The area takes its name from the native Sinkyone tribe of the area. It was a fertile hunting ground for the Native Americans, providing nearly constant access to fresh fish and meat from the ocean, especially important during the winter months.
Further development through the years saw trails and roads cut through the area for business and industry, both for logging access to the raw timber, and for access to the native tanbark for the San Francisco tanneries. Logging operations continued well into the 20th century.