Francesca Scalpi

SALT POINT STATE PARK, SALE POINT, CA (Click on thumbnail for full image)
These photos are of the coastline at Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve. Located on the rugged California coastline about 90 miles north of San Francisco on State Highway One, and 8 miles north of Fort Ross State Historic Park.

The shoreline of the 6,000-acre park features rocky promontories, such as Salt Point, that juts out into the Pacific Ocean.  The inland portion of the park features both grassland and forest areas. As the terrain rises northeast of Highway One, coastal brush and grasslands blend into lush growths of bishop pine, Douglas fir, madrone, tanoak, groves of second growth redwood and quiet meadow areas. At the top of the coastal ridge, at about 1,000 elevation, there is a large open prairie and pygmy forests.

The park encompasses one of the first underwater parks in California. Fishing is permitted throughout the area with the exception of Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve, where the marine life is completely protected.

Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve Conservation Area comprises the shoreline of Salt Point State Park and surrounding ocean, including Gerstle Cove, the watery highlight of one of California’s first underwater parks. Waters here teem with life, including swaying strands of bull kelp, making it popular with wetsuit divers, but everyone can enjoy the colorful sea stars, bizarre chitons, scurrying crabs, and other sea life in the spread of tide pools along the shore.

Head north from the main park entrance to Fisk Mill Cove, popular for abalone diving, to follow a bluff-top trail. This level path meanders through a forest with rhododendrons and ferns to peek-a-boo views of rocky pocket beaches with crashing waves, playful seals, and abalone divers.

Salt Point State Park, located in the rugged northern part of Sonoma County, has the distinction of being the only state park where the general public is allowed to forage for mushrooms. Naturally, this draws Californians from all walks of life in search of treasured fungi. On a wet February morning, I linked up with a group of foragers to find the perfect specimen. Unless you are an expert or in a group led by an expert, DO NOT consume any mushrooms you may find while foraging.

Grassy terraces crown wind-lashed headlands where sandstone cliffs drop abruptly to the Pacific. Tidepools and kelp beds teem with marine life; in fact, the park’s offshore waters are protected as one of California’s first underwater parks