Gay Guide to Guerneville
California has recognized same-sex marriage since 2013, but Guerneville has been a gay getaway far longer than that. This small town of a few thousand people, tucked into the redwoods along the Russian River about ninety minutes north of San Francisco, is the West Coast's favorite queer summer playground.
There is no gay district because the whole town is the scene. A cluster of gay-owned resorts, cabins, and inns sits a block or two off the main street, anchored by long-running spots like the Rainbow Cattle Company saloon and a run of riverside lodges. Days revolve around floating the river, redwood hikes, and the beach at Johnson's Beach rather than late clubs.
The pace is relaxed and outdoorsy, a woodsy counterpoint to the big-city scenes down the coast.
The calendar peaks with Lazy Bear Week, a beloved gathering for bears and their admirers that has raised money for local charities every summer since 1996, filling the resorts with pool parties, dances, and fundraisers.