Jenner

Perched on a bluff high above where the Russian River meets the sea, the coastal village of Jenner (pop. 136) offers stunning vistas, spectacular sunsets, and a chance to connect with nature along the Sonoma County coast.

Each spring the competition between the ocean waves and the river's flow creates a large sand spit at the mouth of the river, creating the Russian River Estuary, home to Pacific harbor seals, brown pelicans, ospreys, great blue herons, and other wildlife.

Located on the northern edge of the estuary, below the bluffs, the Jenner Visitors Center provides interpretative displays and a nature store.

Along the coast on the southern edge of the estuary, Goat Rock State Beach offers a scenic shoreline, an easily assessable sandy beach, and the chance to picnic or comb the beach for washed-up treasures.

There are several restaurants in town and scattered along the coast, many with spectacular views. There are two lodges in town — Jenner Inn provides a range of rooms and suites, as well as two vacation homes, and River's End Inn & Restaurant, overlooking the river and ocean, offers six cabins and a restaurant, for an off-the-grid romantic escape. Vacation rentals are also available in the area, and three other lodges are a short drive away along the coast.