Fitch Mountain is located on the ancestral home of the Southern Pomo people, past, present, and future. We recognize them as the first people and the first stewards of this land. We are on occupied territory and acknowledge the ongoing devastation of colonization.
Fitch Mountain Park and Open Space Preserve is a 173-acre property that encompasses the entire peak of Fitch Mountain and surrounding slopes east of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Explore a dense forest of coast redwood, Douglas fir, California bay, madrone, oaks, and a rich array of understory species. Listen for a variety of bird species. Learn about the wildlife that calls the mountain home.
The property is owned by the City of Healdsburg with stewardship assistance from LandPaths. If you have questions about Fitch Mountain public access please contact the City of Healdsburg.
How to Get Involved
- Explore Fitch Mountain on your own.
- Join us for a stewardship workday. (Stewardship days at Fitch Mountain will be returning soon! Please check back!)
- Volunteers maintain the trails, remove invasive species, do forestry work, and grow community with nature!
History
This is the unceded ancestral territory of the Southern Pomo. One Pomo village was located a mile northeast of what is now downtown Healdsburg in the Fitch Mountain vicinity. This village was called Wotoakka’ton and was the home of Chief Soto, for whom the Rancho Sotoyome land grant was later named
The property was purchased in 2014 by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space and transferred from the previous owner directly to the City of Healdsburg. The City in turn transferred it temporarily to LandPaths to manage during an interim period. Title to the preserve reverted back to the City of Healdsburg in November 2017. LandPaths continues to host stewardship days on the property.
The City of Healdsburg, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, LandPaths, the Coastal Conservancy, and the Fitch Mountain Fund have partnered to protect, restore, enhance, and steward Fitch Mountain.
Questions about stewardship at Fitch Mountain?
All inquiries about Fitch Mountain should be directed to the City of Healdsburg.
