Calistoga Napa Valley

Calistoga

Napa Valley, California

Calistoga was developed in the 1860s and its name is reputed to have been accidentally coined by town founder Sam Brannan. Brannan apparently intended to refer to it as the "Saratoga of California", the Saratoga referring to the well-known spa area in New York State. Brannan, having had a few drinks, instead came out with the "Calistoga of Sarafornia". Calistoga it stayed.

Brannan's fortunes didn't get any better. He had to sell most of the resort in 1875 and he died penniless in 1889. A sad end for California's first millionaire.

Buy Scoundrel's Tale: The Samuel Brannan Papers

Calistoga is the place for spas, and it's the only town in the Napa Valley with any real nightlife—despite the fact that it has only one-tenth the population of the city of Napa. People walk along the sidewalks; wander in and out of bars, restaurants and shops; smile at each other; and, in general, have a great time. After all, after lying in mud, soaking in bubbling mineral water and getting massaged throughout the day, you'd be pretty mellow, too.

Mount St. Helena

That extinct volcano you see at north of Calistoga—Mount St. Helena—is not extinct. But don't worry; it isn't a volcano either. Despite the beliefs of many locals, it's just a mountain, in fact the highest part of the Mayacmas Mountains (frequently misspelled "Mayacamas"—in fact so frequently, that we'll use that spelling) that also extend into Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties. It is, however, one (and the highest at 4,343 feet) of the four dominant mountains of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mount St. Helena at the north, Mount Hamilton at the south—near San Jose; Mount Diablo at the east—near Concord; and Mount Tamalpais at the west in Marin County.

Even if Mount St. Helena was never a volcano, there is a great deal of geyser activity just below it in Calistoga's hot springs, and to the northwest in an area known as The Geysers, currently used as a source of thermal energy.

Getting Here

Most people come to Calistoga by car. It's 28 miles north of Napa on Highway 29, which is the main north-south highway in the Napa Valley. Calistoga is actually closer to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, which is to the west of Napa County, than it is to the city of Napa, so many people approach the town from that direction.

This map will show you where Calistoga is in relation to the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.