8 Kook Tips for An Epic Day Trip in Guerneville

With most of the Coven—aka my close group of friends—back home on Oahu for our 15-year high school reunion, it felt like the perfect opportunity to escape the city for the weekend. Besides, it had been a gloomy in San Francisco recently—and this kook was craving some sunshine! 

After hesitating a bit too long to book an Airstream at an eco-travel location I’d been reviewing for my non-profit work (I’m hoping to still visit and write a feature about AutoCamp soon), I decided that a day trip would be just as worthwhile. 

Grabbing my phone, I quickly searched AllTrails for some easy nearby trails and found the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville. I’d been to Guerneville once before with a friend back toward the end of 2020. Though we were hyper-aware of COVID during that trip, the activities (zip lining and horseback riding), the charming offerings of the town, and the feeling of being in a quiet forest had been a huge relief.

Those memories made it an easy choice; I was roping in that same friend and we were heading back to Guerneville for an epic day trip. 

Is reading not your thing? You can also find all my tips on Tik Tok! 

At around 11 am on Saturday morning, we hopped into a borrowed car and drove the hour-and-a-half to the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. It’s also possible to get to Guerneville via the SMART train which is bike friendly, making that a great option as well if you don’t want to drive and it helps reduce greenhouse gases! 

Arriving at the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, we noticed quite a few cars parked outside the wooded parking lot so we snagged a parking spot along the side of the road. Then we walked to the Visitor Center and searched for the bathroom.

Tip #1 - Always use the bathroom before hiking popular trails

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is similar to Muir Woods in that it starts with long accessible paths, weaving through the Redwoods. This is amazing as it makes nature accessible to wheelchair users, families with very young children, and many other people who otherwise may not be able to experience the awe and wonder of staring up at these giant trees. 

It also means, however, that the paths are open and crowded, making it difficult to find a hidden place to pee mid-walk/hike. Not to mention the fact that poison oak is common there and that’s not something I, personally, want to mess with (we don’t have poison oak in Hawaii and the thought of it terrifies me). 

This is why it’s important, if your bladder is anything like mine, to use the bathrooms before entering the park. They’re located up a separate path just to the right of the Visitor Center. Great single stalls with regular toilets! 

Note: There are also bathrooms near the Old Grove Theater. 

Tip #2 - Visit the Redwood Forest Theater

Which brings me to tip #2: visit the Redwood Forest Theater (or the Old Grove Theater). 

It’s located just off one of the main paths (the Discovery Trail) and is outfitted with wooden benches that face a stone orchestra pit and stone slab stage. The theater was used often between 1934 and the early 1980s. However, all of this activity may have taken a toll on the surrounding area and the theater was closed for habitat restoration until 2006. It remained open from 2006-2019, with an annual fundraising event, the Old Grove Festival, taking place annually at this location. However, the festival did not occur during the COVID years (2020-) and I haven’t been able to find any information about it starting up again. 

Whether enjoying a festival or simply visiting the theater during a walk through the woods, it’s a lovely place to sit and meditate. You’re surrounded by a fan of trees and bathed in dappled sunlight. And, if you’re feeling extra camp-y during your visit, consider taking to the stage and performing for your fellow hikers. 

Tip #3 - If you want to hike, take time to explore the array of trails available to you

My third tip is really about budgeting time. A day trip is much shorter than you might expect, so if you want to head up any of the ascending trails (there are quite a few trails ranging in difficulty level that branch off from the walking paths), head to the woods earlier rather than later.

We wanted to get a bit of a hike in, so we found a trail off from one of the main paths (the Armstrong Woods Trail) and were able to spend around 10-15 minutes hiking up its steady, though manageable, incline. I would have loved to have kept going but it was getting to be late in the afternoon. We’d left the city a bit later than planned (11 am), had taken our time wandering the lower paths through the forest, and may have spent too much time pretending to be thespians at the Redwood Forest Theater.

After those 10-15 minutes up the trail, our stomachs started to growl and we knew it was time to head to downtown Guerneville for some grub.

