Great Parks

This part of  the world is blessed with some amazing parks and wildlife reserves. Go out and enjoy!

View of Goat Rock, Sonoma Coast St. Park

Sonoma Coast State Park. Series of beaches separated by rock bluffs and headlands, extends 17 miles from Bodega Head to Vista Trail located 4 miles north of Jenner. Includes Blind Beach, Schoolhouse Beach, Arched Rock, Goat Rock, Penny Island and Bodega Head. Sonoma Coast Trail: From Blind Beach to Shell Beach is 4 miles round trip;
to Wright’s Beach is 6.5 miles round trip. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=451

Armstrong Woods offers great hiking options.

 

 

 

 

 

Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. Armstrong Redwoods is a 700-acre tall tree preserve, a cool and dark forest. Armstrong’s magnificent primeval redwood forest is a great place to cool off in the summer. Many hiking options of different lengths/elevations. In spring, wildflowers are prolific, temperatures are mild and the fog is less frequent. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=450

Austin Creek State Recreation Area. Austin Creek, adjacent to Armstrong Woods, offers open sun-drenched, grassy hillsides dotted with oaks. Austin Creek’s twenty miles of trail for the most part follow creeks—East Austin, as well as Gilliam, Schoolhouse and Fife—through an environment of alder, big leaf maple and Oregon ash. Gilliam Creek, Austin Creek Trails: 4 mile loop with 800-foot elevation gain or 8 mile loop with 1,000-foot gain; longer options possible. Austin Creek’s exposed slopes are a bit too hot in summer; hiking here is far more pleasant in spring and fall. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=25169

Fort Ross. This last remnant of czarist Russia’s foothold in California is today a walker’s delight. Fort Ross Trail: To Fort Ross Cove is 0.5 mile round trip; to Reef Point Campground is 4 miles round trip; can extend walk north along park bluffs and south along coast. 12 miles north of Jenner on Hwy 1. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=25193

Tidepools and amazing formations at Salt Point.

Salt Point State Park. Tidepools! 20 miles of hiking trails, 6 miles of rugged coastline. Sheer, sandstone cliffs, and sandy coves highlight Salt Point State Park’s seven miles of coastline. Tidepools, sea stacks, and sea caves complete the equation. The park includes one of the first underwater parks in California, Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve, where marine life is completely protected. Stump Beach is another picnic area that offers one of the few sandy beaches north of Jenner. Salt Point Trail: From Salt Point, Stump Beach Cove is 2.5 miles round trip; to Fish Mill
Cove is 6 miles round trip; to Horseshoe Cover is 10 miles round trip. Park is 18 miles north of Jenner on Hwy 1. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453.

Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve. Five miles of hiking trails through the quiet forest with a short loop trail that leads through clusters of rhododendrons. Just north of Salt Point. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=448

Willow Creek Watershed. The Willow Creek Watershed is literally at the end of the road – don’t cross over the bridge. A permit is required to access this “upper” portion, but the rest of this special reserve is accessible off of Hwy 1 south of Jenner.  If you are visiting the first Saturday of the month, you can get an orientation and a permit via Landpaths.

Other Resources

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods is a non-profit organization that partners with the Russian River Sector of California State Parks to provide excellent educational programs for adults. The sector includes Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve (outside Guerneville), Austin Creek State Recreation Area, Sonoma Coast State Park (from Bodega Bay to Jenner) and includes the Willow Creek watershed. The State Parks Volunteers in Parks program depends on Stewards to provide funding for educational and interpretive activities, for resource management projects, and to assist in the development of interpretive facilities.http://www.stewardsofthecoastandredwoods.org/

Willow Creek trails are located about 1.5 miles to the west on Freezeout Road right after Moscow Rd turns north.http://www.stewardsofthecoastandredwoods.org/pdf/wc_trailmap.pdf

Whale Watching

Bodega Head, the rocky headland that forms the entrance into Bodega Harbor, offer excellent vantage points for observing migrating gray whales. The harbor side is a popular crabbing area along the jetty, and the many hiking trails on the ocean side allow access to small, sandy coves and spectacular bluff top views.  (707) 875-3483