Best Places to Propose on the North Coast of California

If you are searching for the perfect backdrop for your romantic proposal, look no further than the stunning landscape of the North Coast of California. Explore the natural beauty of ancient redwood forests, rugged cliffs, and ocean-side hiking trails, and enjoy the pleasures of fine wine, gourmet food, and luxurious spas.

Venture north of San Francisco and take a road trip along the breathtaking coastline where you will find some of the best places to propose in California.

Just five hours north of San Francisco, you will find the famous scenic drive, the Avenue of the Giants. This 31-mile stretch of old Highway 101 winds through Humboldt Redwoods State Park and gives a memorable tour of majestic redwood trees that are hundreds of years old. Rent a car, reserve a room at a B&B in nearby Ferndale or Garberville and pack a picnic basket full of local meat, cheese, bread, fruit and wine for lunch. Walk a trail in the Rockefeller Forest, featuring some of the largest redwoods in the world, and when you find the right spot, get down on one knee to propose with a diamond cluster engagement ring.

The small wine country town of Sonoma is only an hour from San Francisco but a world away from the hustle and bustle of the big city (and the perfect spot for a romantic proposal). Book a cozy room at the beautiful Elk Cove Inn & Spa. Sample zesty zinfandel wine at nearby Ravenswood Winery, taste locally made cheese at Sonoma Cheese Factory and Vella Cheese Company, followed by fresh breads and pastries from the Basque Boulangerie Cafe. Once you’ve regained your appetite, splurge on a decadent meal at The Girl and the Fig. Take an after-dinner stroll around the Plaza, and pop the question on a quiet park bench near the duck pond.

In the heart of the Napa Valley and just an hour and a half from San Francisco, the town of Calistoga offers rest, relaxation and lots and lots of mud. Native American tribes in Calistoga historically used natural mud baths for therapeutic purposes, and commercial spas have been around since the California Gold Rush. Sign up for a couple's mud bath treatment at Golden Haven Spa and get pampered with a warm mud soak, a clay facial mask and a mineral springs shower. Arrange with the spa to bring in champagne (with the diamond cluster engagement ring tied on a ribbon around her glass) during your private jacuzzi time at the end, and ask her to be your wife.