Taylor Mountain, at the northern end of the Sonoma Mountains near Santa Rosa, is a prominent summit within the Laguna de Santa Rosa drainage basin whose slopes feed Matanzas Creek and Five Creek. Named for Gold Rush pioneer John Shackleford Taylor, who settled there in 1853 and established a dairy and vineyard, it reflects the agricultural roots of Sonoma County. Its roughly 1,400-foot peak is widely visible and also helps define the boundary between the Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Valley wine regions. Much of the mountain is now protected as Taylor Mountain Regional Park, with public access and expanded trail access added in the 2010s.