Guerneville is a cenus-designated town in Sonoma County, California. Guerneville (pronounced Gurn-ville by locals who can recognize outsiders by their use of Gur-nee-ville) is a popular resort town in the scenic Russian River Valley. Guerneville is built adjacent to the Russian River. Redwoods grew in the riverbed with such vigor that just a few centuries ago, the valley had the greatest biomass density on the planet, according to local lore. The local Indians used the area as a summer camp and called it "Ceola" (Cee-Oh-Lay) which meant "shady place". Except for a large, beautiful stand of truly ancient trees preserved in the Fife Creek watershed, now the centerpiece of Armstrong Woods Park, many of the trees were logged in the 1800s, giving rise to the first English name for the place - "Stumptown". The annual town parade still commemorates the old place name by calling itself "Stumptown Days". The present name Guerneville was introduced to honor George Guerne, a local businessman of the 1800s, and owner of the town sawmill. Modern Guerneville continues to exude small-town charm, from its plaza in the town center with permanent chess tables, to small shops, and a public beach area in the heart of town along the Russian River that is used for fishing, swimming, boating, and sunbathing. Just as in the past, the river is open to the public, and features free admission, free parking, boat and umbrella rentals, and concession stands with a varitey of food items for sale.
Learn more about this city.
City of Guerneville, CA official siteCity of Guerneville, CA Chamber of CommerceCounty of Guerneville, CA official site
State of California official site