Tip #4 - Download a map ahead of time

Perhaps this should be moved to Tip #1. After all, if I had started the day trip by downloading some trail maps, I wouldn’t have found myself walking in circles at the end of our visit to the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

The truth is, I didn’t think we’d need a map. The main walking paths are wide and framed by a wooden fence. There are also only three of them. Since we hadn’t hiked far, we simply backtracked and found ourselves back on one of those main paths.

There are three main accessible paths in the Reserve: The Pioneer Nature Trail, The Discovery Trail, and Armstrong Woods Trail. These are clearly marked, wide, clear paths that guide you to some key attractions (it feels weird calling these attractions, but there you have it) within the forest. There’s the Colonel Armstrong Redwood Tree, the Parson Jones Tree (the tallest tree and named for a former President of my high school Punahou), and the Redwood Forest Theater.

There are also maps within the park helping orient you in the Reserve. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for me.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself over the years, it’s that I’m hopeless with directions. I walked us in a circle, not realizing that we had to exit one path onto another in order to return to the visitor. After we came to the same tree we’d seen before, I pulled out my phone to see if I had any sort of signal.

I was able to find service and navigate us out of there, but would have much preferred avoiding going in circles in the first place. 

Tip #5 - Grab food in Downtown Guerneville

The best part about heading to this gorgeous nature zone is that Downtown Guerneville is just five minutes by car and 12 minutes by bike! 

This was a huge relief as we left the Armstrong Redwood State Nature Reserve and drove to town. We found parking fairly quickly and hopped out heading to Big Bottom Market. 

When we had previously stayed in Guerneville during the last months of the pandemic, we’d come to the market for their breakfast sandwiches (they’re famous for their biscuits). This time around, we ordered lunch sandwiches. I was stoked to see a delicious-sounding vegetarian sandwich (smashed chickpea and artichoke) which I promptly ordered along with a bag of chips.

With our food boxed up we walked to the “beach” to enjoy a meal in the sun.

Tip #6 - Enjoy Johnson’s Beach vibes

I’m putting beach in quotations above because I’m from Hawaii. The rocky shoreline that we navigated was not exactly what I picture when I think of beaches. A riverside bank seems more accurate, but it is a beach so I’ll call it that. 

The Russian River was a green snake of water rippling along the stones. It was quite a vibe down there. Before we arrived at the fenced off beach zone, we saw a man sitting in front of a big sign with some rules listed. There’s no outside alcohol allowed at the beach and the signed warned that there was no life guard on duty. The man seemed to be a bouncer, monitoring the comings and goings of people to the beach. However, he could have totally been a random guy who set up shop and we’d have been none the wiser. We greeted him happily and continued on our way. 

There was a small air stream set up selling food and drinks at the center of the rocky beach. It was also crowded but not too crowded. A lot of little groups and families sat and enjoyed the sunshine. One family next to us had brought their own giant portable speaker that looked more like a guitar amp and were playing some early 2000s hits. Their kids were throwing rocks at the water while another group of kids attacked each other with water guns. 

There were canoes and kayaks for rent as well. I believe I overheard one of the employees say it was $60 to rent a canoe for the day. She instructed renters to paddle as far up the river as possible and then return the water equipment by 5pm. 

We watched as two canoes almost crashed and the paddlers continued on in ignorant bliss. 

It was quite a vibe down at Johnson’s Beach. 

After enjoying our sandwiches in the sun (a welcome change from San Francisco’s fog), we packed up and walked back up to the town, passing a woman in her ‘60s wearing a “Gay AF” shirt. Another reason to love Guerneville. 

Tip #7 - Enjoy some ice cream

Located in what was once the Guerneville Bank Club, you’ll find Nimble & Finn’s, an ice cream shoppe run by two sisters. They have another location in Santa Rosa. Using organic dairy from Straus Creamery as well as seasonal produce and other housemade additions, you’ll find intriguing flavors (whiskey vanilla and lavender honey were two that were available on the day we visited). 

They also have a chocolate coconut vegan flavor that I was able to enjoy without having to worry about enduring a 911 emergency on the drive back home. 

With the sun shining and ice cream in hand, we ended our day trip to Guerneville. Driving back to the city we listened to POP PUNK and sang at the top of our lungs. 

As we crossed the bridge back into the foggy city, we felt satisfied. Happy to have enjoyed the day to its fullest.