(TOT #1422N)
NO parties. Property is not licensed to host parties under Sonoma County laws. NO more than 6 people may occupy the house, day or night.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:
The Goat Rock House sits on a bluff along the Sonoma Coast and is uniquely located inside Goat Rock Beach Park, more than one mile west of Highway 1. Our house is about 1 hour and 45-minute drive (73 miles) north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge; 4 miles south of Jenner; 10 miles north of Bodega Bay; and only 5 minutes south of the Russian River Bridge.
As you drive down the winding road and rock formations towards the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Russian River, you know that you have arrived at a special place. Our house is one of a small handful of homes that are grandfathered in the State Park and blessed by the park’s sweeping panorama of the Pacific Ocean and status as a natural reserve.
The 3-bedroom house fronts a small road on a spectacular 1-acre oceanfront lot. As you enter the driveway, you will be struck by the sense of privacy offered by the Cypress and Pine trees that border the land. From the living room and kitchen windows, enjoy an exclusive front-row seat and a 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean and Arch Rock – the dramatic rock formation that photographers frequently use to typify the natural beauty of the Sonoma Coast. As you turn to the southern, western, and northern windows, you will be mesmerized by the park’s beauty, its peacefulness, and the signature of Goat Rock that endears visitors year-round, the incredible panoramic views of the Pacific coastline.
With the Pacific Ocean and the Russian River at its base, this house and its surroundings have something for everyone. Relish a cup of coffee or glass of wine on the deck, enjoy the tranquility offered by the ocean's panorama or revel in the activities offered by the park’s rugged trails, beaches, and river terrains. The house is within walking distance to two beaches directly below: (1) Blind Beach where the Kortum Trail begins and (2) Goat Rock Beach as defined by the isthmus and the mouth of the Russian River.
We are less than an hour's drive to the award-winning Pinot Noir vineyards of the Russian River backcountry, the new appellation of Fort Ross, and the town of Healdsburg. Whether you choose to do a little or a lot, you will find yourself coming back to Goat Rock.
AMENITIES
This 1,000 square feet home has an open floor plan for the kitchen, dining, and living room areas. The house can accommodate up to 6 people comfortably. State-certified well water (very drinkable) is trucked to the house for storage and use.
All rooms are situated on a single level. There is a wrap-around deck that surrounds all four sides of the house with a nice short ramp provided for those guests who are walking-challenged or wheelchair-reliant. The house has tile flooring throughout and furnished with craftsman-style décor with a blend of modern. The kitchen is fully equipped, with commercial appliances and a gas stove. New counter-height dining table and waterfall seats are ideally set up for staring at the ocean. The beds and pillows are covered by quality linens and allergen-proof liners. Gas BBQ and bar-height tables on the deck. 2-loads of firewood for use in the large, brick fireplace for times when the coast is foggy, cold, and windy.
Electronics: Free wireless internet, HD-TV with sound bar, DVD/CD/ blue-ray player, and iPod docking station. Free phone calls within the US by land line (except Alaska). Very limited cell coverage but wire-fi-enabled phone calls and texting work well.
WILDLIFE AND ACTIVITIES (INSIDE PARK)
The Goat Rock State Park is located more than a mile west of Highway 1, far from the glare of ambient lights, and separated from the small town of nearby Jenner by both the Russian River estuary and the Goat Hill peninsula. As a result, on a clear night, the house offers some of the darkest night skies and unbelievable opportunities for star gazing and night photography.
Besides its two beaches, the Goat Rock State Park offers many miles of walking trails, including the Kortum Trail and the western section of the Pomo Canyon Trail. These trails lead you to ocean vistas, wind-swept grasslands, wildlife, and faunas. The unique rock formations along the Kortum Trail near the park’s entrance are used by rock climbers for a wide variety of climbing challenges.
The Park has also earned the distinction as a wildlife refuge -- home to a variety of migrating birds and, between mid-February and August, a colony of quiet, state-protected harbor seals and their nurseries. During weekends, the small road in front of the house can be popular as visitors drive to the estuary. When the park closes at sunset, relish the privacy that only a state park preserve can provide. Turn off the lights, step onto the front deck and hear the roar of the ocean below. On a clear night, see the shimmers of a dark night sky stretch across the ocean’s horizon.
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE PARK
Outside of the Park, you are a 5-mins drive from the Willow Pass Trail; 15-mins drive from the start of the Pomo Canyon Trail; 20-mins drive from the trails at Bodega Head and also, to the Bird Walk Trail in Bodega Bay; 35 mins from the start of the advanced bike ride up King Ridge Road, and 40-mins from the Armstrong Redwood State Natural Reserve in Guerneville.
Enjoy bird-watching, canoeing, and fishing (upriver from Russian River Bridge). October begins the small Steelhead run; November begins the larger Steelhead run that would continue to April. Occasionally, some of our guests have spotted whales from our deck. Whale migration southward begins from mid-November through April.
For the northern coast of California, expect unpredictable weather during certain times of the year (especially spring and summer), when the coast can have a 30F degree drop in temperature within a day. On days like this, we recommend that guests explore inland, where temperatures can be 10 to 15F degrees warmer. The house is about 30-mins drive from zipline activities in a redwood valley of Forestville, delightful general stores of Valley Ford and Duncans Mills, a gourmet deli in the Korbel Champagne House, famous loaves of bread from Wild Flour Bread in Freestone, and many fine restaurants in Jenner, Bodega Bay (1-Michelin star), and Guerneville.
About 30 mins drive lies the start of several award-winning Pinot Noir vineyards along River Road and Sonoma’s back roads. Add another 15 mins and you reach the lovely town of Healdsburg, from which to explore Alexander Valley. Sonoma County was named among the top 20 travel destinations in the world by Forbes and Frommer's for 2020.
