Discovered in 1602-03 by the expedition of Vizcaino. It was named by Bodega in his survey of 1775. The harbor was used in 1790 by Colnett and by the Kusov expeditions in 1809 and 1811 . The Russian-American company and their Aleut hunters used the bay as an outpost until 1841. Stephen Smith took control in 1843. Pioneer ships of many nations used Bodega Bay as an anchorage.

California Registered Historical Landmark No. 833
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Westerners and the Sonoma County Parks and Recreation.
May 24, 1970