Endlessly flowing, the river has often been celebrated as a symbol of rebirth. From rural church baptisms and water-powered sawmills to songs (“Proud Mary”) and novels (“A River Runs Through It”), the river resonates as a source of renewal.
That same spirit of resurgence is alive and well this summer along the Russian River, with the launch of The River Electric glamping resort and swim club, and the much-anticipated debut of Guerneville Social Club later this fall. It’s the latest splash in a “new river scene” that started more than a decade ago when mortgage broker turned restaurateur and hotelier Crista Luedtke took a chance on Boon hotel + spa and Boon eat + drink, kickstarting an influx of local investment and new businesses that have swelled in recent years.
“I think people are really starting to catch on to how magical it is here, not only in the summer, but really year-round,” says Luedtke, who knows that no matter how much Guerneville and surrounding river towns might evolve, there will always be a “gritty bohemian funkiness” beneath the surface.
It’s the reason Bonzo, a new Guerneville gift shop, sells sweatshirts with the slogan “Keeping it weird since 1850” beneath a silkscreened winged frog and a cluster of mushrooms with eyes. And it’s the reason corporate chain restaurants rarely venture into town — and those that do, like Subway, don’t survive. “We’re not ever gonna be a Healdsburg or an Aspen or a Sonoma town square,” Luedtke says. “We’re still funky, and we will always be funky. I mean, look at River Electric. As hip and groovy as it is, it’s still got its cool funkiness. They’re taking over what was once J’s Amusement Park.”
On a tour of The River Electric a week before it opened, co-owner Kelsey Sheofsky showed off the resort’s new tent city beneath the redwoods (imagine an Ewok forest village with chic canvas tents) and made note of a tombstone — a vestige of Dr. Evil’s Haunted House that continued to scare locals every Halloween long after the amusement park went dark — that still needed to be removed.
Where once there was a Mad Mouse roller coaster and corner-hugging go-karts, a 12-acre resort has come to life as The River Electric, centered around a 60-foot circular pool accessible to overnight guests or with a $32 day pass. A sleek outdoor bar and restaurant serves upgraded smashburgers, turkey clubs, and Straus soft serve (and look for The River Electric canned wine collab with Ruth Lewandowski Wines). A block from the river, it’s a watering hole by day, with chaise lounge and cabana upgrades, and a glamping resort by night, all drenched in an Oakland hipster vibe — evidenced by the Instagram-bait payphone booth, restored and reprogrammed so that guests who pick up the receiver hear poetry recited in a voice reminiscent of Boris Karloff.
Sheofsky and her husband, Mike, made their name erecting luxury tent hotels in the middle of nowhere all over the country with their glamping production company, Shelter Co. Since founding it in 2011, they’ve staged elaborate off-the-grid weddings, hosted eclipse events for Virgin Galactic, and provided VIP tent experiences at BottleRock and Outside Lands music festivals. With The River Electric, they’re putting down roots and finding a permanent home for the brand. After buying the property in 2018, they’ve weathered seven years of permitting and floods to make it happen. “We filled the pool yesterday and I said, ‘This pool is half river water and half my tears,'” says Kelsey Sheofsky, who is very grateful for the river resurgence, giving respect and credit to Luedtke as the de facto “town mayor” of this unincorporated river community.
Just as there is a seasonal flow to the Russian River, a rolling way of life that runs between the highs of winter rains, when currents move fast, and the lows of lazy summer trickles, when paddlers have to portage kayaks to the next deep spot — there is also a generational flow through the decades.
In the 1850s, it was a logger’s paradise, better known as Stumptown. In the 1930s through the 1950s, it was a popular postcard summer escape for fogged-in San Francisco families. Big bands leaders Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey played the circuit from Forestville to Rio Nido to Guerneville and beyond. In the ’60s, hippies came to town, with the Grateful Dead playing the Dance Hall in Rio Nido. Then in the late ’70s and early ’80s, it became an LGBTQ+ haven, with gay entrepreneurs opening Fife’s Resort, Rainbow Cattle Company, and R3 Resort, eventually paving the way for Pride parades, Lazy Bear Week, and Women’s Weekend.
“I think this latest wave is not necessarily a reinvention, as much as it is just like the next generation,” says Nick Schwanz, the president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of Solar Punk Farms. “A lot of young people are coming up to Guerneville for the same reason that people have always come up to Guerneville — because it’s absolutely gorgeous.”
If Forestville is the gateway from the east and, winding along River Road, Monte Rio and Duncans Mills are the trailing lower-river towns that give way to the coast, then it makes sense that Guerneville is the epicenter, where much of the new scene is taking hold. When historians look back one day at the urban flight and migratory effects of Covid on small towns across America, this former logging town will be the perfect case study.
