Taylor Mountain is a summit at the northern extreme of the Sonoma Mountains in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The mountain lies in the

Laguna de Santa Rosa The Laguna de Santa Rosa is a wetland complex that drains a watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, United States. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eat ...

drainage basin; its east flank drains to

Matanzas Creek Matanzas Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 9, 2011 year-round stream in Sonoma County, California, United States, a tributary of Santa Rosa Creek. Cour ...

, a northwestward flowing stream running the length of

Bennett Valley Bennett Valley is a northwest- to southeast-trending valley in Sonoma County, California, US, approximately wide in its northwestern portion, where the southeast extremity of Santa Rosa, California is located. The axis of the valley floor sl ...

, and its west flank drains to Five Creek. The mountain is named after

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

pioneer John Shackleford Taylor, who settled on the mountain slopes in 1853 to raise dairy cows and plant a vineyard.Clark Mason & Brett Wilkison ''Santa Rosa's new Taylor Mountain Regional Park opens to the public'' in '' The Press Democrat'' 24 February 2013 North of Taylor Mountain, Taylor Ridge descends toward the city of

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * Sa ...

. Some of Santa Rosa's urban expansion is taking place to the east of this ridge. Taylor Mountain is readily visible from

Sonoma Mountain Sonoma Mountain is a prominent landform within the Sonoma Mountains of southern Sonoma County, California. At an elevation of , Sonoma Mountain offers expansive views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sonoma Valley to the east. In fact, ...

, Bennett Valley, the

Santa Rosa Plain Santa Rosa (Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and R ...

and from as far north as the

Alexander Valley The Alexander Valley (Wappo: Unutsawaholmanoma, "Toyon Bush Berry Place") is a Californian American Viticultural Area (AVA) just north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It is home to many wineries and vineyards, as well as the city of Cloverdale. ...

. The peak of Taylor Mountain defines (in part) the boundary between the

Sonoma Coast AVA The Sonoma Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, United States containing more than , mostly along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. It extends from San Pablo Bay to the border with Mendocino County. The app ...

and the Sonoma Valley AVA, two federally designated grape-growing regions. Wines made from grapes grown on its western slopes would qualify for the Sonoma Coast appellation, whereas those made from grapes grown on its eastern slopes would qualify for the Sonoma Valley appellation.

Taylor Mountain Regional Park

The Taylor Mountain Open Space Preserve encompasses over of Taylor Mountain. The land was purchased for public use between 1995 and 2011 by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. A Landpaths permit program allowed public access in 2010. The park was opened to the general public on February 23, 2013 with four miles of dirt trails for hikers. A second entrance and trailhead opened along Petaluma Hill Road, south of Yolanda Avenue, on June 13, 2015. The new entrance includes amenities such as picnic tables and parking for horse trailers. From this entrance, you can take a trail which connects to the other side of the park. Licensed dogs are allowed on leashes no longer than 6 feet. The flanks of the peak provide panoramic views of the

Santa Rosa Plains Santa Rosa (Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and R ...

to the west with Bennett Valley and Annadel State Park to the north. Trail access is from a parking lot near the eastern end of Kawana Terrace off Kawana Springs Road east of Santa Rosa Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road. There is a $7 fee per vehicle for day use. The park is open from 8 AM to sunset.

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* * * {{Cite web, title=Santa Rosa’s Taylor Mountain throws open the gates, url=http://baynature.org/articles/santa-rosa-taylor-mountain-opens/, accessdate=2013-02-22, first=Dan, last=Rademacher Sonoma Mountains Mountains of Sonoma County, California Mountains of the San Francisco Bay Area Mountains of Northern California

Taylor Mountain Regional Park

See also

References

External links