Getting Around
Everything you need to know about driving, distances, and navigating rural Sonoma County.
Drive Times from Cazadero
Download Offline Maps
Best to do this before you leave WiFi. There's no cell service for navigation in Cazadero.
Download the area from Fort Ross (north) to Bodega Bay (south), Cazadero (west) to Sebastopol (east). This covers every destination in this guide.
Google Maps
- Open Google Maps
- Tap your profile picture (top right)
- Tap Offline maps
- Tap Select your own map
- Pinch to zoom out until the blue rectangle covers the area from Fort Ross down to Bodega Bay and east to Sebastopol
- Tap Download
~150-250 MB. Use WiFi.
Apple Maps
- Open Apple Maps
- Tap your profile picture (bottom right)
- Tap Offline Maps
- Tap Download New Map
- Search for Cazadero, CA
- Resize the box to cover Fort Ross to Bodega Bay to Sebastopol
- Tap Download
~200-400 MB. Use WiFi.
Scenic Drives
🌲
Fort Ross Road
The best drive. Enclosed redwood canyon opens suddenly to ocean views at the ridge. 10 miles from Cazadero to Hwy 1. On a clear day you can see to Mt. Tam.
🌊
Coleman Valley Road
10 miles from Occidental to the coast. Climbs steeply through forest, crests with sweeping Pacific views, then drops to Coleman Beach. Mid-afternoon for clear views.
🛤️
Bohemian Highway
Freestone → Occidental → Monte Rio. Redwood groves, pastures, tiny towns. Stop at Wild Flour Bread in Freestone (Fri–Mon only).
🐄
Valley Ford to Bodega
A completely different landscape. Open dairy pasture, weathered barns, coastal pastoral. The town of Bodega has the church from Hitchcock's The Birds.
Road Tips
🚗
No Uber or Lyft
Rideshare doesn't reach Cazadero. Locals use R2T2 Taxi for rides and food delivery to lower Caz and Monte Rio.
⛽
Gas up first
No gas in Cazadero. Guerneville and Jenner are the closest. If driving from the airport, stations all along Highway 116.
📡
Free WiFi in Caz
General Store and firehouse both have free WiFi. Network: EQAC. In Guerneville, Coffee Bazaar opens at 6am with WiFi.
📍
Monte Rio vs. Cazadero
Staying in Monte Rio? Everything is 10-15 min closer than the times above. You have cell service and you're 10 min from Guerneville for groceries and gas.
🦌
Night driving
No streetlights. Deer, foxes, and raccoons at dawn and dusk. Drive slow, high beams when safe. The roads are narrow and winding.
👋
Let locals pass
If someone flashes their lights behind you, pull over and let them through. Locals know these roads. Plenty of pulloffs. Everybody's happier.
✈️
SFO or STS?
SFO has more flights but is further. Santa Rosa Airport (STS) is closer with limited routes. Check both.
🌧️
Spring weather
April-May can have rain. Roads can flood. The creek rises fast. If water is flowing across a road, turn around.