oceanside picnic

Sonoma Coast· 1 mi

A small, low-key county park between Fort Ross and Salt Point that mixes a forest picnic with a small ocean cove. Walk off lunch on the redwood Canyon Trail, which passes the one-room 1885 Fort Ross Schoolhouse, or head down to the cove for tide-pooling. It's one of the few spots on this coast where dogs can go almost everywhere.

Sonoma Coast· 2 mi

The reconstructed 1812 Russian-American Company outpost on the Kashia Pomo homeland of Metini sits on a marine terrace 12 winding miles north of Jenner. It's one of the few Sonoma Coast stops that pairs a picnic with real history, and you can eat at tables right inside the stockade. Bring everything with you, since the park sells no food.

Sonoma Coast· 4 mi

Six miles of wild, rocky coastline about 20 miles north of Jenner. Gerstle Cove's tide pools, kelp beds and sculpted sandstone make one of the most scenic table picnics on the North Coast. Pair it with Fort Ross, whose day-use receipt covers entry here the same day, or a spring walk among the rhododendrons at Kruse next door.

Sonoma Coast· 10 mi

The dramatic, easy-to-reach beach at the mouth of the Russian River, just south of Jenner, with free parking, tables and restrooms. It's a natural stop for anyone driving River Road and Highway 116 out from the Russian River wineries: eat lunch watching the harbor seals, then walk the Kortum Trail bluffs south toward Shell Beach.