The Land of Sonoma County

Sonoma County was named from an Indian word meaning "Valley of the Moon". The Indians said you could see the moon rise seven times in the Sonoma Valley because the trail was winding and went along between hills on each side.

Sonoma County is home to an large assortment of family farms, specialty growers and wineries. The rugged Sonoma Coast is within an hour's drive from Santa Rosa, and ancient redwood forests only a scenic bike-ride away.
 

 Sonoma has an area of about 1,579 square miles and the coast is about 50 miles long. It ranges in elevation from sea level to 4,262 feet.

 It rains in the winter and early spring and is often foggy in the summer, which keeps the heat down. This mild climate and good soil is great for farming.

Map of Sonoma County

 The land includes redwoods, shoreline, rolling hills and high peaks, valleys and marshes and even geysers and hot springs.

  Many crops are grown here, such as apples, peaches, grapes and a variety of vegetables. Dairy farms and poultry ranches are also very productive. And, of course, Sonoma County is most know for it's wine industry.

  Santa Rosa is the largest city in the county and is where the county seat of government is.

Activities 

You can paddle a canoe down the Russian River, pausing to picnic on its sunny sand-bars and beaches, or float above it all at dawn in a hot air balloon, enjoying breathtaking vistas of the valley clad in early morning fog. Many first time visitors have called Sonoma County's majestic, primordial forests filled with Sonoma County Redwoods "nature's cathedrals." For the active sports enthusiast, there are tennis courts and swimming pools, golf courses and gyms, hiking trails and rivers for swimming or canoeing.

Many county and state parks are within easy driving distance, and provide opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding and picnic areas.