The Sheofskys had already planned their escape from San Francisco to Sebastopol when the pandemic hit in 2020, just two days after their kids started at new schools. Among that same wave of transplants is Michael Rex, a former ESL teacher in San Francisco who moved to Guerneville during the pandemic.
Lured by a “For Rent” sign in the window, he opened Russian River Books & Letters in an alcove beside Coffee Bazaar café. He has filled the charming book nook with a wide range of literature and sprinkled in vintage typewriters that customers can use to type poems or letters. An acoustic guitar sits in the corner, waiting for anyone who wants to strum it. Along with author readings, the bookstore hosts live musical performances, and there’s a Hanukkah concert every year.
Since opening in 2021, Rex has learned a lot about locals by the books they order. “It’s very eclectic. You have fly fishermen and hunters, and then you have drag queens and bikers and bicyclists,” he says. “Somebody said that Guerneville is the queerest rural town in America, and it’s probably true.”
There’s a special section in the bookstore curated by Solar Punk Farms, whose owners, Schwanz and his husband Spencer Scott, also repaired to the river from San Francisco during the pandemic. Converting a former horse property on Armstrong Woods Road into a “queer-run regenerative land project,” they’re harvesting their first crops this year, supplying local restaurants in town. But they’ve created more than a farm. Having recently hired an events manager, they’re planning concerts, farm tours, volunteer weekends, and an “upcycled fashion festival.”
Across the street from the bookstore, Hair and Heavy Metal Salon boasts the largest concentration of ’80s hair band posters (Dio, Motley Crue, Whitesnake) along the river. In 2023, owner Donnelle Malnik moved to Guerneville, calling it “the freakiest spot I could find catapulting out of San Francisco.” Around the corner on Main Street, El Barrio mezcal lounge is always hopping on summer nights. It features a three-page cocktail list and a closet-sized kitchen where they make their own tortillas. Like other big-city expats, owner Jimmy Kansau blew into town during the pandemic with his husband.
“In the summer, everybody’s in a good mood,” Kansau says. “Everybody wants to have a party. So it’s a constant influx of people in and out. Some people come here with their bathing suits and their hats, and other people come dressed up, because they just feel like dressing up. It’s a juxtaposition of amazing things, for sure.”
Four years ago, the Venezuela native bought El Barrio from Luedtke. This fall, he’s planning to open Guerneville Social Club near R3 Hotel at Mill and Fourth streets in the former Timberline Restaurant. His vision is a market hall concept with downstairs storefronts that might include a bakery, coffee shop, and taproom, with a beer garden out back. The upstairs event hall will be the main attraction, he says, the scene of “ridiculous weekend brunches” in the restaurant, along with cooking classes and wellness activities. As a social club there will be a yearly membership of around $200 a year.
With so much investment coming from newcomers, it’s not surprising to hear the word “gentrification” pop up in local conversation. It’s one of the reasons The River Electric is hosting “Local Tuesdays” with $5 entrance fee and lower-priced menu options “so you can really come in and have lunch and swim for under 20 bucks,” says Kelsey Sheofsky.
When Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint owner Yvette Bidegain says, “This isn’t the same Guerneville that was here when I grew up. This is a totally different town,” she means it in a good way. Bidegain grew up in the Hacienda community east of town, near Forestville. Her father ran the Richardson’s Ribs booth at the Sonoma County Fair, serving gumbo and ribs from recipes he learned growing up in Louisiana. It proved so popular they eventually opened three restaurants. Bidegain used vacation time from her job at CalTrans to help out with the business.
In 2017, she started doing pop-up soul food once a week, gaining a devoted following selling Southern food and barbecue at Johnson’s Beach during the pandemic summers. Since she opened Saucy Mama’s in 2022 west of downtown, the biggest seller has been the catfish and fried okra, inspiring one of her friends to call her “the Colonel Sanders of catfish.” The ribs, cooked out back in a Texas smoker with her father’s secret recipe, come in a close second. Ebbing and flowing over the years, the Russian River seems to have found a new rhythm, she says. “I’m a person who likes change — change is good. No one expects to find a soul food restaurant in Guerneville, and they tell us that all the time.”
Now, at the peak of the summer season, as tourists from around the Bay Area and California discover — or rediscover — the winding ribbon of water that rolls through the redwoods, it’s a chance for a new generation of business owners to learn to work together in solidarity. “Anytime there’s a new business that comes to town, it’s not about like, ’Oh man, there’s competition.’ No, it’s like, more begets more,” says Luedtke. “I come from an abundance model, where I feel like there’s enough for everyone. New people coming to town is an opportunity for us all to shine our shoes and make sure that we’re not getting complacent and lazy.”
