“Rolling oak woodland, Cache Creek canyon, and Snow Mountain's chaparral ridgelines in the California Coast Ranges — a pastoral, golden landscape far removed from coastal or desert California. Serene and filmic.”
About This Location
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in the California Coast Ranges north of Napa Valley protects a rolling mosaic of oak woodland, chaparral ridgelines, river canyon, and grassland meadow distinct from both coastal and desert California. Cache Creek flows through a sandstone canyon with California buckeye, gray pine, and blue oak — a warm, golden Central California aesthetic unlike anything south of the Bay Area. Snow Mountain's 7,000-foot chaparral ridgelines offer Coast Range panoramas extending to the Sacramento Valley. The monument is managed jointly by BLM and the USFS, with BLM's Ukiah Field Office handling commercial filming permits. This is an almost completely undiscovered film location in California — extremely low permit competition, very low visitor traffic, and a distinctly pastoral California character. Ideal for wine country-adjacent narratives, Northern California rural stories, and any production needing genuine Coast Range wilderness without the Sonoma/Napa crowds.
Color Palette
Location
📍 Open in Google Maps →Permit Information
Permit Required
Type
BLM Film Permit
Fee
$0–$200+/day
Contact
BLM Ukiah Field Office
Contact Permit Office
📞 707-468-4000Managed by BLM and USFS. Cache Creek canyon is the most accessible portion. Clearlake and Lake Berryessa adjacent for water location options.
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