San Geronimo Valley, California
The San Geronimo Valley consists of 4 small towns that lay in a valley just west of Fairfax, California. “The Valley” towns of Woodacre, San Geronimo, Forest Knolls, and Lagunitas are small, rural communities with beautiful forests and grass covered hills.
1. History
The Coastal Miwok inhabited the land now known by locks as “The Valley” for thousands of years before Spanish settlers arrived. The Valley became a ranching outpost during the mission system. The land changed hands multiple times until it became a horse ranch in 1868, called the San Geronimo Ranch.
In the 1910’s the area began to be developed by the Lagunitas Development Company which subdivided the land and created the 4 small towns. The towns consisted of mostly summer homes until the 1960’s when young people from San Francisco moved to the area. Jerry Garcia, Van Morrison, Kate Wolf, and Janis Joplin all once lived in the San Geronimo Valley.
2. Schools
The Lagunitas School District serves all the K-8 students in the San Geronimo Valley. The school has 3 separate programs and two campuses which are connected by a short bridge over a small creek. The Open Classroom has a K-6 program located on the upper campus. The classes are multi-grade and incorporate exploration and play.
The lower campus houses the K-5th Montessori program and the 6-8th Middle School program. The classes are also multi-grade and the program is the only public Montessori program in Marin County. The Middle School is semi-departmentalized and students rotate through several teachers who specialize in core subjects.
4. Food, Drinks, and Activities
Giaco’s Valley Roadhouse serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. It is located in San Geronimo just off Sir Francis Drake Blvd. They have a stocked bar, local ingredients, a beautiful outdoor patio, and occasional music. The Lagunitas Grocery Store has fresh deli sandwiches and other picnic provisions.
The Papermill Creek Saloon is the local dive bar. The saloon opened in 1907 and has bands who perform nightly.
Want to see where George Lucas filmed the Ewok scenes in Star Wars? Head to Roy’s Redwoods to hike, bike, and take in the natural beauty of the San Geronimo Valley.
