Property Milestone: Fitch Mountain Park and Open Space Preserve

As we celebrate 35 years of protecting the natural and working lands of Sonoma County, we reflect on the incredible milestones made possible through community partnerships and shared commitment. From safeguarding critical wildlife habitat to preserving beloved open spaces and family farms, each property tells a story of conservation and care. Together, we’ve protected over 127,000 acres—ensuring these treasured landscapes remain for generations to come.

Fitch Mountain Park and Open Space Preserve

Perched above Healdsburg, Fitch Mountain has stood as a scenic sentinel over the Russian River Valley for centuries. Once shaped by volcanic eruptions that also formed nearby Mount Saint Helena and Mount Konocti, the mountain’s rugged slopes have supported human life for thousands of years. The Western Wappo and Southern Pomo-speaking peoples thrived here long before European settlement, relying on the area’s abundant wildlife and native plants and creating some of the most intricate woven baskets in the world.

In the 19th century, this land became part of Captain Henry Fitch’s 48,800-acre Sotoyome Rancho, later giving rise to the agricultural community that became Healdsburg. By the early 20th century, the region had transformed into a beloved summer retreat. The 1920s and ’30s brought vacationers to the Russian River’s banks, where rustic cabins, beaches and river resorts like Camp Rose turned Fitch Mountain into a cherished recreation destination. Over time, many of these summer homes became year-round residences, creating the unique community that thrives here today.

In 1994, Ag + Open Space acquired two conservation easements over portions of Fitch Mountain: Zelma Ratchford and Ratchford Family Trust. In 2014, the District acquired fee-title to Ratchford Family Trust and transferred it to the City of Healdsburg, amending and replacing the conservation easement with a new conservation easement called Fitch Mountain Park & Open Space Preserve and included additional land, and established a Recreation Conservation Covenant to ensure the Property is open to the public for low-intensity recreational purposes in perpetuity.

Now the property is open as a public park and is used extensively by locals for hiking and nature appreciation. This effort, part of a long-standing collaboration with the City of Healdsburg, LandPaths and the Fitch Mountain Fund, ensures that the mountain’s trails, wildlife habitat and sweeping views will be preserved for generations to come.

For Ag + Open Space, Fitch Mountain stands as a model of its mission: to protect natural, scenic, and open-space lands for future generations while enabling the public to engage with the land.