Outdoors

Old-growth redwoods, the Sonoma Coast, and the Russian River. This is why people move here.

Nature & Wildlife

Banana Slugs

The film's aesthetic is literally called “slug gaze”

  • Up to 10 inches long, bright yellow, completely harmless
  • Most active on cool, damp mornings. April is prime season
  • Best spotted on forest trails after rain
  • The slime rule: dry your hand first, then wipe. Water makes it worse and spread.

Redwood Forest

  • Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth
  • The bark is spongy and fire-resistant. Feels like thick cork
  • Understory: sword ferns, bay laurel, redwood sorrel (leaves fold in sunlight)

What You Might See

  • Harbor seals at Goat Rock (pupping season April–May)
  • Gray whales migrating north along the coast (April is peak)
  • Great blue herons, turkey vultures, Steller's jays, osprey, owls at night
  • Deer at dawn and dusk (also a driving hazard)
  • River otters on Austin Creek (rare but magical)

Devon:The creeks here are beautiful. You're welcome to come hang at our creek. We'll try to do a few creek days on weekends if the weather is good. Ask me on set and I'll show you the best spots.

Useful Resources

AllTrails: Guerneville Area →Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods →Armstrong Redwoods (CA Parks) →Sonoma County Wildlife Guide →LandPaths (free preserves) →

Hikes & Nature

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

$
hike
20 min

Ancient old-growth redwood grove minutes from Guerneville. Easy walking trails through cathedral trees up to 1,400 years old.

Devon: This is why you came to Northern California. The Pioneer Trail is an easy loop that will make your jaw drop. Colonel Armstrong is over 300 feet tall. The East Ridge Connector trail is currently closed.

  • Colonel Armstrong Tree (308 ft, 1,400 years old)
  • Pioneer Trail (easy loop)
  • Discovery Trail
  • East Ridge Connector trail closed
  • No cell service inside the grove
8am to 1hr after sunset daily. $10/vehicle.
17000 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville, CA 95446
No cell service

Austin Creek State Recreation Area

$
hike
30 min

Rugged backcountry trails beyond Armstrong Redwoods. Rolling hills, meadows, and creek crossings. More remote.

  • East Austin Creek Trail
  • Gilliam Creek Trail
  • Wildflower meadows in spring
  • More solitude than Armstrong
8am-sunset daily
17000 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville, CA 95446
No cell service

Kortum Trail

$
hike
25 min

The premier coastal trail on the Sonoma Coast. Follows the blufftop with continuous Pacific panoramas, sea stacks, tide pools, and spring wildflowers.

Devon: The best coastal hike in the area. 4 miles one-way from Shell Beach to Blind Beach. April wildflowers are incredible. Poppies, lupine, Indian paintbrush.

  • 4 mi one-way, moderate
  • Continuous Pacific views
  • Spring wildflowers (April peak)
  • Connects to Shell Beach & Blind Beach
  • No dogs allowed
Sunrise to sunset. Free.
Shell Beach parking lot, Hwy 1, Jenner, CA
No cell service

Jenner Headlands Preserve

$
hike
22 min

5,630 acres of coastal wilderness with 14+ miles of trails. Views from Goat Rock to Point Reyes. Telescope installed at Sentinel Point.

Devon: Free, uncrowded, and the views are insane. The Wildflower Loop in April is worth the trip alone. Guided wildflower hikes sometimes available.

  • Wildflower Loop (0.75 mi, April peak)
  • Coastal Prairie Loop (4 mi)
  • ADA Overlook Trail (paved)
  • Telescope at Sentinel Point
  • Free, uncrowded
8am to sunset. Free.
Gateway trailhead, Hwy 1 north of Jenner
No cell service

Salt Point State Park

$
hike
55 min

Incredible coastal state park north of Jenner with tide pools, pygmy forests, and sandstone formations carved by wind and water.

  • Gerstle Cove tide pools
  • Stump Beach
  • Pygmy forest trail
  • Abalone diving (season permitting)
Sunrise to sunset. $8 parking.
25050 Coast Hwy 1, Jenner, CA 95450
No cell service

LandPaths: Grove of Old Trees

$
hike
40 min

Free, walk-in old-growth redwood preserve west of Occidental. 48 acres of ancient trees, no reservation needed. LandPaths also runs guided hikes at their 1,000-acre Bohemia Preserve nearby.

