Goat Rock Beach, California

Don't be too worried about stories of the car park being swept by rogue waves - that didn't happen here, but at the nearby Duncan's Landing. Though there's an enormous column of signs warning of dangers - Never turn your back on the ocean, Falling Rocks, No swimming, etc. Try to shrug of these worries though, and hike along the beach as far as the mouth of Russian River. Here there's a large colony of harbor seals, which are fun to watch. If you stand too close to the crumbly sands at the river's edge, a warden will quickly arrive to warn you of the dangers (there's no sign about this though!).