Fort Ross, California

This year is complicated -- please read carefully to learn what is open and closed at Fort Ross and Salt Point parks:

Fort Ross State Historic Park trails, beaches, and parking lots are open to the public. The bookshop is open but the museum is closed. You can enter the historic compound but the buildings inside the compound are locked due to Covid-19 safety precautions. Reef Campground is closed for repairs.

Salt Point State Park trails, parking lots, and campgrounds are temporarily closed. Please check the State Parks website for updated information.

Fort Ross Dialogue 2020

This year's Fort Ross Dialogue concluded on Friday, December 4th. We are grateful to the many interesting speakers who generously shared their expertise covering a wide range of topics, the sponsors for making it all possible, and our tech team for creating a complex and well produced event. We've published the content and recordings

Enjoy this short video describing our Distance Learning Programs.

Environmental Living Distance Learning
Our ELP opportunities allow students to experience the joys of history, exploring the interaction between people and their environment. Students learn about the many cultures and ways of living at Settlement Ross. An ELP Instructor provides a virtual interactive walk-about of the historic compound to share this rich history, and provides tutorial videos of our many fun hands-on craft projects that students can do at home to bring this historic era to life.

Marine Ecology Distance Learning
Learn how the history of Fort Ross is still, to this day, tied to the marine ecology along the Sonoma County coast. Fort Ross’ history provides a lens through which to examine the ways humans have cared for or exploited the environment around them. Its rich history — starting with the Kashia Pomo, followed by the Russians, Alaska Native and early California period — all instruct us to better understand how human impacts have lasting effects on ecosystems. recordings.

The Cemetery Commemoration celebrated the collaboration to improve the historic cemetery. Joining California State Parks were Governor Brown, Russian Ambassador Antonov, Alaska Natives, Kashia Pomo, and Coast Miwok, Russian Orthodox Church officials, Fort Ross Conservancy, and researchers.

Discovering Russian History on the California Coast: Click here to watch the Fort Ross, California Coastal Trail video featured on KCET.

Making Outdoor Education Accessible

We are happy to announce our Fort Ross Education Fund to ensure all students have access to Fort Ross' wonderful youth programming. We offer scholarships for students to attend either our Environmental Living Program or our Marine Ecology Program. Please consider making a donation to FRC today to ensure all students can experience the joy of outdoor learning.

American Ranch Era Video
FRC has released a 22-minute film documenting the Call House museum. Author and FRC Volunteer Extraordinaire Lynn Rudy takes us for a joyful walk through the Call House Museum while describing early-California life on the farm during the American Ranch period.

FRC Digital Library
FRC has launched Fort Ross Digital Library Project -- we've digitized and made available more than 100 manuscripts unique to our park, with more to come!

Tours - Explore the wonders of Fort Ross on a Private or Group Tour! Join our English-Russian bilingual guide to learn about the hidden stories of Fort Ross, including the historic orchard, cemetery, redwoods, marine mammals & more. Check out the tour options here.

SURF at Fort Ross
Since 2011, the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum delegation has traveled to Fort Ross as part of the Capstone Conference at Stanford. Program delegates learn about our shared Russian American history at Fort Ross, engage in community service activities, and also participate in team building exercises. See our webpage for more information.

Common Earth, Common History
In 2014, the historic Izborsk museum, received a US State Department Peer to Peer grant. The goal of this grant was to partner the Russian museum with an American museum to learn best practices and create projects that were beneficial to both institutions. Each museum created an online exhibition to showcase the crafts and trade that thrived in their respective settlements. Fort Ross' exhibit covers the most prevalent 19th century crafts practiced during the Russian era.

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

The Sonoma coastline, including Fort Ross and Salt Point, is protected under marine sanctuary status as part of the expansion of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

2020 Calendar
Plan your next visit by checking out our scheduled 2020 events!

About Fort Ross

Fort Ross, one of the main tourist attractions between Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg, is a California State Historic Park showcasing a historic Russian-era fort compound that has been designated National Historic Landmark status. Located eleven miles north of Jenner on California Highway One, one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world, Fort Ross is surrounded by sandy beaches, panoramic coves, and redwood forests, with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.

Certificate of Excellence

Fort Ross State Historic Park

The 3,400 acre park offers pristine natural landscapes as well as historic structures and exhibits that bring
to life the former Imperial Russian settlement, early California Ranch era, and Kashaya territory. The park
is approximately 45 minutes north of Bodega Bay and about 25 miles or an hour’s drive from one of
San Francisco's oldest retreats, the Russian River.

Full Circle - Fort Ross Introductory Video

Enjoy footage and music from our fabulous bicentennial celebrations while learning more about Fort Ross Conservancy's work on the ground.