Devon: LandPaths does incredible work opening land to the public. The Grove of Old Trees is free and you can just show up. For something more guided, check their Bohemia Preserve hikes. They fill up, so sign up early at landpaths.org.

  • Free, no reservation needed
  • Old-growth redwoods
  • 48 acres, walk-in access
  • Bohemia Preserve guided hikes (1,000 acres, sign up at landpaths.org)
Dawn to dusk. Free, no reservation needed.
17599 Fitzpatrick Ln, Occidental, CA 95465
No cell service

Beaches & Coast

Goat Rock Beach

$
beach
19 min

Dramatic beach where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. Harbor seals haul out on the sand. Stunning coastal scenery.

Devon: One of the most dramatic beaches on the coast. The seals are usually on the south end. March through June is pupping season, so give them space. The volunteers will be there with scopes and info. Stay at least 50 yards away. It's the law, and mama seals will abandon pups if stressed.

  • Harbor seal colony
  • River meets the ocean
  • Dramatic rock formations
  • April-May is prime seal pupping season
  • Do not swim here, dangerous currents
Sunrise to sunset
Goat Rock Rd, Jenner, CA 95450
No cell service

Shell Beach

$
beach
30 min

Small, secluded cove on the Sonoma Coast. Tide pools, sea glass, and a short cliffside trail to get down.

  • Tide pools at low tide
  • Sea glass
  • Short cliffside access trail
  • Less crowded than Goat Rock
Sunrise to sunset
Shell Beach, Jenner, CA 95450
No cell service

Blind Beach

$
beach
20 min

Secluded beach at the southern end of the Kortum Trail, tucked below Goat Rock. Dramatic views of the arch rock formation.

  • Arch rock formation
  • Secluded feel
  • Southern end of Kortum Trail
  • Do not swim here, dangerous currents
Sunrise to sunset
Goat Rock Rd, Jenner, CA 95450
No cell service

Swimming

Russian River: Monte Rio Beach

$
swimming
15 min

Public river beach in Monte Rio. Calm water, sandy shore, and a bridge you can jump off (at your own risk).

  • Sandy beach
  • Calm water for swimming
  • Bridge jumping (be careful)
  • Bring your own towels/chairs
Dawn to dusk
20488 CA-116, Monte Rio, CA 95462
Cell service

Ward Creek

$
swimming
0 min

The creek that runs through Cazadero. Swimming holes, rock hopping, and the soundtrack of the forest.

Devon: This is the creek from the film. Multiple access points. Ask me and I'll show you the best spots. Cold but refreshing.

  • Swimming holes
  • Rock hopping
  • Banana slug spotting
  • The creek from the film
Always accessible
Cazadero, CA 95421
No cell service

Day Trips & More

Bodega Bay

$$
day-trip
36 min

Classic fishing village on the coast. Whale watching in spring, fresh seafood, Bodega Head hike with panoramic views.

Devon: April is the month for gray whale watching. Bodega Head has a 265-foot bluff with free volunteer naturalists on weekends through Mother's Day. Bring binoculars. Fun fact: this is where Hitchcock filmed The Birds (1963). The Tides Wharf is still here, and the church from the movie is in the town of Bodega, 5 miles inland.

  • Bodega Head trail (whale watching in April!)
  • Fresh fish and chips at Spud Point Crab Co
  • The Tides Wharf (filming location for The Birds)
  • Doran Beach for easy access
  • Miss Vic charters $600/6 passengers (~$100/person)
All day
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
Cell service

Fort Ross State Historic Park

$
historic
30-40 min

Restored 1812 Russian fur trading outpost on dramatic ocean bluffs. A piece of California history most people never see.

Devon: The production is shooting on Fort Ross Road, so you'll drive past the turnoff every day. Worth a stop on a day off. The chapel and stockade are fascinating.

  • Restored Russian stockade and chapel
  • Ocean bluff hiking trails
  • Visitor center with history exhibits
  • Sandy Cove beach access
Grounds sunrise-sunset daily. Visitor center 10am-4:30pm. $10 parking.
19005 Coast Hwy 1, Jenner, CA 95450
No cell service