Preemptive Hike A…read more±5k-acre park located in the heart of Santa Rosa that offers visitors a myriad of diverse landscapes, all the way from woodlands and marshes to meadows and lakes. The Good: * Several parking lots, with the big one at the end of Channel Dr. * Over 45 miles of trails! * Visitor Center (check hours) * Tons of picnic benches along the trails (check map) * Trails are mostly shaded from what we saw, so this would be a great place to hike in the summer. * Mountain biking on certain trails (check map and trail signage) * Horseback riding on certain trails (check map and trail signage) * Dog-friendly trails (check signage) * No e-bikes * Fishing at the lakes (need permit) The Meh: * $8/vehicle fee that can either be collected via cash, or they actually have a QR Code to pay via your phone. * No camping The Ugly: * Unfortunately, we didn't have much time here as we barely squeezed in a short 2.5-mile hike. I wish this place was closer so we could explore it more, but there is always next time, Gadget! Next tiiiime!!! Conclusion: Fantastic state park with lots of great trails and something for everyone.

Another huge State Park in the vicinity-in Santa Rosa. We have done a couple of medium to hard…read moretrails and yet prefer the easy straight walk along the creek. There are houses too along that path. Lots of space for one to walk comfortably at one's own pace. We usually do 3.0 miles back and forth at a quick pace and feel well worked out. Enough tree cover, so good to walk on a sunny day too.

Great place to walk your dogs or do a little fishing. The little lakes all have paths around them…read moreand so many neat trails. Go exercise, great views!

I've been living in Windsor for about three years and. Finally made it to this beautiful place. The…read moretrails lead to such beautiful views. We decided to hike up the more intense trail and it was so worth it. There were quite a few others hiking as well and most people seem to respect it. Picking up their trash and making sure to leave it as it was before setting up their picnic spot. Net time I'm going to make sure to bring my on picnic. This time I only brought snacks and water to sustain me while hiking. I'm so blessed to live in an area that provides this wonderful piece of Mother Nature.

This hike is always a great one. I would rate this one as moderate as the loop we hiked was a bit…read moreover 7 miles with 1225 ft in climbing. It begins with approximately over 3 miles of climbing with ferns & redwoods. We were on the search for the rocking chair- we found the location but it was replaced with Adirondack chairs- not as much fun, however, much more suitable to sit and enjoy the fabulous views. Instead of making this an out and back hike we did the loop coming down a much easier incline.

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this amazing trail sooner! I've hiked it for years and it never…read moregets old. Usually I stop at the Pomo Campground, but this time we went all the way up Red Hill and looped back. The views are unreal -- ocean, Russian River, and the coastal range all in one sweep. If you make it to the top, bring a sandwich and take in the scenery from the picnic table. Totally worth it!

Fun trail with lots of diversity. Hiking the Pomo Canyon trail, you'll get redwoods, coastal views,…read morewildflowers, sweeping hillsides and rocky meadows. I find the easiest way to start is by parking at Shell Beach on the Sonoma coast-it's also free to park here. Cross Highway 1 and you'll see the trail climb, at first as a wider fire road but then narrowing and starting to leave behind the traffic noise of the coastal highway. It's moderately challenging to climb but levels out in spots and alternates between sun and shade. When you get to the first junction (a short way in) of Red Hill trail, keep left and follow the signs for Pomo Canyon, as I feel the trail is best done counter clockwise. Along the way up, you'll go through narrow single track trails that are a bit overgrown-long pants recommended! In April, there was a colorful array of wildflowers and still some mud on the trail. You'll encounter some beautiful redwood groves before you each the next junction which gives you an option to turn left and make it down to the Pomo Canyon campground or to the right to complete your loop via the Red Hill trail. I like to turn right and climb red hill to enjoy the sweeping views of the coast and Jenner, where you can see the junction of the Russian River. This will loop you back down to where you started and ends up being just shy of 6 miles. Beautiful views, majestic redwoods and colorful wildflowers make this a fun spring hike.

