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| In the heart of the redwood forests of coastal Sonoma County in Northern
California, Cazadero invites relaxation amidst these majestic trees, which surely have a spirit of their own. Located in the Russian River area, yet not entirely of the Russian River area, Cazadero California is a place of utmost beauty. With no hotels, no resorts, just scattered pet-friendly vacation home rentals and one small inn, Cazadero reveals its charms to only a few visitors at a time.
The tiny town of Cazadero draws its life from both the redwood forests and magnificent Austin Creek, with its quiet pools overhung with graceful bay laurel trees, meandering to meet the Russian River. The hillsides, lush with ferns, cascade hundreds of waterfalls in the winter and the creek roars to life. In summer, the sun warms a kinder, gentler creek, with its sand and gravel beaches, wading stretches, and swimming holes.
Cazadero is a place to BE, not to DO.
But if you want to DO... |
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Have coffee and a scone at Raymond's Bakery: This bakery and coffee shop at 5400 Cazadero Highway, just down the road from downtown Cazadero, is a surprise in the middle of the redwood forest. Raymond's serves a variety of focaccia, French and artisan breads, cakes, tarts, scones, cookies, and assorted other pastries. Daily offerings are at the whim of the baker and you will probably meet some interesting locals hanging out here. |
Forget the milk? Want to rent a video, try Cazadero Wine, find a gift for someone back home?
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| Don't miss it: Open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 8:00pm, Saturday, 9:00am to 8:00pm. 6125 Cazadero Highway, Cazadero. 707.632.5287 |
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Cazadero General Store is a downhome, heart-of-the-community, kind of place that you must visit even if you didn't forget the milk.
This store in downtown Cazadero is 100 years old, with vintage charm that includes beautifully worn wooden floors. Its friendly owners, Heidi and Dale, serve up an amazing variety of both everyday and luxury items. Shop for Cazadero wines, some so scarce and so fine, they are almost impossible to find elsewhere: Flowers, Wild Hog, W.H. Smith, Annapolis and David Hirsch. Groceries range from fresh produce, dairy products, and deli meats and cheeses to frozen Harris Ranch steaks and organic chicken. You can buy Adam's organic coffee and grind it on the premises and there are shelves full of organic and gourmet food items, including bulk herbs. There's hot pizza, Jelly Bellies, truffles, ice cream, bread, muffins. and rock candy, as well as a complete line of drugstore items. If you forgot the charcoal, it's here. Need a birthday card, it's here. Run out of toothpaste, it's here. The Cazader General Store also features a gift shop where you can buy your very own Cazadero General Store T-shirt, old-fashioned toys such as tin tops, jack in the boxes, tea sets, Raggedy Ann dolls, kites, and much more.
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Have brunch or dinner at CazSonoma Inn:
The restaurant, featuring a view of a waterfall, pond and gardens, is open from May through Thanksgiving, serving dinner from 5:30pm until 8:30pm and Sunday brunch from 10 am until 2 pm. The menu changes to reflect the freshest California fare possible. |
The dinner prices include a four course meal featuring soup/appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert, as well as coffee or tea. Sunday brunch offers fresh fruit, muffins, yogurt, and grill selections such as Eggs Benedict and omelets, for $15. CazSonoma Inn also has four rooms in the inn, in addition to two cottages, which can be rented by the night, two night minimum in high season. |
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To find the Inn, turn left onto Kidd Creek Road, which is 2.6 miles up Cazadero Highway from River Road, and continue about a mile to the end of the road. |
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Watch Redwoods Being Milled: Berry's Saw Mill is found at Highway 116, along the Russian River, just past Cazadero Highway. At Berry's, you can watch the fascinating process of redwood trees becoming lumber. Free, self guided tour. Open Mon - Fri 7:45am - 4:30pm; Sat 8am - 12pm.
Need a lawyer? Maureen Berry, J.D. has her law office here too! |
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| Admire Rhododendrons: Each April through May, right here in Cazadero, up the coast from where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean, these spectacular flowers burst into bloom and color the deep green of the forest with brilliant pink blossoms. Ferns carpet the canyons where seasonal streams abound. In addition to the rhododendrons, other understory plants include salals, pacific wax myrtle, and California huckleberry. This pristine reserve contains 317 acres of second-growth redwood, Douglas fir, grand firs, tanoaks, and a plethora of rhododendrons. There are five miles of hiking trails through the quiet forest with a short loop trail that leads through clusters of rhododendrons. No dogs or bikes are allowed on the trail. (Photo borrowed from the Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve website.) |
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Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve is adjacent to Salt Point State Park, 20 mi. north of Jenner on Hwy 1 in Cazadero. |
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Get Out in the Great Outdoors!
Go Bicycling: Bicyclists practice here for the Tour de France and this is one of the best cycling areas in the county. Austin Creek Road to Cazadero Highway to Fort Ross Road is a favorite route or you can try this breathtaking bike trip through the redwoods and along the Russian River from Monte Rio to Cazadero.
Print Bike Route |
Click for Bricque |
Play Tennis or Basketball: Courts are located at the community center in town. There's a playground there as well.
Go Kayaking: Nearby Duncans Mills offers kayak rentals for superb boating on the scenic lower Russian River. This safe outdoor adventure requires no experience and Russian River Outfitters will make sure you have safe equipment and instruction.
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Go Shop or Eat at Duncans Mills: Just a minute's drive west on River Road from Cazadero Highway, this little community once revolved around redwood lumber mills operated by Samuel and Alexander Duncan in the late 1800s. In 1877, the North Pacific Gauge Railroad completed its tracks to Duncans Mills and hauled out much of the redwood lumber used to build San Francisco. Redwood was also transported south by ship.
For a while, Duncans Mills was a lively destination for Bay Area tourists who traveled to the town via two daily passenger trains. During its heyday, the town had four hotels, restaurants and a saloon to accommodate visitors. Starting in the 1920s, the increased popularity of the automobile began to diminish the number of train riders. As this trend continued, Duncans Mills began to decline and it eventually fell into disrepair. The last train rolled out of the town in 1935. |
Fortunately for modern day visitors, this was not the end of the town. Duncans Mills has been restored to closely match its earlier appearance and it's easy to imagine a train chugging into town with a load of city slickers from San Francisco. The railroad depot has been turned into a museum with exhibits of tools, historic photographs, railroad memorabilia and items from Duncans Mills sawmills, with a few historic rail cars standing outside.
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Most of the other buildings have been revived as shops, galleries or restaurants that make browsing in Duncans Mills an enjoyable experience. There is a charming general store with deli, a candy store, a coffee shop, a terrific wine and cheese tasting shop (with a Friday evening “happy hour“) as well as numerous gift shops and galleries. Visit duncansmills.net for a list of Duncans Mills businesses, as well as some history. |
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Best of all, there is a fine restaurant:
Cape Fear is across the road; a full-scale restaurant with an outside dining patio (upper right photo). The food here is truly terrific, although you might want to buy your wine at the Wine & Cheese Tasting Shop next door (lower right photo). |
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