Austin Creek State Recreation Area in California, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-23. Check linked official notices before travel.

Austin Creek State Recreation Area rises above Guerneville, California, with open hills, woodland and backcountry trails. California State Parks works with Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods to operate the area. Plan a self-sufficient day hike: camping is closed, and Austin Creek has no public water sources or restrooms.

Highlights above the redwood grove

• Explore the contrast between wooded slopes, grassland and open ridges.
• Learn about Pond Farm Pottery and artist Marguerite Wildenhain.
• Combine a day hike with a separate visit to adjacent Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

Prepare before entering Austin Creek

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Check the current Austin Creek notice before choosing a route. Check in at the entrance kiosk or welcome center before your visit.

Carry water and share your route

Bring all the water you need and tell someone your hiking plan. Cell service is limited. Summer heat on the open hills can be much stronger than in the shaded redwood grove below. Choose a route and turnaround point that fit your water supply and available daylight.

Keep to permitted routes

Respect the Gilliam Creek closure and do not enter closed camps. Dogs, other than service animals, are restricted to paved roads and must be leashed. Launching, landing and operating drones are prohibited on this state park property.

Camping closures take priority

Do not plan an overnight stay at Bullfrog Pond, Tom King or Mannings Flat while those camps remain closed. Ask the operator about future camping access before making an overnight itinerary.

Maps, location, and the uphill approach

Approach from Guerneville on Armstrong Woods Road through the entrance shared with Armstrong Redwoods. Austin Creek is the upland recreation area beyond the grove. The narrow, steep road toward Bullfrog Pond does not allow vehicles over 20 feet long or vehicles towing trailers.

Use the combined Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek brochure to understand the two areas and their routes. Its map is useful for orientation; current closure notices determine which routes and camps you can use.

Nearby parks by road

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve shares the entrance and offers a separate redwood-grove visit below Austin Creek. Sonoma Coast State Park is reached toward Jenner and Highway 1, where its beaches have separate access points.

Day hiking and Pond Farm history

Choose an open trail or road with staff at the kiosk, then explore the hills and woodland on foot. Leave Gilliam Creek Trail out of the route. Pond Farm Pottery adds a cultural stop to a visit; confirm access or a guided visit before planning around entry to its buildings.

Bring supplies for a day away from services

Austin Creek currently has no public water sources or restrooms. Make those stops before entering the uplands. Do not treat the closed campground as a supply or sanitation stop. Ask at the shared entrance about the route and assistance you need.

About Austin Creek

Land protection and a pottery school

California began acquiring Austin Creek land in 1964 to protect habitat and provide recreation. Pond Farm Pottery, now a National Historic Landmark, preserves the story of Marguerite Wildenhain. After fleeing Nazi Germany, she helped establish an experimental artist community here.

Woodland and chaparral habitat

Oak woodland supports animals such as gray foxes, while California quail use chaparral cover. Observe from the route and avoid approaching animals. The varied habitats continue beyond the more familiar redwood grove.

Contact Austin Creek

Call 707-869-9177 for route and closure information. Ask specifically about Austin Creek, because neighboring Armstrong Redwoods has different trails and facilities.