An easy trail that you can catch in Forestville, Graton or Sebastopol. It does join up with the…read moreJoe Rodota trail too. It is flat, mostly paved and offers some shade. People are always friendly but be careful because bikes whiz passed at a high speed. Thoughtful bicyclists will ring a bell or they'll yell out "on your left", which is helpful. I often do my walking meditation on these paths because it is quiet and serene. You'll see a water recycling pond, hear lots of birds, but most of the trail is quiet and you'll see vineyards and lots of trees, vegetation and farms. There are dog waste bags with receptacles available near the trailheads and benches appear here and there on the trail. On our recent walk, we saw quail, various birds, bunnies, and a turkey vulture landed directly in our path! Not sure what it saw but it stopped us in our tracks. On the Forestville trailhead side, there is an unpaved parking lot with picnic tables and porta potties. A small Certified Farmer's Market is held there on Tuesdays, May - August.

This is a nice, flat trail for walkers and bikers that traverses from Forestville to Graton to…read moreSebastopol along vineyards, waste treatment plants, and along the side of the road in certain sections. It's not the most picturesque hike, but it's a nice stroll for families or dog walks. (During COVID, pretty high level of mask wearing compliance.)

An amazing network of trails of all levels can be found at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, as well as…read moreinformational trails that are great for kids. You can pick up a list of trails and rough map at the entrance. We meandered creekside, and looped Hillside Trail to meadow trail, all with amazing scenery. Very clean and well-maintained park, with plenty of rangers. Loads of great picnic areas as well. Can't wait to return and try more hikes.

This state park was relatively easy to get to despite the long drive and heavy traffic from…read morePeninsula. However the road leading up to the park was relatively straightforward. We are getting into camping this year and this was our trial run with all the new gears we bought. We rented camper site #1 which is labeled as "premium". Maybe it was a bit bigger than the regular sites but other than that it didn't feel particularly premium. Since #1 and 48 are the first and last sites in the campground loop and closest to the visitor center, they had the best WiFi reception. The downside is we were the farthest to the bathrooms and showers which were located on the opposite site of the loop. This made trekking over at night a bit inconvenient. The bathrooms were somewhat clean and the showers are coin-operated at the cost of 25c per minute. Shampoo and body wash were provided which is nice. All in all this was a nice introductory experience for us. If we were to come back to camp at this park we will opt for site #3 which is nicely tucked into the shaded corner and is fairly close to the bathrooms.

This is a beautiful stop in Sonoma County. It features easy walks that allow you to learn about…read moreJack London and explore his homes, including the House of Happy Walls Museum and the ruins of his Wolf House. The trails are well-maintained and shaded by trees, with some minor uphill and downhill sections, making it a great outdoor activity for all ages. There is a vehicle entry fee to get into the park, but it is covered if you have a California State Parks pass. Highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area or need a break from wine tasting.

Jack London is such a beautiful state park! We came for the first time this spring and were…read moreabsolutely amazed by all of the beauty this state park has to offer! We started in the museum which was very informative and educational. We then started a hike towards the old redwood tree. The trails are very clean and spacious. There is a good variety in terms of incline. We were excited to see the lake (which was unfortunately dry) but hope to come back sometime when there is water. Parking is very easy and I love that there is a lot of variety in both the trails and things to do. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Amazing experience!!! It was like traveling back in time 3 million years. Highly recommend. An…read moreexperience for the whole family you will never forget. A geologist dream!! Go early as it gets crowded during the day and parking gets limited at busy times. Many tour buses with visitors from around the world. Friendly staff.

In between wine adventures, my fiancé and I decided to do little hikes around the area. We found…read morethe Petrified Forest and were excited to check it out. It was about $14 each to enter, which was a little pricey for what we saw. You are able to do the entire space under an hour if you so wish. The people who work here are kind. There is a gift shop with both gifts and drinks. There were rudimentary women and mens restrooms. And plenty of free parking out front. You can check out the petrified woods up close. They also have a lot of informational plaques around.