We went to the Monte Rio Park on 9610 Main St Monte Rio.the signage is beyond horrible. We ended up by a large parking lot where their is a coffee shop, a wonderful neighborhood garden and paths along the river. A helpful perdón told us where the park entrance was located and we drove there since the signage is horrible from both directions. There is very limited parking, a porta bn potty and a picnic table. A sign warns you about a very steep path which has no handrails but the site is very quiet and beautiful. read more

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2021 summer: algae floating everywhere, underwater, in water, above water. At first sight I felt grossed out. There are signs that warn dogs children and adults not to touch the algae. Hopefully it is better other years. Not sure how it is normally. The space is large and roomy for everyone to spread out. I enjoyed it. Food service is friday thru Sunday only. Water is deeper as you walk further away. Maybe 5 feet in the middle. I didn't go all the way to the other side. Plenty of parking. If you're carrying a lot be ready to haul the heavy items for a while at the same time walking on rocks. No lifeguards, make sure kids have life jackets if they tend to wander off. I love a good day in the water and sun so I'm happy anywhere I can do that. read more

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Have been going to MRB for many years and love this place. This time (hence the low rating) is because a few things have gone badly down hill. - dogs to the right of the bridge, not enforced any more although the signs say this. - dogs on leashes, not enforced anymore and getting dangerous - parking totally unorganized, did see a car that had been hit because they had narrowed the drive space so much that the big trucks could not get through. - the umbrellas are so small and flimsy they need some attention. Don't get me wrong, love this place and will keep going but it needs just a little tender loving care to make it back where it use to be. read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - Fabulous place to hang on a hot day - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

Not really much of a beach, when I think beach I think sand and there really isn't much of that here at all just lot's of rocks and mud but very pretty and relaxing nonetheless. While we were staying in the area we came here each day in hopes to hire a Kayak but every time there was no one there to hire from despite it being within their 'opening hours' which was a real shame. It is Dog friendly (on a leash) and they also have a Volleyball net. Water is so clear and safe to swim in. There is also a little hut where you can buy refreshments too but that was also closed while we were there too. A really great place to come and relax, Sunbath, Boat up and down the River but the opening times for Kayak rentals / Food stand need to either be updated or adhered to. Due to everything being closed it's only 3 star worthy unfortunately. read more

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Dog friendly beach. Completely insanely crowded after 4 but show up between 2 and 4 to claim your prime beach spots. Bring chair, umbrella and plenty of sunscreen. It gets hot. The water flows down stream. Parts of the dog friendly beach has very shallow water, yet the water flows so it attracts lots of little fishes. Glistering lights make your heart skips a beat. You are surrounded by water, pebbles, redwood forest, and a green bridge not far away. It's decidedly very Americana. As of late, I have been looking all over for places that represent the middle of America. Sceneries that you see only in movies. I have been told this is a very working class beach. I think this is exactly what I had in mind. There is something quite idilic about the town this beach is located in, for all intents and purposes, this could be anywhere really, from Idaho to Texas, from Colorado to Wyoming, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Austin, Minnesota. Ah. You are seeing a trend in my journey in discovery the newer things around the greater bay area. I'm fascinated, mainly due to my lack of knowledge or prior interest in the middle of America. Monte Rio Beach felt very real. Like this would be something straight out of the midwest, I'm drawn to it because it's both familiar and foreign. And the view was spectacular no matter how you look at it. If you are lucky and can find a friendly Midwesterner boy among the crowd who was willing to take your dog for a little bit, you may want to walk over to the bridge, there is a nice watering hole, perfect for a nice summer dip in your two-piece bikini. read more

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Good spot for kayak/ canoe rentals. They offer rentals for one hour or by the day. Beach has free WiFi. Free parking down by the beach. In terms of kayaking, there are a few shallow spots on the river to watch out for. We had to get out twice and pull the kayak. Overall a great way to spend the day. The beach is nice, not really any shade though. Only complaint is that we came across some dog poop on the beach. We saw several dogs on the beach so they obviously don't enforce the "no dog" rule that much. read more

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We stopped by here as a pit stop, walked on a makeshift dock and looked around the water. Seems full of algae.

