Beaches List

Fort Ross Beach & Cove, Fort Ross, California --The lush rolling hills and plateaus that make up Fort Ross lead to cliffs and slopes dropping suddenly into the Pacific Ocean. On the Fort Ross state parks property are not only picnic grounds and museum tours, but also a beach visitors can access via a grassy path. The beach itself is a small cove where kayaks are launched and anglers cast lines. Fishing is popular in this location but you won't find much sunbathing or ocean swimming here, due to the cold ocean currents, offshore rock formations and waves that are unpredictable

Fort Ross was once the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the North American continent. Established as an agricultural base, California's first windmills and shipbuilding were here.  For over 30 years Russians, Native Alaskans, Californians and Creoles co-existed in the Russian-American Company settlement from 1812 to 1841.   Rotchev house, an existing building renovated in about 1836 for Alexander Rotchev, the last manager of Ross, is the only surviving original structure. Several other buildings have been reconstructed: the first Russian Orthodox chapel south of Alaska, the stockade, and four other buildings called the Kuskov House, The Officials Barracks, and two corner blockhouses.

The park is 12 miles north of Jenner on Highway One. From Highway 101 there are two routes to the fort.