Squaw Rock
| Frog Woman Rock | |
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Frog Woman Rock as seen northbound on United States highway 101.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 879 ft (268 m) |
| Coordinates | 38°54′45″N 123°03′22″W / 38.91250°N 123.05611°WCoordinates: 38°54′45″N 123°03′22″W / 38.91250°N 123.05611°W |
| Geography | |
 Frog Woman Rock
Location of Frog Woman Rock in California
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| Location | Mendocino County, California |
| Topo map | USGS Hopland |
| Reference no. | 549 |
Frog Woman Rock is a distinctive volcanic monolith in the Russian River canyon through the California Coast Ranges. The California Historical Landmark, adjacent to US Route 101, is a popular recreation site for rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking.
The Russian River channel through the Franciscan Assemblage is moved westerly against the steep, resistant face of Frog Woman Rock by an earthflow known as Squaw Rock Slide. The earth flow forms the east bank of the river where the vertical cliffs of Frog Woman Rock form the west bank. Boulders moved into the river channel by the earth flow remain while turbulent river flow erodes and transports smaller sediment particles of the earth flow down the Russian River. The remaining boulders form rapids varying from class III during summer flows of 300 cu ft/s (8.5 m3/s) to class V during heavy winter runoff events.
The Russian River canyon has long been a transportation corridor between the agricultural Ukiah Valley and seaports around San Francisco Bay. Northwestern Pacific Railroad tunnel number 8 was bored 1270 feet (388 m) through Frog Woman Rock in 1889 to bring the railroad up the west side of the canyon. Early wagon roads up the east side of the canyon were improved to form United States highway 101. The present highway alignment crosses Squaw Rock Slide on a bridge at milepost MEN 4.9. Early travelers through the canyon noted the upper portion of Frog Woman Rock resembles the profile of a head and face, with imaginatively humanoid or frog-like features. This profile can be most conveniently observed traveling southbound on highway 101 from mileposts MEN 6.4 to 6.2.
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Wikipedia