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| Jack London State Historic Park |
New Trail Unveiled at Jack London State Historic Park
After two decades of planning and a year of trail construction, the new East Slope Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail opened March 14, 2015. Jack London State Historic Park serves as the “gateway” to the new 1.2-mile trail, which completes the existing Bay Ridge trail and allows access to a part of Sonoma Mountain never before available to the public.This natural surface, multi-use trail, located approximately seven miles northwest of the city of Sonoma, crosses two private properties and a Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District-owned property, meandering along the ridge through oak woodland and open grassland habitats, and providing stunning views.
The new trail extends the Bay Area Ridge Trail, an evolving and growing network of contiguous trail for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians along the ridgelines overlooking San Francisco Bay.
The East Slope Ridge Trail will also add to the 20-plus miles of trails currently accessible within the Jack London Park's 1,400 scenic acres.
Jack London State Historic Park
2400 London Ranch Road
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
www.jacklondonpark.com/
707-938-5216
New Sonoma County Regional Park Offers Trails, Views
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| New Sonoma County Regional Park |
The new 820-acre North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve offers outdoor enthusiasts the first public access on the mountain's north slope, with miles of trails and sweeping views.
Located about three miles up Sonoma Mountain Road from Bennett Valley Road, the new park lies next to Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, giving open access to trails across both properties.
The North Sonoma Mountain park opened in February 2015, the result of 12 years of property acquisition and planning by Sonoma County Open Agricultural Preserve and Open Space District and its nonprofit partners.
The district paid about $20 million for five of the six sites that are now North Sonoma Mountain Park, starting with buying the 169-acre Jacobs Ranch in 2003. The ranch is now the park's entrance.
The North Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail (3.8 miles one way) begins in the ferns and redwoods on the south fork of Matanzas Creek. It climbs to about 2,000 feet elevation, and connects to the western boundary of Jack London Park.
The new park also includes a wheelchair-accessible vista point above the park entrance, and the Umbrella Tree Trail, a .75-mile trail to a lone bay tree and a picnic spot with views. (Note: the park does not yet have a drinking fountain, so bring water.)
North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
5297 Sonoma Mountain Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-789-9644
parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov
Located about three miles up Sonoma Mountain Road from Bennett Valley Road, the new park lies next to Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, giving open access to trails across both properties.
The North Sonoma Mountain park opened in February 2015, the result of 12 years of property acquisition and planning by Sonoma County Open Agricultural Preserve and Open Space District and its nonprofit partners.
The district paid about $20 million for five of the six sites that are now North Sonoma Mountain Park, starting with buying the 169-acre Jacobs Ranch in 2003. The ranch is now the park's entrance.
The North Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail (3.8 miles one way) begins in the ferns and redwoods on the south fork of Matanzas Creek. It climbs to about 2,000 feet elevation, and connects to the western boundary of Jack London Park.
The new park also includes a wheelchair-accessible vista point above the park entrance, and the Umbrella Tree Trail, a .75-mile trail to a lone bay tree and a picnic spot with views. (Note: the park does not yet have a drinking fountain, so bring water.)
North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
5297 Sonoma Mountain Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-789-9644
parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov
Luther Burbank Experiment Farm Becomes a Botanical Garden
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| Luther Burbank Experiment Farm |
Visitors to the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm in Sebastopol in western Sonoma County can more easily identify its various plants, thanks to new engraved signs that list the common and scientific names for each. This brings the farm into the same category as the University of California Berkeley and San Francisco botanical gardens.
Although Burbank made his home in Santa Rosa, he developed and grew thousands of new hybrids, cross breeds, and selections on his 15-acre Gold Ridge Farm in Sebastopol from 1885 until 1926.
Restored by the efforts of volunteers, the city of Sebastopol, and the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, three acres of the original farm are now the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm, dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting Burbank's work.
Burbank introduced more than 800 new varieties of fruit and nut trees, flowers, vegetables, ornamental shrubs, and grains, including the Shasta daisy and the common baking potato.
Previously, plants on the restored farm were marked with aluminum numbers on wooden posts, and visitors looked in a brochure to find the name. Squirrels chewed the signs to sharpen their teeth, and the wooden posts rotted.
The new engraved signs were installed by volunteers, thanks to a grant from The Rotary Club of Sebastopol and with consultation by professor Richard Whitkus of the biology department at Sonoma State University.
Luther Burbank Experiment Farm
7777 Bodega Ave.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-829-671
www.wschsgrf.org
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQYPLQR1bmg
Although Burbank made his home in Santa Rosa, he developed and grew thousands of new hybrids, cross breeds, and selections on his 15-acre Gold Ridge Farm in Sebastopol from 1885 until 1926.
Restored by the efforts of volunteers, the city of Sebastopol, and the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, three acres of the original farm are now the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm, dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting Burbank's work.
Burbank introduced more than 800 new varieties of fruit and nut trees, flowers, vegetables, ornamental shrubs, and grains, including the Shasta daisy and the common baking potato.
Previously, plants on the restored farm were marked with aluminum numbers on wooden posts, and visitors looked in a brochure to find the name. Squirrels chewed the signs to sharpen their teeth, and the wooden posts rotted.
The new engraved signs were installed by volunteers, thanks to a grant from The Rotary Club of Sebastopol and with consultation by professor Richard Whitkus of the biology department at Sonoma State University.
Luther Burbank Experiment Farm
7777 Bodega Ave.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-829-671
www.wschsgrf.org
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQYPLQR1bmg
Casini Ranch Family Campground Adds Cabins, Vintage RV, Sluice Box
Casini Ranch Family Campground in Duncan Mills, just four miles inland from the Sonoma County Coast, is ready for the camping season with several new facilities, including a sluice box to search for "treasure" and an accessible cabin to make camping available to all.The wooden sluice box will let campers experience the hunt for watery treasure. Buy a bag of authentic mining rough in the campground's general store, and use the sluice box to discover all the treasure hidden inside – gems, minerals, arrowheads, fossils, shark's teeth, and more.
The new ADA camping cabin sleeps four with a queen bed and bunk beds. The cabin has electricity and access to an ADA restroom next door.
Also new this year, Casini Ranch now offers the "Honeymoon Trailer," a vintage RV available for rent. The renters choose the campsite, and the trailer will be set up and ready when they arrive.
Or, the campground has also added Riverfront Cabin 7, a rustic camping cabin that sleeps four comfortably and overlooks the river.
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| Casini Ranch Family Campground |
Casini Ranch Family Campground
22855 Moscow Road
P.O. Box 22
Duncans Mills, CA 95430-0022
707-865-5503
www.casiniranch.com
22855 Moscow Road
P.O. Box 22
Duncans Mills, CA 95430-0022
707-865-5503
www.casiniranch.com
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