Get to Know Fort Ross
Visit the village of Fort Ross, California, on the Pacific Ocean coast, to check out Fort Ross State Historic Park in Sonoma Wine Country.
This fascinating point of interest, perched on the ocean cliffs, was the original meeting place of Russian and Spanish expansion across lands and seas. The park museum features displays of Russian and Native Alaskan cultures, as well as exhibits about communities that once thrived in the area, including the Ashaya Indian, Russian, and Spanish Rancho periods.
Explore reconstructed buildings that recall the once-thriving trading colony, including a stockade, a Russian chapel, the barracks, blockhouses, and an original structure from 1836. As the site of California’s first windmill, there’s also a replica of this innovation on display. Tours are available, and the park hosts regular festivals, community workshops, and fun events to celebrate heritage and the land.
From 1812 to 1841, Fort Ross was the southernmost Russian settlement along the west coast of North America and an outpost of the Russian American Company, a commercial hunting and trading operation. Today, this fascinating site is a California Historical Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Nearby, Stillwater Cove Regional Park offers more than two miles of easy trails and pleasant campsites.
Just a few miles north of Fort Ross, the Timber Cove Resort has an impressive 93-foot art sculpture overlooking the sea that you can walk around while you take in the ocean views.
Other activities along Sonoma County’s scenic coast include wine tasting, beach walking, hiking, picnicking, and more.
Find more info about things to do in Sonoma County.
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