Top 20 Natural Monuments in Sonoma County

The old highway is now a loop for parking and social trails lead closer to the cliff, overlooking the beach cove at the foot below. The trail continues on the other side of the new highway, past some, usually closed, gates into the easement-protected preserve ranch.

This is a key segment of one of Salt Point State Park's world wonders: a pygmy forest. The Bishop and Bolander pines, Mendocino cypresses, and redwoods here are fully mature (and in some cases, more than a century old), but at only a few feet tall, are uniquely miniature. These trees’ stunted growth is caused by an inhospitable combo of highly-acidic, nutrient-free soil and a below-surface hardpan layer that blocks soil drainage and prevents the trees from setting the deep roots they need to thrive. The 3.8-mile, two-hour loop of the Pygmy Forest Trail takes you through a mixed evergreen forest, a grassy prairie surrounded by pines, and lots of mushrooms and wildflowers (in season) before you reach pygmy tree territory. Start out on Central Trail, located near the ranger station. You’ll pass madrone, Douglas fir, tan oaks, and eucalyptus as you ascend steadily upward. The occasional interpretive signs are interesting, describing various plants and the way they were used by the area’s first residents, the Kashaya Pomo. After you’ve walked about one-and-a-half miles you’ll come to an intersection; turn left onto this North Trail, which brings you through the pygmy forest. Turn left again at the Water Tank Trail; it’s short, less than a quarter mile, at which time you rejoin the Central Trail by turning right. This brings you back to the ranger station https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453

Protected by a bay from the wild whims of the Pacific Ocean, Bodega Bay is a picturesque fishing village on the Sonoma Coast that is home to sights, sounds and activities - on land or by sea - that call to the adventurer in all of us. Bodega Head, a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, is perfect for strolling along the cliffs and spotting migrating whales observe. A special magic surrounds Bodega and Bodega Bay north of San Francisco. Alfred Hitchcock shot the film “The Birds” here, and the region served as a place of strength and inspiration for artists. The secret of Bodega? Tony Anello, 67, thinks about whether he should start with Alfred Hitchcock. Or rather with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the disguise artists? Or at the end with Ansel Adams, the photographer of the century? They all worked in Bodega and shaped the image of the place, whose motifs are world-famous and whose name hardly anyone knows. "Well, at least I can name the best-kept secret," says Anello finally: "The recipe for my clam chowder." He says this with a poker face, half mischief and half seriousness behind it - and to the chords of a blues guitarist who has set up next to Anello's fish stand and entertains those waiting solely for tips.

Schocken Hill is a great lookout over Sonoma via the Sonoma Overlook Trail. It is a well-graded hike with creek bed crossings, trees, and some stretches through grassland. At the top, there is a stone bench with a plaque in honor of Robert Bootzin (Also called "Gypsy Boots").

This beach is beautiful, with plenty of beachcombing, tide pools accessible at low tide and plenty of black sand. It is a perfect spot to watch the sunset and enjoy the views of the fantastic rock formations and the Pacific Ocean. The sound of the waves hitting the large rocks is very relaxing, making this spot a great place to take a break and spend quality time taking in the scenery.

This small peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean is stunning. You can see many marine wildlife here, including harbor seals, seabirds, and gray whales. The rugged granite bluffs are a wonderful place to explore and capture photos of the spectacular, expansive scenic views while enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water.

To see the hole in the Arch the best perspective is this cliff above the South end of the beach cove, though a good telezoom lense is helpful to cover the mile or more distance.

Just beautiful. We drove through it completely in the fog back then, but that also had something mystical about it!