can be steep, sometimes narrow, and conditions near cliff edges may become hazardous after storms. Recreational visitors should not park in travel lanes or assume roadside shoulders are legally usable for parking.

Practical information

Check the California State Parks Sonoma Coast page and posted notices before a visit. If parking is full, consider another designated beach lot rather than blocking emergency access or entering private streets.

Official source: California state or county official record.

YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER NEEDS YOU

Help this community newspaper grow

Your support helps build coverage for the people and places this local newspaper serves.

Donate once by card ↗

Help Carmet News grow Help strengthen reporting on Carmet: community voices, important decisions and local life.

Support Carmet News

Choose how to support Carmet News:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. When possible, add “Carmet News” to the payment note. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.

Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

Carmet News — Your Community Newspaper

Have a correction, news tip, local announcement, or story to submit? Contact our editorial team. All submissions are reviewed before publication.