Sigi the dog did not poop here. Equidistant for most of my family (except for us, who had to drive from LA). This place was nice enough, but crowded and parking was a bitch. We also had a nasty surprise waiting for us when we arrived as the wild blackberry cobbler we'd made from blackberries we'd picked out at Point Molate spilled into the the back of the Pious, and the bathrooms are a hike from everywhere it seems. The whole place is dusty and dry, but we had a great time as we reserved a picnic area near the water. Family. Good food, drinks, good fun and lots of chaseable ground squirrels. Locals seem to hate on this place but it suited our needs just fine and it had clean bathrooms and the people there seemed pretty nice and the setup is pretty elaborate for a municipal park. read more

Howarth Park - Howarth Park, Snta Rosa - Parks Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

My hometown city park. It's got some appealing features: mature trees, a little lake that you can actually fish for bass, an adequate parking lot (mid week only). Playground with swings, merry go round, miniature steam locomotive and train to ride and pony rides for the kids. Week-end visits not recommended, because of the overwhelming crowds. Howarth park neighbors with Spring lake park. The walking trails are connected. You can wander around up to 6.5 miles if you take the circuitous route on the various trails. Get your scenic vistas with some exercise. Bike riders really like the parks as well. read more

Nice place to take the family A lot of stuff to do, the kids love to ride the horses and the train read more

Beautiful lake here! But then, of course... 1 star off: Parking is hard. read more

We love this park. We live in Novato but get up here once and while and sometimes with friends. There's something for everyone, paddle boats, hiking, horse rides for the kids, train ride, carousel, and an awesome park for days where you just wanna play. read more

Beautiful park right in the middle of the city. Great playground for kids, horse rides, snack bar, train, merry-go-round. Fishing and boating available at Lake Ralphine. Trails are well maintained. Very relaxing park with abundant huge trees. In the summer, the city will show movies in the large field area. There are also many picnic grounds, softball field, tennis courts, and pickleball courts. read more

Super fantastic! Great w kids, play areas for all ages, train/petting zoo, horse rides, nicely maintained facilities. A little underwhelming value (petting zoo and train a little less than hoped), but I would certainly go back. read more

Love this place. We have a parks pass and if we're doing the spring lake walking, we'll park on that side. Otherwise, parking at howarth park is fine if you just head to the lower parking by tennis courts. Our family has been enjoying this bit of nature for as long as I can remember. read more

A beautiful park located right in Santa Rosa. They have an amazing playground and train rides for the little ones. Lake Ralphine is right off the main parking lot and you can rent paddle boats during the summer. The lake is stocked with fish regularly and there are always people fishing. There are lots of well maintained dirt trails for the off-roaders, but if you want to keep it clean you can stay on the paved trail that takes you on a 3 mile loop around Springlake. If you are solo, it's a safe place for a walk or jog. There's plenty of public restrooms, water fountains, picnic tables, and a couple of beverage vending machines. The parking gets a little tight on the weekends, but there is a lower parking lot by the tennis courts and plenty of street parking available. read more

