River Lady is a mid-century modern, cozy, and updated cabin located on the bank of the Russian River and walking distance to downtown Guerneville. With a private river dock and back deck overlooking the river, you may spot river otters, osprey, egrets, herons, and more elusive wildlife. You are surrounded by trees, nature, and the convenience of town so close. Solar-powered with A/C and heat in every room.
Enjoy the quirks of original artwork and vintage posters! Previous guests say it best: The house is a great mix of vintage and modern, with a cozy and clean interior… The gorgeous views and amazing river access, very well-appointed home, comfy beds, great kitchen, fantastic deck and walkable to town… it was truly an ideal place to stay on the Russian River. We really wished we could’ve stayed longer and would love to come back someday.
Know Before You Book:
Maximum Occupancy and Quiet Hours: The maximum occupancy at River Lady is 4 people not including kids under 3 years old. Quiet hours are from 9:00 pm until 7:00 am. Outdoor amplified sound is prohibited at all times.
A Note About Our Cleaning Fees: Thank you for supporting our local business! When you stay with us, you support local families at work. We think everyone deserves a decent living wage, and we make sure to set the rates and fees so that our cleaners earn a living wage in beautiful Sonoma County.
Parking: There is parking for a maximum of 2 vehicles in the driveway. RVs, trailers, and campers are prohibited, per the Sonoma County Vacation Rental Ordinance. Street parking is scarce.
Bed Sizes: First bedroom: Queen bed; Second bedroom: Queen bed.
Heating: This house has a mini-split heater and A/C per bedroom and common area. There are individual remotes per space and a tablet to control the system as a whole.
Cooling: This house has a mini-split heater and A/C per bedroom and common area. There are individual remotes per space and a tablet to control the system as a whole.
Kitchen: In addition to the usual appliances, River Lady’s kitchen includes a dishwasher, Delonghi Nespresso, and lots of extras.
Bathroom: The bathroom is off the hallway for easy access and includes a shower stall – no bathtub.
Location: River Lady is in a mixed use - residential/commercial - neighborhood. It is a mix of permanent residents and vacation rentals, families, working folks, and shops. To honor this balance, we ask guests to park only in the spaces described above and respect the quiet hours in addition to general family-friendly, residential neighborhood expectations. Thank you for helping to continue the tradition of a mutually beneficial relationship between vacation rentals and local community! Because of the closer-to-downtown location and closer neighbors, guests may see and hear neighbors, businesses, and more urban experiences. Please reach out to the office if you have questions about this.
Road Noise: River Lady is located on a frontage road to River Road which is one of two main road along the Russian River. Once inside the house, road noise is negligible, but outside you will hear traffic which dies down at night.
Rural Setting and Critters: We live in a rural area with ants, spiders, rodents, and larger critters from raccoons and mountain lions to bears. While we make the best effort to protect against them from coming into homes, we also do not use poison where it can harm wildlife, pets, and children. And keeping all critters out is simply not possible. We appreciate your help in putting tasty smelling items into refrigerators, proper disposal of trash, and understanding that ants (especially) come in without warning and may not have been present at the time of cleaning.
Cell Phones: Please be aware that many cell phones will not have service at this location. There is WiFi though!
Stairs: While the living areas in the house are all one level,
Stairs and Paths: River Lady is a 2-story home with the bedrooms and living areas all one level. There are… 20 of stairs from the parking area to the front door and 33 from the back deck to the yard. There are seasonally available stairs to the dock and river. Please look through the photos if stairs are a concern. There is a set of stairs to the front door and a separate set of stairs from the back deck to the back yard. And paths connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. We encourage guests to look at the photos and floor plans to see if this is the right fit for your group. There are 3 stairs from the parking area to the front door and 4 from the dog run area into the laundry room. There is a flight of stairs from the entry area to the loft. From the back deck, there is a short flight of steps to a gravel path to the pool area. Another set of shallow steps (approx. 8 stairs) leads from the front of the house to the pool area. Both doors into the pool house have 3 stairs. Paths and outdoor stairs follow natural contours and are not evenly spaced or level.
Pet Policy: No Pets Allowed.
Fencing: None of the yard is fenced but the back deck has a gate at the top of the stairs.