Small Town Gems
Forestville
Burke’s Canoe Trips: Countless thousands have dropped in here for the epic summer rite of passage: paddling the 10-mile span of the Russian River from Forestville to Guerneville.
Along the way, you can stop off at sandbars and beaches for picnics and swimming. Keep an eye out for wildlife such as great blue herons, river otter, osprey, and turtles. And make sure you chat up owner Linda Burke, whose family has been renting boats since the late 1950s, back when Burke’s Resort had a roller rink, arcade, and nightclub that staged everyone from Tommy Dorsey to Duke Ellington. Rates: $95 canoes/$60 kayaks, with complimentary shuttle pickup. 707-887-1222, burkescanoetrips.com
River Shuttle: Summer parking can be a nightmare at many of the beautiful regional park beaches along the river, especially later in the day. Hot tip: Hop on the Sonoma County Regional Parks River Shuttle, departing every 30 minutes from El Molino High School, 7050 Covey Road, Forestville. The shuttle runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, stopping at Steelhead Beach Regional Park and Sunset Beach River Park. Buy $5 advance passes: parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/regional-parks-river-shuttle
Also, one of the best river hangouts is at the wide sandy beach at Mom’s Beach, just past Burke’s Canoe and Steelhead Beach, at 10584 River Drive. Make sure you get there early (park opens at 7 a.m. and there are only 17 spots), park in the corner lot, just off River Road, and take the trail down to the water.
Sonoma Pizza Co.: If you’re looking for picnic supplies in town, this seasonal gourmet pizza joint poses a tough choice between the wood-fired Pepperoni Nirvana pie, prepared Chris’s Way with hot honey and ricotta, and the Italian Stallion sandwich. 6615 Front St. 707-820-1031, sonomapizzaco.com
Rio Nido
Rio Nido Roadhouse: There may be no better venue to see live music near the river than this classic roadhouse. It’s the reason Chuck Prophet keeps returning for his Summertime Thing festival. It’s where Count Basie and Harry James played during the 1930s and ’40s, and where The Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead plugged in during the ’60s. And it’s the reason why most locals show up any night no matter who’s on the bill. 14540 Canyon 2 Road. 707-869-0821, rionidoroadhouse.com
Guerneville
Things to do
The River Electric: Located on 12 acres, about a block from the river, this brand-new swim club and glamping resort features two pools to cool off on a hot summer day — a 60-foot round pool and the smaller, rectangular Little Dipper. Swim club day passes are $32, with upgrades for chaise lounges and cabanas. Pool bar snacks range from smashburgers, “River Rat” fries (loaded with pimento cheese), and root beer floats to ceviche and local wines. Pool and restaurant are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 16101 Neeley Road. 707-937-8915, theriverelectric.com
Johnson’s Beach: Rent a kayak, a beach umbrella, or a cabin and chill at one of the most famous bends in the river. Siblings Ethan, Alison, and Andrew Joseph took over in 2022 and are updating what founders Ernie and Gertie Johnson started a century earlier in 1918. 16215 First St. 707-869-2022, johnsonsbeach.com
Solar Punk Farms: Touted as a “queer-run regenerative hub,” this former horse arena has been reborn as a climate think-tank, demonstration area, and working farm all rolled into one. Look for a MORF (Music on Regenerative Farms) concert on July 12. Later this year, they’re creating “Wine and Wander” experiences that combine farm tours with wine tasting, and also volunteer work and play weekends. 15015 Armstrong Woods Road. solarpunkfarms.com
Equality Vines: Founders Matt Grove and Jim Obergefell combine their love of winemaking with an undying fight for equal rights in this eclectic tasting room. Since releasing their first wines (with names like Rosé the Riveter and 19th Amendment Sauvignon Blanc), they have donated nearly $300,000 to nonprofits and equality organizations. 16215 Main St. 877-379-4637, equalityvines.com
Porter-Bass Winery: “We do our tastings outside under our walnut tree,” says winemaker Lance Bass. “It’s a fairly intimate setting, with a beautiful view of the vineyard and the forest around us.” When his parents bought the 17-acre vineyard in 1980, it was run-down with old, unhealthy Palamino and Zinfandel vines. Today, it’s thriving with organically farmed Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Tastings by appointment only. $25 per person, fee waived with purchase of wine. 11750 Mays Canyon Road. 707-869-1475, porter-bass.com
