Bohemian Grove: Location, Members, Rituals and the 2026 List Leak
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Bohemian Grove is a private, roughly 2,700-acre redwood property along the Russian River near Monte Rio in western Sonoma County, owned by San Francisco’s Bohemian Club, which holds a two-week men’s encampment there each July. It isn’t open to the public.
In February 2026, journalist Daniel Boguslaw published a list of roughly 2,000 names said to relate to the 2023 encampment; the club says it doesn’t disclose members or guests. This guide sets out what’s documented about the Grove, what the 2026 list does and doesn’t show, and what living near it in the Russian River area is like.
Bohemian Grove at a glance
| Detail | What’s documented |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Monte Rio, along the Russian River, western Sonoma County |
| Size | About 2,700 acres of forest |
| Owner | The Bohemian Club, San Francisco (founded 1872) |
| Main event | A two-week encampment each July |
| Public access | None; private property |
| Membership | Men only, as of 2026; women may work there as employees |
| Motto | “Weaving spiders come not here,” from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
Sources: Press Democrat via the Sonoma Index-Tribune (March 2026); Sonoma Index-Tribune (February 2026).
Where is Bohemian Grove?
The Grove sits in the redwoods just outside Monte Rio, a small unincorporated town on the lower Russian River between Guerneville and Duncans Mills. Guerneville is about 75 miles northwest of San Francisco (NPR). The property is gated and private, so there’s nothing to visit. What visitors to the area do see is the river, the surrounding redwood forest and the towns of the lower river: Monte Rio, Guerneville, Duncans Mills and, inland, Occidental.
A short history
- 1872: The Bohemian Club is founded in San Francisco as a gathering place for artists, writers and journalists. Its membership later grew to include business leaders and public officials (Sonoma Index-Tribune).
- 1870s: The club’s summer encampments in the redwoods begin (Press Democrat).
- 1899: The club buys the Grove property from a logging operation (NBC Bay Area).
- September 1942: Physicists Ernest Lawrence and J. Robert Oppenheimer host a planning meeting at the Grove for members of the committee overseeing early atomic research, according to historians cited in the Grove’s Wikipedia entry.
- 1986: A California appeals court rules that the club can’t refuse to hire women at the Grove, finding that male gender isn’t a legitimate job qualification for its employees (Bohemian Club v. Fair Employment & Housing Commission).
What happens at the encampment
Members are grouped into camps, each with its own site in the forest. The program mixes informal socializing with music, theater and talks, and opens with a staged ceremony called the “Cremation of Care” in front of a large owl statue at the edge of a lake (Sonoma Index-Tribune). The club’s motto, taken from Shakespeare, is meant to signal that business deals are left outside.
The ceremony and the Grove’s secrecy have long drawn speculation. A 2000 video by conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones portrayed the ceremony as a dark ritual, and protesters have gathered at the gates over concerns about political and economic deal-making (Press Democrat). The documented record supports a private social retreat for wealthy and powerful men; it doesn’t support claims of secret government or the occult.
The 2026 member list
What was published
In late February 2026, independent journalist Daniel Boguslaw published on Substack a list of names said to relate to the 2023 encampment, as part of an investigation with the outlet More Perfect Union. He said he obtained it from a club member in 2024 after repeated requests (Sonoma Index-Tribune; Town & Country). Counts in coverage vary, from roughly 1,900 to more than 2,000 names.
How the club responded
A club spokesman said the club “does not disclose nor confirm the names of members and guests” (Press Democrat). The Press Democrat said it confirmed the list’s authenticity and found dozens of names with ties to Sonoma and Napa counties, many in the wine industry. Other outlets said they couldn’t independently verify it.
What the list doesn’t show
Coverage noted that it’s unclear whether every name reflects a member, an invited guest or an actual attendee in 2023. A name on the list isn’t evidence of anything a person did. For that reason, we don’t reproduce names from the list here.
Other controversies
- Women: after the 1986 ruling the club had to hire women for jobs at the Grove, but membership remains men-only (Press Democrat).
- Logging: in 2009 the club sought state approval to log up to a million board feet a year under a long-term plan, saying it needed to reduce fire hazard; critics cited habitat for the northern spotted owl and the property’s size (NBC Bay Area).
- Workers: former workers filed wage lawsuits in 2023 and 2024, according to press reports summarized in the Wikipedia entry.
Living near Bohemian Grove: the lower Russian River
For most people, the Grove is a neighbor they never see. Monte Rio and the nearby river towns are known for redwood cabins, river access and a relaxed pace, and the area draws both full-time residents and second-home owners. If you’re thinking of buying here, the bigger issues are the ones every lower-river buyer faces:
Flooding
The Russian River floods. In February 2019 it crested at about 45.4 feet at Guerneville, more than 13 feet above flood stage, cutting off Guerneville and Monte Rio; the record is 48.56 feet, set in 1986 (NPR). Check every address on FEMA’s flood map, ask for the home’s elevation certificate if it has one, get a flood insurance quote, and find out how the home fared in 2019.
Fire, septic and access
Many homes sit on wooded hillsides with narrow roads, septic systems and limited parking. Get a defensible-space and insurance review, a septic inspection and a clear picture of road maintenance. Our wells and septic guide explains the process.
Vacation rentals
Short-term rentals are common on the river, but the county requires a permit, a license and a certified property manager, and limits rentals in some zones (Permit Sonoma). Our guide to vacation rental rules in Sonoma County covers the details.
For a wider look at the county, see our Sonoma County guide. Thinking about buying or selling on the river? Start with a home valuation or contact us.
Questions people ask
Can the public visit Bohemian Grove?
No. It’s private property with no public access.
Is Bohemian Grove in San Francisco?
No. The club is based in San Francisco; the Grove is in western Sonoma County near Monte Rio.
Are women allowed?
Women can work there, but membership and the encampment remain men-only, as of 2026 reporting.
Did the 2026 list prove who attended in 2023?
No. Coverage noted it’s unclear whether names reflect members, guests or attendees, and the club doesn’t confirm names.
Does the Grove affect nearby home values?
Not in any measurable way we know of. River access, flood risk, condition and the home itself drive prices on the lower river.
Sources & notes
- Press Democrat via Sonoma Index-Tribune (March 2026); Sonoma Index-Tribune (February 2026); Town & Country (March 1, 2026)
- Bohemian Club v. FEHC (1986); NBC Bay Area (2009); Wikipedia: Bohemian Grove (background, with its cited sources)
- NPR: 2019 Russian River flood; FEMA Flood Map Service Center; Permit Sonoma: vacation rentals
This article reports on published coverage and court records; it does not identify individuals from the 2026 list. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
