5 Reasons Guerneville is a Great Base for a Sonoma Coast Getaway

Russian River and The Sonoma Coast

I have long loved the Sonoma Coast.

Misty Bodega Bay and the cliffs at Bodega Head, the bay and kayaking in Jenner, and the stunning beaches between.

My absolute favorite way to drive to the Sonoma coast, is from Guerneville or Forestville, because when you drive this route, you get to experience both redwoods and forests and the funky little towns on the way.

A lot of people from the Bay Area just come up and visit Bodega Bay when they come up to the Sonoma County coast. But it’s the Russian River with it’s redwoods and road side pubs and Jenner with it’s serene waters and lack of crowds that enchant and make you feel you’ve truly escaped the city. Next time you’re thinking of heading up North to Sonoma County, consider making Russian River’s Guerneville your base.

5 Reasons to Make Russian River/Guerneville your Sonoma Coast base:

1. The Armstrong Redwood State Natural Reserve: This beautiful natural reserve hosts a redwood grove and forest as well as picnic and camp grounds and plenty of hiking trails. Stopping at Armstrong Redwoods for a hike in the morning, before heading out to the coast in the afternoon, is always my idea of a perfect Sonoma County day.
2. The proximity to the coast: It’s a 30 minute drive through forested roads and rolling Sonoma County coastal hills to Jenner (photo at the top of this post). From there you can drive past or stop at any of the many beaches or hikes on the way to Bodega Bay. A couple of my favorites are Goat Rock and Shell Beach (and there’s a great 6 mile hike across the road from Shell Beach that has stunning views of the coast).
3. Boon Eat and Drink Restaurant in Guerneville: this restaurant has the quality of dining you’d expect to find elsewhere in Sonoma County’s foodie hot spots (like Healdsburg or Sonoma) but still surprises as it’s in a town that hasn’t fully erupted into 100% fine dining, trendy bars and ‘organic’ and high end cafes. The burger with house pickled onions and truffle fries and the crispy pork belly over creamed cauliflower, red cabbage and spiced apples are two dishes that are TO DIE FOR. The owner of Boon also opened up the new swanky tapas style bar ‘El Barrio’ next door, which is a great spot for after dinner drinks.
4. Affordable Accommodation: Nice accommodation in Sonoma County is expensive. Typically a nice room anywhere conveniently located that’s not in a chain like Best Western, is $200+/night on up. Renting an airbnb home isn’t cheap either. But in Guerneville and Forestville (the next town over) you’ll find more reasonable prices. A great option for a comfortable room in a place with character, charm and a great full breakfast (cooked to order) is the Rio Nido Lodge. Just one mile down the road from downtown Guerneville you can walk from the Lodge to lunch or dinner. The Lodge also has great special rates in the winter/off season, and is independently owned (support a small business).
5. The feel of going back in time in Sonoma County to when every town wasn’t packed with high end wine tourists and businesses built to capitalize on the wine industry craze. Sonoma County has, in many ways, become a shiny, fancy, polished place. Perfectly manicured vineyards, grand castles built by billionaires, fine dining restaurants and high end markets and cafes are on every corner in the most visited cities. And while I love fine dining, fine wine and beautiful wineries (and have spent the majority of my adult life enjoying these things) I also appreciate simplicity and getting back to the basics once and a while.In the little section of forest-meets winding coastal roads between Santa Rosa and Jenner you’ll experience both the natural beauty of Russian River alongside the casual and sometimes crusty old local dive kind of charm.