Pond Farm Pottery: Master potter Marguerite Wildenhain put this renowned ceramics studio and artist colony on the map back in the 1940s and ‘50s. Now a designated National Historic Landmark located in the Austin Creek State Recreation Area, it hosts a new artist residency program and docent-led tours for $25 per person the third Saturday from March-October. Reserve spots at pondfarm.org. 17000 Armstrong Woods Road, 707-869-9177
Shopping
Guerneville Wine Collective: This newly opened wine nook takes over where previous Wine Vault owners left off, adding trendy imported tinned fish from Spain and Portugal to the mix. “Our idea is that people can come and grab some pickled veggies, tinned fish, some crisps, a bottle of wine and then go to the river and have a picnic,” says owner Karla Garcia. She opened the wine shop next to Nimble & Finn’s ice cream in the historic Guerneville Bank Club building in May. 16290 Main St., Instagram.com/guernevillewinecollective
Bonzo: Run by husband-and-wife team Eric Gonzales and Beth Miles, this funky clothing and gift shop is the place to go for all things Guerneville-branded, such as river-centric “I Choose the Bear” or Samsquanch T-shirts, “Gville” hats, and “Keeping it Weird Since 1950” hoodies. 14016 Armstrong Woods Road, thebonzo.com
Places to eat
Boon eat + drink: The much-buzzed-about restaurant that helped put Guerneville on the map when chef Crista Luedtke opened in 2009 still garners rave reviews more than 15 years later. The focus is on seasonal, farm-to-table comfort food, so it’s no surprise the flash-fried Brussels sprouts are still the most popular dish, Luedtke says, adding that “the mac ‘n’ cheese is still going strong.” This time of year, look for “blistered tomatoes, seasonal peaches, basil, and really fresh summer vibes on halibut,” she says. No reservations. 16248 Main St. 707-869-0780, eatatboon.com
Road Trip: Chef Crista Luedtke’s latest offering is an ode to her globe-trotting foodie travels and childhood favorites. Look for Mexican street corn salad daily and Thai-style pork Benedict with crispy rice cakes and a Thai hollandaise sauce on the weekend brunch menu. Two of the most popular items are the Free Bird and The Mac Daddy. “Don’t call me out here, but I love a Big Mac and this is my version,” says Luedtke, who makes her own secret sauce. 16218 Main St. 707-604-6102, eatatroadtrip.com
Trillium: The petite 12-seat marble-counter raw bar is the main attraction at this forest-flower-inspired café and lounge run by chef Greg Barnes and wine geek Genevieve Payne. Come for the super-fresh oysters, poke, crudos, and ceviche — but don’t miss the crab roll. And good luck narrowing it down to a glass on the nearly bottomless wine list. 16222 Main St. 707-604-5750, trillium.bar
Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint: Owner Yvette Bidegain has taken her Louisiana family’s recipes and love of Southern cuisine and soul food to another level with the ever-popular fried catfish and her father’s secret-spiced ribs that premiered decades ago to long lines at the Richardson’s Ribs booth at the Sonoma County Fair. From collard greens to sweet potato pie, there’s even something for vegetarians — behold the deep-fried tofu po’boy. 16632 Highway 116. 707-604-7184, saucymamasjookjoint.com
Nimble & Finn’s: Year after year, the most popular flavor at this boutique handmade ice cream shop is lavender honeycomb. But it really depends on what’s in season. Two sisters, Leandra and Jazmin, started with a pushcart freezer at farmers markets, and now make a wide range of flavors from Earl Grey blackberry to toasted coconut date shake. Located inside the historic Guerneville Bank Club building (next to the Wine Collective). Tip: Don’t miss the cool photo booth in the old bank vault behind the counter. 16290 Main St. 707-666-9411, nimbleandfinns.com
Piknik Town Market: First thing to know is, yes, the new owner, Margaret Van der Veen, is still serving the famous biscuits that once made Oprah’s holiday list of “Favorite Things” when the same venue was known as Big Bottom Market. Now the motto is “same biscuit, different basket.” It’s the perfect pop-in spot to grab a breakfast burrito in the morning or a Headlands Hiker sando (beetroot hummus, mixed greens, topped off with pickled cucumber-cashew kale pesto on a ciabatta roll) in the afternoon. 16228 Main St. 707-604-7295, pikniktownmarket.com
