Link With Russia Visible at Ft. Ross

Ft. Ross, the last remnant of Czarist Russia’s foothold in California, today is a walker’s delight in Northern California’s Sonoma County. Near the fort, sinuous Highway 1 suddenly straightens. You look out upon a handsome, wind-swept bluff and spy a redwood stockade and Russian Orthodox chapel. For the first-time visitor, it’s a startling sight.

Napoleon was beginning his 1812 invasion of Russia when Ft. Ross was built. The fort’s location ideally suited the purposes of the colony; the site was easily defensible. Tall trees, necessary for the fort’s construction and the shipbuilding that would take place in the nearby cove, covered the coastal slopes. The waters were full of sea otters--an attraction for the Russian American Fur Co., which would soon hunt the animals to near-extinction. Wheat, potatoes and vegetables were grown on the coastal terrace and shipped to Russian settlements in Alaska. All in all, the fort was nearly self-sufficient.

Thanks to the state’s replication and restoration efforts, the fort’s building brings back the flavor of Russia’s foray into North America. The high stockade, built entirely of hand-hewn redwood timber, looks particularly formidable.

Also of interest is the seven-sided blockhouse, with its interpretive exhibits, and the small, wooden Orthodox chapel. And be sure to stop at the Ft. Ross Visitors Center, a new facility containing Russian, Pomo Indian and natural history exhibits.

When you’ve completed your walk through history, another surprise awaits: a hike out on the lonely, beautiful headlands.

In 1990, the state park tripled in size with the addition of the former Call Ranch--more than 2,000 acres of wooded canyons and dramatic coastline. From the old fort, you can walk north two miles along the coast via old logging roads dipping into Kolmer Gulch, which has a picnic area, and continuing to a stand of redwood and Douglas fir.

You can also walk south two miles (or more) along the coast, as detailed below. North- or south-bound hikers will enjoy grand views of the fort and close looks at the result of earthquake action along the San Andreas Fault.

Directions to trail head: Ft. Ross State Historic Park is off Highway 1, about 12 miles north of the small town of Jenner and about 50 miles west of Santa Rosa.

The hike: Exit the fort’s main gate, follow the stockade walls to the left and join the downhill path. It’s a short walk to secluded Ft. Ross Cove, one of California’s first shipyards. You’ll find an interpretive display and picnic tables there.

Cross Ft. Ross Creek on a small footbridge. Earthquake action along the mighty San Andreas Fault has altered the course of the creek by more than half a mile. Follow the path inland along the creek, which is lined with bay laurel, willow, alder and Douglas iris. After a hundred yards, look to your right for a narrow, unmarked path leading south.

The indistinct path travels onto an open coastal terrace. You’ll no doubt see some sheep feeding on the vegetation. Follow the undulations of the rye grass- and barley-covered headland and meander first southeast, then southwest. Continue down-coast until you spot a path descending to a dirt road. (Don’t try to climb the sheep fence; use the stile where the road dead-ends.)

Descend the dirt road to Reef Campground, formerly a private campground and now a state park facility. It’s a good place for a picnic.

Across the road, another stile beckons to the entrance of Sonoma County’s “lost coast,” so named because high cliffs and high tides keep this seven miles of beach hidden from most hikers.

Should you continue, a mile of walking across boulder-strewn beaches brings you to Ft. Ross Reef, which discourages further progress.

Where: Ft. Ross State Historic Park. Distance: To Ft. Ross Cove, 1/2 mile round trip; to Reef Point Campground, 4 miles round trip. Hikers can extend hike north along the park bluffs, as well as south along Sonoma County’s “lost coast.” Terrain: Rye grass-and wild barley-covered coastal terrace, a calm sheltered cove, dramatic bluffs shaped by the San Andreas Fault. Highlights: Reconstructed Ft. Ross, largest Russian settlement on California coast. Dramatic ocean views. Degree of difficulty: Easy. Precautions: Don’t get stranded by the high tides, which cover the Sonoma County beaches near Ft. Ross. For more information: Contact the Ft. Ross State Historic Park at (707) 847-3286.