1. Fort Ross Lodge
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (707) 847-3333
Address: 20705 Coast Highway 1
Description: Just north of historic Fort Ross State Historic Park (see the Attractions chapter), the lodge is situated above a sheltered cove where seals lounge on rocky outcroppings. There’s plenty of space in the guest rooms to stretch out and relax, or you can unwind in the hot tub and sauna. The 22 rooms are decorated in natural tones and hues. There’s a barbecue on each deck and a country store across the highway. Children younger than 12 stay free. Intimate, secluded suites are available for adults only.
2. Stillwater Cove Regional Park
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (707) 847-3245, (707) 565-2267
Address: 22455 Highway 1
Description: This 210-acre park comprises open meadow and coastal forest with spectacular ocean views from Stillwater Cove. A half-mile trail leads to the historic one-room Fort Ross Schoolhouse. Twenty-three campsites serve most campers (drivers of large RVs and trailer campers should contact the park office to ensure that their vehicle will fit) and there is a hike-in/bike-in area. Facilities include pay showers, flush restrooms, and day-use parking.
3. Salt Point State Park
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (707) 847-3221, (800) 444-PARK
Address: 25050 Highway 1
Description: This campground offers picnic areas, hiking trails, diving, horseback trails, and the beautiful adjacent Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve (see the Parks and Recreation chapter). It’s open all year, but there are no RV hookups. There are 107 campsites in summer but only 28 in winter. Piped water and flush toilets are available. In early winter this is headquarters for local abalone divers.
4. Stillwater Cove Regional Park
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (707) 847-3245
Address: 22455 Highway 1
Description: Even if you’re not an abalone diver or a surf fisher, Stillwater Cove is a worthwhile stop. It has a picnic area and 5 miles of hiking trails amid the redwoods. It also has one developed campground with showers and flush toilets. In the park is a preserved one-room schoolhouse from the 19th century. Day-use parking is $5. Dogs must be leashed.
5. Salt Point State Park
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (707) 847-3221
Address: 25050 Highway 1
Description: Salt Point and neighboring Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve (see the following listing) have a little bit of something for everyone. Salt Point has about 10 miles of rocky coastline featuring sea stacks, arches, and tafoni—those eerily sculpted knobs, ribs, and honeycombs that look like they were crafted for horror movies. The inland portion of the 6,000-acre park has hiking trails through coastal brush, Bishop pine, and Douglas fir, not to mention a ridgetop pygmy forest with half-pint cypress, pine, and redwood. Salt Point also boasts one of California’s first underwater parks, Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve, a favorite for scuba divers (and for fish, which are fully protected there). The park has two campgrounds plus walk-in campsites; see the Camping chapter. It straddles Highway 1, about 20 miles north of Jenner or 18 miles south of Gualala.
6. River’S End Restaurant
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 865-2484
Address: 11048 Highway 1
Description: From its position on a bluff where the Russian River flows into the Pacific, River’s End has an extraordinary view. Menu offerings have left local seafood far behind and moved on to upscale comfort foods with a European flair. Here you can have crispy duck confit rolls for an appetizer, clam chowder for the soup course, and North American elk for the entree. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday.
7. Fort Ross Book & Gift Shop
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (707) 847-3437
Address: 19005 Highway 1
Description: Located 11 miles north of the town of Jenner, the state-park shop has a unique selection of books highlighting the Russian settlers and Native Americans, plus the natural history of the Fort Ross area (see the History chapter).
8. Fort Ross State Historic Park
City: Jenner, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 847-3286
Address: 19005 Highway 1
Description: On a grassy, windswept bluff north of Jenner stands a ruddy, wooden stockade, its main gate facing the Pacific Ocean. The 14-foot walls are made of weather-beaten redwood. Inside is a small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas and topped with an orthodox cross. In another building, seal and otter pelts hang on walls above casks marked in Cyrillic characters. Now part of a state historic park, Fort Ross provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of the settlement founded with the aim of supplying food for the fledgling Russian colony in Alaska, where Russia’s eastward push ended in the early 1800s (see the History chapter). The museum in the visitor center exhibits Russian and Native American artifacts, and the gift shop offers crafts made by the local Pomo tribe as well as goods imported from Russia. Join more than 100 costumed participants for the annual Cultural Heritage Day—held on the third or last Saturday of July—to get a taste of what life was like for the Russians 200 years ago (see the Festivals and Annual Events chapter). The park is open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no entrance fee for cyclists or hikers. Vehicles pay $6 for parking.