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Informationen zum Autor Steve Hinch has been exploring the Sonoma Coast since 1974. Born in Seattle, he grew up in the Southern California coastal city of Redondo Beach. His wilderness explorations began at a young age, when his avid rockhound parents would pack up the family and head out to remote desert locations in search of semi-precious stones nearly every weekend. He earned his way through college designing gold and silver jewelry for the family’s custom jewelry store. Trained as an electrical engineer, Steve has 30 years of management experience in the high-technology industry. He holds three patents and has authored three books. He is an expert on GPS navigation and is the author of Outdoor Navigation with GPS, a bestselling guide to the subject for hikers, backpackers, hunters, mountain bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Steve has two grown children and lives with his wife in the heart of the wine country in Santa Rosa, California. He is also an award-winning photographer who specializes in landscapes of the Southwest. Klappentext The only complete guide to the six state parks and 15 coastal and riverside regional parks in one of the most rugged and beautiful regions of northern California: the magnificent Sonoma Coast and Russian River. The full range of outdoor adventures are described here, including hiking, camping, diving, whale/seal watching, and more. At Sonoma Coast State Park, explore miles of sandy beaches, isolated coves, and wildflower-covered trails. Watch for whales at Bodega Head. Visit Fort Ross State Historic Park, a Russian colonial outpost dating back to 1812. Free-dive for abalone at Salt Point State Park, site of strange sandstone sculptures and a rare pygmy forest. See the rhododendrons that bloom each spring at nearby Kruse Rhododendron Reserve, then turn inland to Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, home to the last major stand of old-growth redwoods in Sonoma County. Detailed trail descriptions and trail maps along with a table of GPS waypoints for trail junctions and point of interest. Leseprobe Trail 1: Bodega Head Loop Length: 1.8 mile loop (2.0 miles with optional side trip to summit), 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Overview: This relatively level loop circles the southern tip of Bodega Head. It hugs the cliff edges for most of its distance, so keep young children in control. From December through April, you may be lucky enough to glimpse the spouts of California gray whales as they migrate along the coast. At several points along the way, you’ll see sheltered beaches 150 feet below you, but the faint volunteer trails down to them aren’t maintained by the State and descent is dangerous. Stay on the loop trail—if you really want to frolic in the sand, head for one of the northern beaches. Directions to Trailhead: Take Highway 1 to the north side of Bodega Bay. Turn west at the large sign labeled bodega head–westside park–marinas at Eastshore Road. Follow the road down the hill and turn right at the stop sign. This is Bay Flat Road, which becomes Westshore Road after 0.2 mile. Stay on this road for 3 miles to Campbell Cove, then continue around the hairpin turn sharply right and up the hill. At the Y intersection in the headlands above Campbell Cove, keep right to reach the west parking lot. The trail departs from the southwest corner of the parking lot just past the outhouses. Trail Description: The trail starts just to the west of the outhouses and heads south along the bluff. At 300 feet, you see a ceremonial tribute to lost fishermen on your left. Continuing southward, at 0.1 mile you see a sandy beach far down the base of the cliff on your right. A rough trail descends part way down the cliff, but it is unsafe to descend. Stay on the bluff and admire this beach from a distance. You may see seals lounging on the sand far below. At 0.4 mile, a short spur trail branches to a viewpoint on your right...