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I come here to hike a bit and fish Lake Ralphine. The parking lots are full after 5pm or so. What I do is park on the main road next to the tennis courts, walk past the baseball diamond and up the spillway to the dam. No crowds, and only the occasional homeless person or two. From there I take Eagle Scout Trail (which is rough and little more than an old game trail that's been reinforced so it doesn't slide down the hill) to the North side of the lake where only about 5% of the park's visitors bother to tread and things are a little more claustrophobic and spooky at night. There's only about 5 bits of fishable shoreline, big enough for one or two angler's a piece. The shore is like concrete, good luck sinking your fishing pole holders. There are millions of the tiniest bluegill, some good decent largemouth, the ever elusive catfish, and even what I thought was a freshwater otter. It was midnight and all I had was a little flashlight, but it looked like a lone, little otter - which made me sad. I've seen it a couple times. I hope it isn't there all alone. That would be lonely and depressing for a social critter. Earlier this year in spring (2020) there was an abundance of little skunks around the Reservoir. It was like a skunk explosion - I've never seen anything like it. There must have been a dozen youngsters that would wonder the shoreline, each by themselves, searching for clams, crawfish, discarded fish bait, etc. They were cute because they seemed to have no fear. They would walk within a few feet of me and act like I wasn't even there. One skunk was obviously very sick or starving as his fur was all dirty and ratty looking, one of his eyes had a big cataract/injury and he was slipping off rocks repeatedly falling into the water. The skunkyness went on for a month or so and then one day I didn't see any more skunks. It's as if every one of those youngsters died or got killed. Sad. I'd hate to think somebody would hurt them or sick a dog on them just for showing themselves in search of food. I have not seen any other terrestrial wildlife in the area - not even a raccoon or opossum. During the day this park is beautiful and crowded. After dark the vibe changes and it gets real quiet and eerie. I see a sketchy looking person about every other time I visit Lake Ralphine (Howarth Park) I say 'sketchy' only because I usually fish alone, at night, in secluded places, and I don't want to become a victim-statistic. I've heard what I assume were transients screaming and fighting in the North woods while fishing at night, and there has been some pretty nasty physical and sexual assaults in the park over the years (also at night). I tote multiple flashlights, knives and mace when catfishing. If you fish on the dam the fuzz will kick you out of the park around 9pm, but they don't bother to go looking for anglers to kick out down the trails. There are literally dozens and dozens of little dirt slides/trails that seem to go straight up the hills in many spots almost as if kids use them to slide down for fun. I still haven't figured out what the deal is with all those slides. The dam and subsequent reservoir were constructed in 1882. This reservoir and area has some history and has seen many people come and go. The reservoir gets heavy fishing pressure and if you wade out in your socks to knee high water you will gather a sock chock full of discarded fishing hooks and other garbage that people have littered over the previous 130 years. There is something different about little Lake Ralphine that I find peculiar, or perhaps spiritual is a better term. I haven't quite put my finger on it but this little revine turned reservoir has an allure of sorts and is a beautiful place to bring your family, your dog, or just go for a walk or kayak paddle - During daylight hours that is. I removed a star because the amenities have not been open this entire year and it appears as though the powers that be neglect the park. read more

Great place for walking your dog and a nice quiet hike. I love that it's directional so everybody keeps on their own side and they always have doggie poop bags available. The playgrounds are clean, and free of graffiti. On the weekends the staff which are on the younger side are very pleasant and are eager to please. So if you just wanna relax walk or take your children somewhere different I would recommend this park. read more

Needed to find a spot to kill some time. I googled parks in Santa Rosa and found Howarth Park. Once I found Howarth I went to good ol yelp for reviews, pics, etc. It looked like a great park so off we went. It was a hot day but plenty of shade to relax while my youngin ran off some energy. My son ran around for a couple of hours then did the horse/pony ride before taking a spin on the train. Our furball was allowed to come with us which was cool. read more

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Beautiful park! If you decide to do the trail stay to the right. The signs aren't to clear and I got lost going left lol. Burn lots of calories though. Stop by and feed the ducks the kids love that. The playgrounds are above par. Parking can sometimes get crammed. Bbq pits get the job done. Tennis court are good. read more

We discovered this place a little by accident when looking for a picnic spot, and we were in shock. This is an awesome park! We didn't get to go on the train because it was about to close, but saw it ride around, and our kids went bananas over it! There are pony rides (that we also didn't get to try), a beautiful carousel, and a huge play area, with several separate structures and swings, including a water play area. A little far for us, coming for the East Bay, but worth it. We will be back! In our (short) experience in the area, this place cannot be topped, other than maybe by Tilden Park with its Little Farm, train and carousel but these activities are all a little far from each other at Tilden. Everything is in one place here, which can be a plus. read more

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The old great park in sant a Rosa. Huge lots to do for everyone. Long trails for biking and walking paved and dirt. Ride the new train and get on the carousel .. always a fun special Place to get outside. read more

Took a lovely hike around the lake here, enjoyed numerous wildflowers, beautiful birdsongs, baby ducks, lovely mountainous views and even somebody dressed up like a gorilla. Lots of picnic benches throughout the lake loop offer great views, all the folks fishing on the shoreline seemed to be getting bites and in the summer you can rent paddleboats. Had a delightful day. read more

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I love coming here with my dogs. Beautiful place to relax & it's the perfect distance to walk. Right across the street from restaurants to grab a bite to eat after it you wanted to. read more

Howarth Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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This place is HUGE! We wanted to kill some time waiting for Russian River Brewing to open and taking the pup for a walk is always a good idea. Parking though, kind of crazy! I blame it on the Veteran's Day Holiday we decided to start our trip on. We ended up parking on the street and walking in. There is an area to fish, lots of trials, a kid's area, and tons more I'm sure we didn't see. The bathrooms were clean and I enjoyed being outside and taking this park in. I would love to go back and see the rest of it. read more

