Drake Road follows the Russian River east, upriver from the Guerneville Bridge, connecting wooded riverfront settings with the sunnier Drake Estates neighborhood at its far end. Explore Riverlands Road and Drake Road waterfront homes, the open sky around Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern avenues, and hillside homes around Wright Drive, Wright Lane and Edgehill Drive.
Thinking about buying or selling here? Call David R. Millar with The Millar Group at Keller Williams Realty, 707-217-1786.
2 active listing entries matched to the selected neighborhood streets. Asking prices from $99,000 to $1,695,000. Property types are identified on each card; prices and availability can change.
$1,695,000
Guerneville, California
Multifamily
MLS #326064479
Listing courtesy of Jeffrey S Kuzma from Providencia Properties Inc
$99,000
Guerneville, California
Land
MLS #325010992
Listing courtesy of Mary Mount from Russian River Realty Co
Explore Drake Road with me, including riverfront homes, Riverlands, Drake Estates, nearby recreation and the property details buyers should investigate.
One of the great attractions here is the stretch of river influenced by the seasonal summer dam at Johnson's Beach. When the dam is in place, the water becomes deeper and especially inviting for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, and relaxed days on the river. Waterfront properties along Drake Road and Riverlands Road enjoy a front-row seat to that summer tradition. Seasonal dam arrangements, water levels and recreation conditions vary.
I describe this corridor in two main parts: the Drake Road and Riverlands area closer to the Guerneville Bridge, and Drake Estates at the far end of Drake Road. They share proximity to the Russian River, but the setting changes as you travel upriver. The beginning of the route has more redwoods, while Drake Estates offers more sunshine, open space and sky in my local experience.
The hills above add another option. Wright Drive, Wright Lane and Edgehill Drive provide an elevated setting with a different mix of trees and sunlight. Comparing these specific streets is more useful than treating every Drake Road-area home as the same kind of river property.
Riverlands Road is just upstream from the Guerneville Bridge and includes homes with Russian River frontage. This is one of the streets I point out when buyers are looking for a riverfront home close to downtown Guerneville. The bridge provides the connection to the town's restaurants, shopping and activities.
Riverlands and the beginning of Drake Road have more of a redwood setting than the open portions of Drake Estates. For a particular riverfront property, compare the outlook from the home, decks and usable outdoor areas, as well as the actual route to the water. River frontage and convenient water access are separate features, so look at both.
Drake Road follows the river east from the bridge area, heading upriver toward Drake Estates. There are riverfront homes along the road, as well as homes set back from the water. Classic river cottages and larger waterfront properties offer different ways to enjoy this part of Guerneville.
Exceptional waterfront properties can sell for more than $1 million, depending on the home, improvements and market. Lower-lying portions of the neighborhood have experienced flooding during major storms, so the property's elevation and flood history belong in the comparison alongside its river setting. These price observations are broad neighborhood guidance, separate from the dated listings above.
At the far end of Drake Road, Drake Estates forms a distinct residential pocket. Western Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Northern Avenue and Southern Avenue are the street names to look for when exploring this neighborhood.
In my experience, one of Drake Estates' strongest attractions is its sunshine and open sky. The setting is less enclosed by redwoods than the beginning of Drake Road and Riverlands, with more opportunities to enjoy an open outlook and outdoor space. If sunshine is a priority in your Russian River home search, this is an area I would include in the comparison. The amount of light and usable yard still depends on the individual lot, home orientation and nearby trees.
Homes here can offer a more approachable price point than prime waterfront properties, with opportunities around $500,000 and above depending on condition, location and the market. A home on Western Avenue or Northern Avenue may have a different relationship to the river than another nearby home, so compare the actual parcel rather than relying only on the Drake Estates name.
Drake Estates has a beach associated with the neighborhood, an important part of its river-oriented character. Having a neighborhood beach nearby is one of the features I discuss with buyers who want to spend time by the Russian River without necessarily buying a riverfront house.
Beach access arrangements vary among properties. The amount of beach and river conditions change with the season.
Above the lower river roads, the hillside around Wright Drive, Wright Lane and Edgehill Drive offers another change in scenery. In my local experience, these higher settings can have more sunshine, oak trees and some fir, rather than the denser redwood atmosphere near the beginning of Drake Road.
The elevation creates opportunities for homes above the river floodplain, along with an outlook over the surrounding landscape from some properties. Compare the approach, driveway, parking and usable outdoor space as part of the hillside setting.
Nearby Birkhofer Road is another hillside road included in this wider neighborhood guide. My Drake Road neighborhood video tour introduces Riverlands, Drake Estates and the surrounding settings so you can see how the corridor changes.
Older subdivision records use the name Rolands for parts of the wider Drake Road area, including Rolands Subdivision No. 2 and No. 3. It's a small but fascinating piece of the area's development history, and a reminder that some Russian River neighborhood names survive primarily on older maps and property records.
Pee Wee Golf, the long-loved miniature golf landmark near the beginning of Drake Road, makes an easy reference point when explaining the neighborhood. From here, downtown Guerneville's restaurants, shops, events, and Johnson's Beach are just across the bridge.
From riverfront summer retreats to sunny hillside homes and the neighborhood beach at Drake Estates, this part of Guerneville captures many of the things people love about Russian River living.
The price references above are broad neighborhood guidance from the earlier guide, separate from the dated current asking prices shown near the top of this page.
Riverlands Road and the beginning of Drake Road include riverfront homes and more redwood cover. Compare water access, sunlight, elevation and the connection to downtown across the Guerneville Bridge.
Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern avenues define the Drake Estates pocket with its neighborhood beach and more open sky. Wright Drive, Wright Lane and Edgehill Drive offer higher hillside settings with oak and fir among the trees.
Drake Estates is at the far end of Drake Road as you head east, upriver from the Guerneville Bridge. Its streets include Western Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Northern Avenue and Southern Avenue.
Riverlands Road just upstream from the bridge and portions of Drake Road include riverfront properties.
David describes Riverlands and the beginning of Drake Road as more wooded with redwoods, while Drake Estates offers a sunnier, more open setting and a neighborhood beach.
Drake Estates has a neighborhood beach. Beach access arrangements vary among properties.
David describes the area around Wright Drive, Wright Lane and Edgehill Drive as higher ground with more sunshine, oaks and some fir. Sunlight, views and usable outdoor space vary by property.
Higher locations can offer homes above the river floodplain, with a different setting from the lower riverfront roads.
For more on riverfront living, Drake Estates and the surrounding streets, read my Drake Road neighborhood tour blog.
Considering buying or selling in Drake Road & Drake Estates? I can help you compare the location, access, property condition and current market, and explain the differences between the available options.
David R. Millar | The Millar Group
Keller Williams Realty
Call 707-217-1786
Explore Russian River real estate