Northern California
Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and 7mph S winds.
Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and 7mph S winds.
Best window·Friday 7AM–10AM·3-4+ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Tolowa Dunes State Park, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 3–4ft, 11s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on WNW swell at 9s with 7mph S winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the S and dropping conditions to poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 3–4+ft, 10s period, rated Poor - Fair. The sweet spot is around midday — 3-4+ft waves, 8mph SSW winds, fair - good conditions. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3+ft, 9s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on WNW swell at 9s with light NE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on WNW swell at 8s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on NW swell at 8s with gentle ENE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the NW and dropping conditions to poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Tolowa Dunes State Park from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Tolowa Dunes State Park is a vast wilderness preserve primarily known for birding and wetlands, with a remote beach that occasionally produces surfable waves. The exposed coastline faces west and picks up W and NW swells, but the lack of any surf community, cold water, and complete absence of safety infrastructure make this a spot only for self-sufficient intermediate-plus surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Tolowa Dunes State Park is 3-4ft with a 9.2s swell period. Wind is S at 7mph. Conditions are rated Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Tolowa Dunes State Park is 3-4ft, produced by a 5.7ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 3.4ft SSW wind swell swell at 6s, a 1ft SW tertiary swell at 12s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Tolowa Dunes State Park is Friday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 4ft waves, a 10.2s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Tolowa Dunes State Park works best with a W swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Tolowa Dunes State Park. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Tolowa Dunes State Park is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Tolowa Dunes State Park is a vast wilderness preserve primarily known for birding and wetlands, with a remote beach that occasionally produces surfable waves. The exposed coastline faces west and picks up W and NW swells, but the lack of any surf community, cold water, and complete absence of safety infrastructure make this a spot only for self-sufficient intermediate-plus surfers.
The prime season at Tolowa Dunes State Park is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Tolowa Dunes State Park include extreme isolation, cold water, sharks, strong currents, no lifeguards. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Tolowa Dunes State Park forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