El Barrio: One of the tastiest cocktails at this popular mezcal lounge is known as El Patron, named after owner Jimmy Kansau, “because, well, I’m the boss,” he says. Close your eyes and you’ll swear it’s a Mexican Negroni. In addition to handmade tortillas and birria tacos, don’t get Kansau started on the L.A.-style vegetarian tacos with roasted-curry cauliflower, pine nuts, olives, and dates. “It’s kind of like an amalgamation of cultures with this amazing habanero salsa,” he says. “It’s to die for.” 16230 Main St. 707-604-7601, elbarriobar.com
Baked on the River: Helena Gustavsson Giesea’s popular Guerneville café reopened this spring at the R3 Hotel, serving dinner plus brunch and a barbecue lunch on weekends. 16390 Fourth St. 707865-6060, bakedontheriver.com
Places to stay
The River Electric: In addition to the swim club, this glamping resort offers overnight stays in 40 tents. They’re decked out with king-size beds, electricity, and Wi-Fi, tucked away like a luxurious summer camp in the shade of a redwood forest that runs up against the meadow and pool. 16101 Neeley Road. 707-937-8915, theriverelectric.com
Dawn Ranch: This 22-acre spread of chalets, cabins, cottages, bungalows, and tents is an intimate natural river paradise. Chefs Juliana Thorpe and Ignacio Zuzulich spin local produce and seasonal ingredients with a Brazilian, Argentinian, and European twist. Dawn Ranch is also home to the annual Cosmico music festival where the theme is “music is love.” 16467 Highway 116. 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com
The Stavrand: Roll out of bed to a plate of crab Benedict and a flight of mimosas at this off-the-beaten-path hideaway in Pocket Canyon, across the bridge and down the road from The River Electric. Owners Sam and Emily Glick (previously the general manager at the Kimpton Buchanan in San Francisco) bought the former Applewood Inn and turned it into a luxury boutique gem. 13555 Highway 116. 707-869-9093, thestavrand.com
Boon hotel + spa and The Highlands: “I like to call Boon sort of like Palm Springs meets the redwoods. It’s kind of got that mid-century vibe,” says Crista Luedtke, owner of both resorts. “And then Highlands is more like an adult summer camp. A little bit moody, a little bit more like a writer’s retreat.” Take your pick, both have recently been remodeled.
Boon: 14-room boutique hotel with a spa that offers Swedish, deep-tissue, and therapeutic massages, ranging from $145-$215. 14711 Armstrong Woods Road. 707-869-2721, boonhotels.com
The Highlands: Up the hill from Johnson’s Beach, this quirky getaway features rooms, cabins, and Coyote Camp tents. Note to old-timers: The pool is no longer clothing optional like the previous incarnation as Highland Park Lodge. 14000 Woodland Drive. 707-869-0333, highlandsresort.com
AutoCamp: Picture a big campground and lawn nestled among the redwoods west of downtown Guerneville. It’s loaded with 31-foot Airstreams, glamping tents, tiny homes, and the 42-square-foot Happier Camper for a more minimalist stay. Grill out on private outdoor fire pits. The general store is open until 10 p.m. And did we mention complimentary granola? 14120 Old Cazadero Road. autocamp.com/location/russian-river
Mine + Farm: A B&B for cannabis lovers (and beer and wine lovers), this nine-room renovated ranch-house inn grows its own weed. It means guests can toke pre-rolls anywhere from the hot tub to the ping-pong table, or they can dig into special Elevated Experience dinners with cannabis as a featured ingredient. Owners Bryce Skolfield and Suzanne Szostak also cultivate fruit trees, a garden, and chickens on the 3-acre property around the corner from Korbel Winery. 12850 River Road. 707-869-4466, mineandfarm.com
Monte Rio
Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen: Not far from the Monte Rio skate park, this river café with a Middle Eastern twist serves up everything from shakshuka and coconut curry to baklava cream pies and chocolate peanut butter cream pie. And Lightwave might have the raddest T-shirts of any café down by the river, featuring a hand-drawn design with skull and skateboard and gramophone. 9725 Main St. 707-865-5169, lightwavecafe.square.site
Monte Rio Beach: The largest public beach on the lower Russian River offers kayak rentals, soft-serve ice cream, a boat launch, and a dog-friendly area. Tip: There is no better slice of small-rivertown Americana than this beach packed elbow-to-elbow on the Fourth of July for the boat parade and Big Rocky Games. mrrpd.org/monte-rio-beach
Duncans Mills
Gold Coast Coffee and Bakery: Morning pastries and coffee are the go-to wake-up call at this quaint Duncans Mills café. But owner Patrick Parks has also carved out a well-curated musical scene as of late, staging local favorites like Eric Lindell and Sol Horizon, paired with wood-fired pizzas and tasty locally crafted brews. 25377 Steelhead Blvd. 707-865-1441, goldcoastcoffeebakery.com