| Sonoma Coast State Park | |
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 Interactive map of Sonoma Coast State Park | |
| Location | Sonoma County, California |
| Nearest city | Jenner |
| Coordinates | 38°22′8.39″N123°4′25.28″W / 38.3689972°N 123.0736889°W /38.3689972; -123.0736889 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Sonoma Coast State Park is a State ofCalifornia property inSonoma County consisting of public access use on lands adjoining thePacific Ocean. This extent of beach runs from a coastal point about 4 miles (6 km) north ofJenner and continues for approximately 17 miles (27 km) to the south to terminate atBodega Head. The property lies alongState Route 1 and consists of a number of named beaches including Arched Rock Beach, Gleason Beach andGoat Rock Beach. The ecosystem consists of alternating sandy beaches androcky shoreline, with amarine terrace extending above the entire extent with an uplandCalifornia coastal prairie habitat.
This strip ofcoastal property is subject to continuing marineerosion as well as windborne erosion, thus creating a situation where an average of one to three feet (30 to 90 cm) per year of land mass is lost. Obviously in years of heavy storms this value can be higher, whereas, in a less stormy year the land erosion can be lower. Over the lastgeologic epoch the land has been subject to uplift, a process which has created amarine terrace of the entire extent of the property. This marine terrace is elevated approximately 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) abovemean sea level, which results in a steepbluff directly above thelittoral zone.
Vertical rock formations are a geological hallmark of this site, and have weathered far less than the bulk of the soils. These features are known assea stacks, and they appear standing out of the water or on thebeach as though as sculptures placed decoratively along the shoreline. Occasionally these stacks appear as adornments on the marine terrace, indicating their ancient origin on the sea floor prior to uplift. These rock formations are composed ofsandstone with layers ofquartz.
The activeSan Andreas Fault runs roughly parallel and near to the coastline of Sonoma Coast State Park. Soils within the site are classified as coastal beach sands (where rocky shoreline is not evident) and marineescarpment group soils on the marine terrace; typically soils above the marine terrace are in the Rohnerville loam group.[1] Most of the beach sands consist of a medium coarse brown to gray sandy materials, reflecting the high rate of erosion of escarpment soils into the ocean. There are patches of smooth pebble beach such as the approximately one hundred meter stretch lying immediately north of Goat Rock.
The habitats include marine, littoral andcoastal prairie. In the marine environment are foundgray whales,harbor seals andCalifornia sea lions as well as a multitude of fishspecies and other marine organisms. There are also modestkelp beds and other marine vegetation. The littoral beach environment has fewer organisms than more southerly zones, because of the colder temperatures; however, there aretidepools which are abundant with marineflora andfauna.
Russian River State Marine Reserve and Russian River State Marine Conservation Area andBodega Head State Marine Reserve & Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area protect area resources. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean and freshwater wildlife and marine ecosystems.
The coastal prairie soils are moderately well drained and granular in nature with moderate soil permeability; these features lead to slight erosion potential and moderately high bio-productivity. Acidity of these loamy soils is medium to high, and thus somevegetative stunting and hospitality torare plants is offered. The upland environment on the coastal prairie offers a variety ofgrasses andwildflowers including varieties oflupine,thistle andwild oats. The typical annual plant productivity is approximately 3,300 lb (1,500 kg) per acre (3700 kg/ha) of air-dried yield per annum in an abundant moisture year, and about half that amount in a very dry year. A variety of birds and mammals thrive on the coastal prairie including numerousCalifornia Mule Deer,Odocoileus hemionus californicus. The adjacentOcean Song preserve expands the protected area for wildlife and natural vegetation to include ridge-top habitats of theCalifornia Coast Ranges.[2]
Some of the oldestnatural history of this area related tomammals are ablueschist rock formation about one mile (1.6 km) south of the Russian River. There is found a sea stack formation with prominent rubbing marks about two to four meters in elevation, a height too high to have been caused by modern bovids.Mammoths are believed to have roamed here as recently as 40,000 years ago, and they are thought to have created these severe rubbing marks.[3] Mammoth fossil remains have been found atBodega Head at the south end of Sonoma Coast State Park.
Earliest known human settlement of this site was by theCoast Miwok andPomo tribes. As early as 1849 archaeological finds were recorded on this property, and to date dozens of prehistorical kitchenmiddens and other types of tribal habitation finds have been made. The property is part of theMexican land grantRancho Bodega. TheRussians are thought to have begun logging theold-growth forests directly above the coastal prairie in the early 19th century.
The underwater delineation of the property is considered to extend to 1,000 feet (300 m) from theshoreline. While noshipwrecks have been discovered, the literature indicates that there are 17 vessels which may have been lost in these waters. There are remains of numerous historic barns and otheragricultural buildings on the coastal prairie indicating 19th century settlement byEuropeans; atDuncans Point there are iron pins embedded in the sandstone bluffs as evidence of the active shipping industry here in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
The park is along theCalifornia Coastal Trail. State route 1 was rerouted due tosea level rise at Gleason Beach and was repurposed to improve the trail.[4][5]
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Although some parts of the park are too steep for easy access between Route 1 and the ocean, Kortum Trail is convenient for hiking between highway access points at Goat Rock, Shell Beach, and Wright's Beach.[6] Total trail length is approximately 3.8 mi (6.1 km).[7] The well-maintained trail includes wooden walkways across wetlands and bridges over streams.[8] Side trails offer access to the beach and tobouldering opportunities at Sunset Boulders. Whales may be seen offshore and wildflowers, birds, and deer can be observed within the coastal park.[9]
The trail was named for Sonoma County environmentalist Bill Kortum (1927–2014). Bill's mother was a descendant of theDonner Party and his father's parents were earlyCalifornia winemakers in the upperNapa Valley. After spending his youth on aPetaluma poultry and dairy farm, Bill studiedveterinary medicine atSanta Rosa Junior College and theUniversity of California, Davis. His travels as abovine veterinarian gave him an appreciation for California's disappearing rural landscape, and encouraged his environmental activism for formation of theCalifornia Coastal Commission.[10]