This park along the Russian River is free to use! Johnson Beach in nearby Guernville is a private beach that charges admission. We rented a place nearby so Monte Rio was out local beach and turned out to be quite fun. You can rent an inner tube or canoe, eat at the snack shop or BYOB as the loud group next to us did. Dogs are allowed. read more

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Pretty nice area to go to if you're in Russian River. When you think of a beach, you think of sand... Which can't be found here except rocks. Keep that in mind. You can also get kayaks nearby and go around the river. If you're hungry, there's a shack that serves awesome food! Just look for the awning and tables. There's tons of parking and it's free to enter! What more can you ask for?! read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

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The only way to do the Russian River! The beach is rarely crowded and the scenery is breathtaking. There are relatively clean public restrooms. The concession stand has a variety of foods - coffee, burgers, nachos, fries, hot dogs, even veggie burgers! The people who work the concession stand are always helpful and friendly. You can rent tubes or boats at the beach, cash and credit accepted. Monte Rio beach is my happy place! One word of warning, the beach is rocky so bring flips flops to wear around and chairs to sit on! read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

Nice place to bring the family! We always have such a good time, weekdays lots of spots, but weekends get here early to get a good spot. read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - We Always love coming here! - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

I'm disappointed in the people who come to this park only to deface it. You didn't pay for it. You didn't build it. You don't own it. Keep your disgraceful art work to yourself. If you want people to respect you try earning it. Everyone can use this park, young and old if you use for its intended purpose. It's not a canvas. It's a Park. If you want to display your art somewhere, pay for a wall and do it there. Don't ruin a good thing because your selfish or have a chip on your shoulder. read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

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So confused by some of these good reviews! Beautiful stretch of river, if you look the right way with the right kind of eyes. But.... 1. The meth problem here is huge. Had a few zombie encounters in our 30 mins here. The beach seemed to be a local wandering point for tweakers. Watched a couple of kids scratching away in the dirt/sand while a parent tweaked uncontrollably 20 yards from them. Our Airbnb was 150 yards from the beach and 2 very strung-out people wandered onto the property independently, and we were only there 24 hours! 2. Dog shit everywhere. Trash on beach included medical latex gloves. Lots of trash strewn in branches along the bank. Couple of well-used glass pipes here n there..... It would have been 1 star except I reckon on a sunny day if you have the place to yourself (unlikely due to the undead rising) it might be kinda peaceful looking at the forested mountains above. read more

Love this place! Always used to go to Johnsons beach but since our recent trip to this beach I definitely will add this to my go-to spots. No FEE for entry, and you can bring your own umbrellas and canopies! The river is super calm and clean. Rentals are cheaper here too. It's also nice that they don't have beach patrol watching your every move! Will be coming back :-) read more

I come here at least once a year to rent kayaks and have always had a great time. This past weekend we rented 2 kayaks and walked down to the beach, after paying, to get them and head out. The one 2-man kayak the young woman gave us was on the smaller side so I asked if she had a larger one, one similar to what we've had before. We were there early and there were many kayaks lined up so I assumed it wouldn't be an issue. I called the day before to make a reservation and was told they don't take them so I presumed all of the kayaks were available. She said, "we give them out in order", basically telling us that she didn't want to do any extra work to simply slide one out. I mentioned that we're two large adult males and would appreciate more room because we also had a small cooler with us. She hesitated again and followed that up with, "I'm kidding!", which made me think she was changing her tune, but she quickly followed that up with, "if you want me to drag out all those kayaks then I will." Very passive aggressive, and bitchy to be honest. She needs to learn a lot about customer service. She then made a comment about people always wanting the more expensive kayaks. I said it has nothing to do with price of the kayak (they are all the same price to rent) and that we just wanted a larger one if it wasn't too much of a hassle. All it required was to pull a single chain through 5 kayaks and to slide one out. It took her maybe 60 seconds and there was no one else waiting and the beach was empty. She asked to be told off with that attitude but we chose to just ignore it and get out of there. I thanked her and left. read more

