Once a valley that housed the greatest biomass density of redwood forests on Earth, Guerneville became a logging community in the 1880s. Named for a Swiss immigrant, George Guerne, it later earned the nickname of “Stumptown” because of its sawmill.
Today, a 200-year-old stand of redwoods has been preserved at Armstrong Woods Park, but the Russian River is the primary attraction for about 4,500 residents spread among 10 square miles.
In the late 1970s, the town became popular as a gay weekend getaway from nearby San Francisco, so much so that it’s now renowned as an LGBTQ+ vacation destination and plays host to a Sonoma County Pride Parade and Celebration the first Sunday every June.
Once a valley that housed the greatest biomass density of redwood forests on Earth, Guerneville became a logging community in the 1880s. Named for a Swiss immigrant, George Guerne, it later earned the nickname of “Stumptown” because of its sawmill.
Today, a 200-year-old stand of redwoods has been preserved at Armstrong Woods Park, but the Russian River is the primary attraction for about 4,500 residents spread among 10 square miles.
In the late 1970s, the town became popular as a gay weekend getaway from nearby San Francisco, so much so that it’s now renowned as an LGBTQ+ vacation destination and plays host to a Sonoma County Pride Parade and Celebration the first Sunday every June.