This is a kids' park for sure: Adult-kids and kid-kids alike will be well-pleased by this surprisingly large space right near downtown Santa Rosa. You can Ride a pony, pet the zoo, splash in a ground water spout, run for miles, quack with the ducks, ride a train, slide down a slide, make believe, pee in the multiple restrooms, walk around the lake, swing on a swing, barbeque. A real gem, a shiny ball of glitter, a sweet piece of candy. A joy for all kids! read more

What CAN'T you do at Howarth Park?! Boating, pony rides, petting zoo, train rides, carousel, ground water spouts, kick-as$ play structures, bbq, beautiful hiking paths... I wish i lived closer. 20 minutes is not too far, but it's a little too far for after work walking. I love that I have a young daughter and nieces and nephews so I have even more reason to visit this park. read more

Howarth Park is a great park for kids and adults of all ages. There are plenty of things to keep the kids entertained as well as some nice paved and unpaved trails for the adults. For kids they have a newly remodeled playground (it definitely doesn't look the same from when I was a kid!), pony rides, train rides, a carousel and outdoor movies in the summer. For adults they have tennis courts, a lake, and plenty of trails which you can run, walk or bike on. Many of the trails are paved and slightly hilly, but there are also other unpaved trails that go up into the hills for a more advanced hike. For everybody there is a baseball field, boat rides, and a covered gazebo with benches that you can rent for parties and family gatherings. There are also a lot of shaded benches and grass areas around the park to hangout on. The only thing I don't like is the PARKING. There is a parking lot in front, one in back, and one to the side of the park (with other various spaces lining the road between the lots) but it never is enough! Parking always spills out into the street and parking lots of adjoining businesses which can be irritating if you are trying to enjoy said businesses. I would recommend Howarth Park to anyone in the area, it's really a neighborhood gem! read more

Howarth Park has EVERYTHING!: This huge recreation facility has everything you could possibly want for a perfectly fun, wonderful & magical day. There are trails for hiking, biking & jogging; picnic facilities; a lake with swimming, paddle boats & canoes for rent; & a nice Discovery Center (a small, but informative nature museum focussed on the ecology of the area). If you have kids, Howarth Memorial Park is an absolute gawd-send. The play structures are beautifully designed, amazingly versatile & can keep kids of all ages safe & entertained. There are also smaller-scale play areas for infants & toddlers (within sight of the big-kid play areas for parents whose kids are of different ages). Comfortable seating in the sun & in the shade abound, & there are also plenty of clean & well-maintained drinking fountains & restrooms. You can also buy inexpensive tickets from the concession stand ($1-$2) for a train tour of the park, visits to the petting zoo, a turn on the merry-go-round, & -- best of all -- a pony ride. Younger children are seated upon the gentle, small ponies & softly led by trained staff along a pretty, shady trail. You can walk with them or watch from behind the fence. Older & more experienced children can ride alone. They also offer reasonably-priced riding lessons. My daughter's favorite part of the park is the water-play area, which is only functional during the summer. It's a soft, colorful playground surface with sprinklers that spurt water into the air at random & alternating intervals. The kids LOVE it. I only have one caveat: DO bring a picnic lunch. The concession stand is a good & inexpensive source of ice cream, chips, candy, popcorn & other treats. But their lunch food (pizza, hot dogs, etc.) is absolutely AWFUL ... even by junk food standards. read more

Amazing State Park attached to Annadel. Great trails, scenery, lakes, bike end horse trails, mountain scape, trees, everything God blessed in Northern California. read more

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Went to the children's area of this park the other day for the first time. We didn't hike to the lake or anything but the children's playground area was really nice. It was clean, well kept and a real pleasure for my little 1 year old grand-nephew. None of the rides were open since it was mid-week in the winter. But the park is still a great place to take little ones. read more

Ducks, boats, a train, carousel, people. It is crazy packed during the weekends. If you have an extended lunch during the weekday, it's a lovely spot to bring your lunch and a friend and pretend that you don't have a bunch of meetings to go back to. If you have children, all the things that keep them busy and running around are also the reasons it's so easy to lose them. Don't lose your kids, they'll miss you. The trails connect to an even larger park, so if you like running, it's a great starting point. read more