This truly is a gorgeous and convenient spot to swim, albeit crowded at high times. On the north side of the Monte Rio bridge you can find a parking lot which will lead you down a bit closer to the Russian River. You can rent kayaks and canoes and such for reasonable amounts ($40/day or so). If you're brave, you can walk right across the shallow part of the river and set up camp on another riverbank that is slightly less crowded. The only downfalls are the high traffic, meaning many families will make a 'day camp' and bring their dogs (which are allowed here) and kids and more kids and more dogs....SO it can be a little challenging if you are looking for straight up relaxation. Good for recreation though. Also, a group of the local 'river folk' will generally gather at the back of the western bank and can be semi-obnoxious at times, but are pretty much harmless. read more

This is an AMAZING place to launch your kayak into the Russian River. I can't think of a better place in the Russian River area actually... There is a boat ramp, but I suggest launching where you see all of the kayaks on the beach. Getting under the bridge is rather difficult. Pop in and head towards Guerneville. Hopefully you will be treated to some of the things we were: Being the only two people on the river in the area. Total silence except for you and the sounds of nature after the first portion (the first little bit you can hear the highway). Seeing two deer pop onto a beach, swim across the river and disappear into the woods. A HUGE great heron patient enough to let us take tons of pictures, and play hide and seek with us in the water plants. Great Egrets, Cormorants, and other awesome birds. Beautiful forests. Perfect weather. An easy paddle in both directions except for a few spots where the wind picked up. read more

Great spot to rent canoes/kayaks. We had a lot of fun cooling off on the river and exploring further down stream with our kayak. Ended up finding a nice hidden spot down stream where we could lay down our stuff in privacy. Only down side is the main part of the beach under the bridge was really crowded when we were there (Saturday in July) read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - The view down stream from our kayak - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

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Rumor had it that the concession stand at this beach had the best burgers in town. I decided to go over there and see for myself. It was a bit crowded with beach goers. Waited in line for about 5 minutes. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger which came with fries and a soda for $9.50. The young lady told me 10 minutes. 20 minutes later, I finally got my order. The boss apologized for my wait and gave me a double patty instead of a single. WOW...that was an awesome burger. Simple with crispy bacon and loaded with cheese. The fries were crispy and the soda refreshing in the afternoon heat. I was impressed. I told the boss lady she cooked up a delicious meal and that my belly was happy! Come give this hole in the wall shack a try. read more

Monte Rio Recreation & Park District - Double Bacon Cheeseburger with crispy fries. - Parks Near Me - Monte Rio, California

We LOVED our visit here. The views while kayaking the Russian River are amazing. Bathrooms were very clean, parking was easy, food from the snack bar was very tasty and affordable. The all day kayak rental was also not a bad deal. I would have given this place 10 stars if our rented kayak hadn't turned up missing after we took a snack break. We aren't sure if it was borrowed or returned to inventory and rebooked. Either way it was a little disappointing that our fun ended. Watch your kayak when you leave the river even for a short time. read more

Perfect place to kayak. Go upstream first. Lots of little pebble beaches to haul out on when you want a break or just to take in the scenery. Beautiful, forest all around, not too crowded on a Sunday afternoon in August. read more

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Surrounded by Redwoods this beach is a clearing where two rivers meet. It is very serene if you like to relax here. There are friendly ducks that will walk right up to, there are fish, butterflies, and birds, which is very nice for kids and nature lovers. The beach has pebble size rocks, and the river in May only goes about waste deep where we were. I highly recommend this beach if you're looking for one along the river. The only draw back was the lack of a bathroom and that there was an encampments across the bank that you could occasionally hear, otherwise they didn't bother us. read more

