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FORT ROSS |
DISTANCE: 2.0 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 1 hour
SEASON: year-round
DIFFICULTY: easy
On the Fort Ross Cove Trail, you can explore a historic Russian fort, meander along grassland bluffs dropping 100 feet into the sea, and visit two pocket beaches.
Fort Ross, with its huge barracks and blockhouses, was built in 1812 by Russian colonists eager for eastern expansion. Poke around the fort and its visitor center, then follow the gravel road leading from the main gate toward the ocean. The road curves down to Fort Ross Cove, the first shipyard in California established by Russians for their pelt-trading business. Today you’ll find a few picnic tables. The tiny cove is covered with odd-shaped driftwood and wave-smoothed rocks.
If you can cross Fort Ross Creek, continue to the far side of the beach and up the far bluffs. This path provides a true taste of the Sonoma Coast. If it’s a clear day, the wind will likely blow forcefully. Raptors soar overhead. In spring, you’ll see bounteous coastal wildflowers—lupine, paintbrush, and Douglas iris. Peek over the bluff edges to watch the waves crash against the rocky shoreline.
The trail descends to a gravel road where you’ll find rest-rooms and a 20-site campground. A path leads to the right, down to the beach. Retrace your steps to head back.
From U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa, drive west on Hwy. 116 for 33 miles to Hwy. 1 near Jenner. Continue north on Hwy. 1 for 15 miles to the entrance to Fort Ross State Historic Park.