Really glad this beautiful park exists. This park and the adjacent Spring Lake are so cool in fact, that the city decided in the 50's to keep it a reservoir/park and not build Highway 12 thru it. Hence the crazy abrupt end of State Highway 12, then continuing on via Farmers Lane. What can you do here? Hmmm. Well, you can plan a pretty big outdoor party at the gazebo. When you feel like being a party animal isn't quite enough, take a short ride on the train with the kiddos. Then, when the kiddos are begging for more, take them over to the pony rides (these two activities go on in the summer). There's also gigantic play structures that are like THEE play structures to be playing on if you're a kid. So what if your kid is kinda special and likes to stay inside with their stamp collection? I had one BTW, and I consider myself a very special young man. Rent a couple paddle wheels or sail boats on Lake Ralphine, (small lake) and get your Captain on. Quite a few trails to hike on, trails that continue on through Spring Lake and then on to Annadel. I've done it, yeah Ledson Marsh, it's an *!@-kicker there and back. Your kiddos might get dehydrated and hate you, stick with the sail boats. read more

We had our son's 8th Birthday Party here recently. We had it at Cypress Point which is fairly close to one of the lakes and is fairly close to the pony rides, the carousel, the bouncy house, petting zoo, the train, etc. There's a huge climbing wall and soooo much more. They have great birthday packages which is a great alternative to the Chuck E. Cheese's or Bowling Alley etc. type party pkgs. unless your child is born in the cold months & you can't help it. The kids had so much fun. One little boy said it was the funnest birthday he's ever been too! It was soo cute. You can BBQ out there so that's nice. We took the easy way out and just bought nine pizza's and had an ice chest full of juice boxes, water & soda's. It's a beautiful park, with a duck pond, a place where you can rent boats, paddle boats, there's bike trails. It's actually a HUGE park. We were in a very small part of it. My son was "the man" when he got to school on Monday. The kids said his party rocked and they've never been to a better party. The fact that my husband and I could purchase wrist bands for all the kids so they could go on all the rides unlimited was so nice! They not only received the gift bags I made (which rocked) but left with a Howarth Park balloon, a little train eraser, colored pencils with a ruler that had Howarth Park written on it. The park went out of its way & was so wonderful. Howarth park gave our son & his friends a memory of a birthyday party so unique, we couldn't have asked for anything more! They also gave our 'lil guy a T-shirt to commemorate his day!!! We LOVE this park. Howarth Park is highly recommended for good 'ol family fun, birthday parties, walks n nature, fishing, boating, biking, and whatever you like to do in a beautiful family friendly park! read more

I first started riding my bike in this park when i was 5 years old. I would hide in the tunnel then jump on the train as it went by. AT 10 years old 1 was told by a old man named Mr Medaca that lived at the edge of the park that more than 100 years ago the pomo indians lived right here in this park. read more

Howarth Park is a great park that has broad appeal: -It has one of the best, if not the best, playground in town with water features in summer. -There are ample picnic sites for having a picnic. -There are lots of great trails for hiking. The park connects with Howarth Park which connects with Annadel so you can really get in a nice long hike if you want. There's also a paved path that works well for folks with strollers. -There's a lake that is regularly stocked for fishermen and there's paddle boats and small boats available for rent in the summer if you don't bring your own small water craft to explore the small lake. -There are multiple attractions for the kids open in the summer: pony rides, petting zoo, and small train. -There's also a snack bar open in the summer. The price is also right--free. I love coming here for picnics and walks. read more

This is a fabulous park. We have been using Howarth park for 10 years and regularly for the last 7. In recent years they have redone almost all of the playground equipment. There are many things to do all over the park for all ages, young and old. What more could a person want. Go for a hike, go boating, have a picnic, fish, watch your children play on all the great equipment, play tennis, throw a ball or two. If you have young children they can see little animals, ride a train, go on a carasoul and even ride a pony. WOW... How lucky are we? I say pretty darn lucky. I agree parking is bad, but you can unload your stuff and go park if there are two adults.. Or go early and spend the day like we do. Oh yeah, you can also ride bikes around the lake. Have fun and enjoy! Howarth Park is a wonderful gem of a park, dont miss it. read more