Work from HERE:
Advertised Wifi Speed: Download speeds up to 800 mbps; Upload speeds up to 20 mbps
A Note About TVs: The Smart TV in the living room has Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, and hundreds of streaming channels via Apple TV. Guests are welcome to bring their login info for these apps.
Additional Amenities:
Docks, Boats, and River Access: These are seasonal amenities and only available when conditions allow. Expect docks, boats, and river access when the summer dams are in (mid-June to mid- September). Conditions vary from year to year and can change rapidly – use your best judgement to determine your risk level and comfort in the water/physical activity. The dock is permanent, but may be underwater in the off-season. There are 3 kayaks and 1 SUP, when available, and stairs to the river dock from the backyard.
Driving Distances:
Proximity to wineries: Korbel Winery is 2.6 miles and oodles more within a short drive.
Nearest River Access/Beach: River access is directly behind the house – down the seasonally accessible stairs to the dock (see dock and boat access info above).
Johnson's Beach is the closest river beach, an easy .7 mile walk or drive, and all around fabulous place to enjoy the river, rent boats, inner tubes, beach umbrellas, and grab a beer and bite to eat - when they are open for the season. Otherwise, you can wander the beach, but the boats and concession stand will not be available.
Nearest Ocean Beach: There are many ocean beaches along the Sonoma coast, but one of the closest is Goat Rock State Beach just south of Jenner – 15.3 miles from the house.
Distance to Downtown Guerneville: Walk or drive the .6-ish mile route to downtown Guerneville.
Northwood Golf Course: 3.8 miles.
Distance to Santa Rosa Airport: 14.4 miles.
Recent Reviews for River Lady (under prior management):
Cathie - 5 stars - January 2025
Easy to find location was right on the Russian River nice BBQ with a nice sitting area. Deck over looking the river. Chairs and kayaks included. All the kitchen amenities bathroom with a towel warmer which was nice. Definitely would book again.
Madeleine - 5 stars - November 2024
This is our new favorite spot on the Russian River. A cozy, thoughtfully designed home, with a well stocked kitchen. A stunning view of the river. We felt at home right away, and never wanted to leave. Also, you can walk along Old River Rd and be in town in 10 minutes! Absolutely heavenly.
Elise - 5 stars - September 2024
We really enjoyed our stay at the River Lady house. The set up is probably best for 2 couples, but it worked well for us with 2 young kids as well. The riverfront location was beautiful and we enjoyed taking out the kayaks and going on a short paddle with the kids to nearby Johnson's Beach. Also loved grilling outside and enjoying the back deck surrounded by trees and the river view. A relaxing, cozy getaway! Some guests may want to note that the home is regularly used and so it's well stocked but not a spartan Airbnb-only property, and that there are 2 flights of steps to the entrances. Also of note, kayaks are available for guest use but hosts ask you to haul them up every day up a long flight of stairs, which may be tough for some.
Sam - 5 stars - September 2024
Amazing host and place! Loved staying at this cozy river house for almost a week. The selling point of this place is the dock located on the property. Allowed us to use their kayaks which made for a fun time on the river. Overall, it is an amazing place we would love to stay at again!
Rupal - 5 stars - October 2024
The house is a great mix of vintage and modern, with a cozy and clean interior. The kitchen is functional and well stocked, the bathroom is clean and comfortable. The view is great and it’s a great place for a weekend getaway.
Shawna - 4 stars - August 2024
Nice place right on the river. Beautiful surroundings. Road noise sometimes made it difficult to sleep, but running the fan helped. Had some issues with lighting the stove and getting in touch with someone, but owners eventually reached out and tried to help We just decided not to use it again. Great place for kayaking on the river, and enjoyed having our own access and ability to launch right off the private dock. Neighbors are very close though so not as private as we had hoped. Interior of the house was very nice with very comfortable beds. House manual gave clear instructions that helped with running the AC and smart lights, as well as finding things we needed during our stay. Overall nice little getaway on the river.
Alyson - 5 stars - June 2024
We had the most wonderful stay! The gorgeous views and amazing river access, very well appointed home, comfy beds, great kitchen, fantastic deck and walkable to town… it was truly an ideal place to stay on the Russian River. We really wished we could’ve stayed longer and would love to come back someday.
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