Get in
[edit]The most direct route by car, from the south (San Francisco) is Highway 101 north to Highway 116 West, in Cotati. Drive 116 west (and north) 9 miles to Sebastopol; turn left on Bodega Highway. When you reach Highway 1, turn (right) north to Jenner, which is very close.
Alternatively, from 101, take River Road (north of Santa Rosa) west until you reach Highway 1, then turn north.
- Mendocino Transit Authority offers limited bus service from Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Point Arena, and other parts of Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]Do
[edit]- Explore the coast. Drive north or south on Hwy 1, and you will find many trails and "state beaches". Casual swimming is discouraged because of rip currents and heavy surf. Near the mouth of the Russian River, Goat Rock State Beach has an easily accessed sandy beach, picnic tables, and restroom facilities. The beach is home to a colony of harbor seals which are fun to watch. To protect the seals, no dogs are allowed.
- Dive for abalone, a shellfish prized as a delicacy. Be sure to familiarise yourself with the California abalone regulations, including a minimum size limit of 7 inches, and prohibition of using scuba gear when diving for abalone.
- Scuba dive. Note: Jenner is just outside of the notorious "Red Triangle", an area where swimmers encounter great white sharks more frequently, and it's safer to look like a seal in the water.
- Explore the river estuary by kayak. Try Lotus Kayak Rentals, near the Sea Gull gift shop, ☏ +1 707-865-9604.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- Cafe Aquatica, 10439 Highway 1, ☏ +1 707-865-2251. Daily 8AM-5PM. A scenic coffee house with very decent food; outdoor seating with views of the Pacific Ocean.
- Jenner Inn (Jenner by the Sea), 10400 Highway 1, ☏ +1 707-865-2377, [email protected]. While the inn is primarily for lodging, it does have a restaurant and a large bar.
- Rivers End, 11048 Highway 1, ☏ +1 707-865-2484. Dinner daily; lunch on weekends. More expensive, fine dining, with great views of the sunset on the Pacific Ocean. (Also has a few cabins, for lodging.)
- Jilly’s Real Food Roadhouse, 9960 Hwy 1 (south of the Jenner town center (south of the Russian River)), ☏ +1 707-756-0119. M F 11:30AM-6PM; weekends brunch 10AM-1PM; regular menu 1-6PM. New as of November 2024, this location is finally getting a restaurant that it deserves, given its incredible views of the bay. Casual, comfort foods. Try the fried chicken!
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- Jenner Inn and Cottages, Highway One, toll-free: +1-800-732-2377. cabins: $130, luxury suites: $300+.
- River's End Inn, Highway One, ☏ +1 707-865-2484.A plus (or minus) is that there is no television or cell phone reception here, but, alas for those trying to entirely avoid the news, there is now complimentary wifi.
- 1 Ocean Cove Lodge, 23255 Highway One, toll-free: +1 707-847-3136. 17 miles north of Jenner, nestled in the redwoods, overlooking the Pacific Ocean
Go next
[edit]- Fort Ross – off Hwy 101. Original and reconstructed buildings of the southernmost Russian settlement from the early 1800s. (Three miles north of Fort Ross is Timber Cove Resort, an upscale place to stay on the coast.)
From Jenner, escape north on Highway 1 as it winds its way up along Russian Gulch Beach, Fort Ross (where Russia maintained a trading outpost and fort in the early 19th century), Kruse Rhododendron State Park, Gualala, and points beyond. The road is curvy and often runs with no guard rails high above the rocky coast—not for the faint-hearted or those prone to car sickness.
Wineries abound elsewhere in the Russian River area and Napa Valley.
| Routes through Jenner |
| Fort Bragg ← Fort Ross ← | N  S
|
→ Bodega Bay → San Francisco |
| END ← | W  E
|
→ Monte Rio → Petaluma |