Sonoma Coast State Park, California
© Rachid Dahnoun/Tandem Stills + Motion
Tides and twilight
Sonoma Coast State Park offers a picturesque retreat with its sandy beaches, natural arches, and secluded coves. Established in 1934, the park encompasses 17 miles of Northern California coastline between Jenner and Bodega Bay. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot seals, sea lions, whales, and a variety of birds like towhees, warblers, finches, sparrows, and orioles. History buffs will enjoy exploring the sea stack formation with rubbing marks believed to have been made by mammoths that roamed the area 40,000 years ago. The park is also home to historical sites like Bodega Head, where Russians built a fort in the early 1800s.
Fort Ross, near the park, was established in 1812 by the Russian-American Company. This settlement marked the southernmost expansion of Russian colonization in North America. The fort primarily served as a hub for the fur trade, focusing on hunting sea otters along the Pacific coast. By the mid-1830s, the fur trade had declined, and in 1841, the fort was sold to John Sutter, an American entrepreneur.