This really is a jewel and not just for the residents of Santa Rosa. We drove up from the city for a change of scenery and found this park off yelp and wow we were all impressed. The park isn't as close in size to gg park but gosh it has as much fun packed in. The kids had a blast! Pony rides, train, carousel, multiple play structures, boats for a lake ride and a cool digger that my husband enjoyed equally as much as our son, if not more! The picnic area was nice and clean and everything is so close. Parking is a bit challenging on a warm day but patience grasshopper. The staff are very friendly and keep the place nice and tidy. read more

Great park with plenty to do and lots of BBQ benches. It has different play structures, train rides, carousel, pony rides, petting barn and a lake for kayak and peddle boats. Everything has a minimal fee except the play structure. It's a pretty big park. There's also a snack stand if you get hungry. A must for little kids. read more

Howarth Park - Meet Willow. Little kids can get a lift for $4. - Parks Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Upper Oaks small picnic area: I planned my birthday party here and it is a very spacious site for a picnic. There are 5 large picnic tables in this site. The picnic site is just to the right of the roadway as you enter into the parking lot up the hill. You can see Spring Lake from the picnic site. There is easily room for a group of 40, maybe even a bit more than that. It is confusing - how to figure out which site, based on the sign by the picnic areas. When we arrived the group that was supposed to have the large picnic area was seated at our tables. It is good that we came early enough to ask them to move to their tables, as we were using the grill for burgers. The tables are thick, so bring tape to hold down your table cloths. There are some bees since it was hot, but not too bad. It was a great spot for a picnic. Just would have been better to be more prepared. Hope this is useful info if someone books this picnic site. read more

my fam and I decided to meet up here and have lunch while the kids are playing. we had time to kill and this place is close by where we were going. unfortunately, a lot of this park's features were closed. no train, no pony ride. the play area itself is pretty cool tho. the kids were able to play a lot. it was a weekday too so the place isn't crowded at all. read more

So many fond memories of circling Spring Lake after work, or walking off a hangover on Sunday morning. Howarth Park is a convenient escape when you're craving some natural cardio, just a few minutes from downtown Santa Rosa. The entrance on Summerfield Road is a good starting point. Howarth is an easy park to navigate - just follow the paved road from the parking lot, which takes you on a mellow 3 mile loop, with a few mild inclines. There are some dirt off-roads that take you into the woods, popular with bikers or those wanting to feel a deeper burn. During your leisurely nature walk you'll see lots of duckies and doggies, lovely views of the Sonoma hills, and of course...the lake. I find this walk so refreshing. When it's a gorgeous day, and you feel compelled to get out and do something...anything...Howarth will do the job, beautifully. read more

Howarth Park is so beautiful! I love the lake and the natural beauty that surrounds you as you take a hike. I walk this like 3 times a week and I believe that it is about 4 miles. I love it and I am such a fan read more

Santa Rosa has been ranked one of the best places to live in the nation - Maybe the world if the nation is good enough - Howarth Park with the park's hiking trails, lake, boating, ducks, zoo, train, Howarth Park makes Santa Rosa the best place to live in the nation. We are so thankful to have such a wonderful place to take the children on Summerfield Road. Films are across the street. Softball games, tennis courts and don't forget to stop at East West Cafe for breakfast or dinner across the street from the tennis courts. Penny Chee SantaRosaCalifornia.co SantaRosaSonoma.com read more

Howarth Park has plenty of parking and has something for everyone. The kids can climb around the walls, the family can go on the mini train, and everyone can go on a walk around the lake. I recently came here on a week day and really enjoyed my time here. I found a bench and read my reader's digest while the wildlife casually roamed around. Next to me, a father was teaching his 2 sons how to fish and on the pier a mother was taking photos with her kids. There really are all sorts of people here because when I did a lap around the lake, there were groups of men cat calling and drinking beer, couples fishing in the corners and people pushing prams and walking dogs all around. At the lake you can go boating, there is a mini coffee stand, tennis courts near the front and longer trails you can visit. I feel pretty safe visiting this park by myself and the facilities are clean and tended to so do check it out. read more

A great park. I can promise you, you will have to drag your children away from there. Bring towels and a suit because they have a beautiful fountain for the kids to play in and cool off. The park is well taken care of and clean. read more

This park is a true jewel in Santa Rosa. It is a testiment to the value of parks in our community. On a personal level I have spent many a day in contemplation here. I see families, active adults, athletes and lovers here....and don't forget the DOGS! read more

Howarth Park - Breakfast in The Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Rosa, California