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Great beach and crowds don't show until after 11am and then a second wave around 2pm. Better than Johnsons Beach. People with their dogs are annoying, so that is the only reason why it's not getting 5 stars. What can you do? The beach has rules and people don't follow them. I loved our little clean spot, surrounded by nice people. Can't wait to go back. Monte Rio Rocks! read more

This was an amazing year for Monte Rio Beach. Every weekend was packed and there was still always something to rent to get out on the water. Every visitor came with possitive energy and left the same way. Not 1 call had to be made to the sheriff this summer because everybody got along and followed the few rules the beach has. the boat rental shack had a record breaking year as well as the snack shack which in my opinion served the best burgers I've ever had in my life! If you dont believe me then head on down there before Oct. 5th, and find out for yourself. read more

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Decent beach, can get crowded and your time here can really be determined by the crowd. Very rocky beach not sandy. So water shoes are a must. Recently just went 4/17 after all the rains this year the water is really moving. Still idiots who can't swim wade out to chest high water and slip and go under. Luckily this trip no one needed saving. Lots of pot smoking and beer so if those things bother you don't go. Or surround yourself with your own large group. read more

I've gone to this spot since I was a kid. Now I have kids and bring them here. It is shallow enough for the kids but there is still deep spots. My daugther caughter her first fish here too :) great memories. It is a great place for canoe/kayak launch however I recommend going upstream toward Guerneville on the canoe first and then let the river bring you back because you're usually worn out on the way back. They also allow dogs. read more

Great fun! The kayaking at this spot was super! Lots of scenery to enjoy along the river. We only went 30 minutes or so upstream of the launch spot, and stopped to have a relaxing swim in deep clear water. A family of Otters swam by, which was interesting to see! This spot is in Monte Rio which is near to where we were staying at Jenner. Staff was wonderful and gear was well kept. They were putting together new paddles for the hire kayaks when we were there so it was nice to have rental equipment in great shape. There is a snack concession stand on location too that we enjoyed after finishing our excursion. Highly recommended spot to do some river swimming or kayaking/canoe. read more

Was here for a short while one late afternoon. Easy access and one of the most beautiful beaches on the river.

... is a lot of like johnson's beach! in fact, their set up and prices (for kayak rentals, etc.) are exactly the same. BUT johnson's beach's proximity to downtown guerneville gives it an edge (if you can call it that!) a fun, low-key alternative nonetheless! read more

NOT a lot to do and the bathrooms are gross, but if you want to get in the water locally, this is pretty much the only public place to do that. read more

Came to Guerneville for a weekend with my partner and my dog. Didn't realize that Johnsons beach no longer allows dogs. So instead had to drive over to Monte Rio. Loved it! My dog had a great time. It was perfect. Not too crowded. Great time. read more

Well too bad the beach is closed for another season It Was a Good Year look forward to seeing are you guys next year

Really enjoyed a nice sunny Sunday on the beach. Parking is free and the staff at the rentals were very friendly. Didn't kayak this time but look forward to trying it in the future. Dog friendly beach, I really appreciate that. Can't wait to go back! read more

My dogs and I absolutely love this beach. I love to swim with them and the water here is not very deep and is crystal clear and the surrounding redwoods are beautiful and serene. I wish I lived closer so that we could come more often but it is worth the 80 miles that I have to drive. read more

Enjoyed a relaxing 'river beach' day again. Great atmosphere, serene/clean (please pack whatever you bring back out) beach & the right amount of water to worry less about your little & with a little effort, find a spot to submerge yourself. We generally pack in food, but there is a close market & on site snack shack. Bonus; rental stuff: kayaks, canoes, tubes, even umbrellas. (thanks Kevin, Riley & crew) Also a large dedicated area for dogs lovers. I'll continue to drive a little farther west to enjoy this Northern California gem. read more

Great place to rent a kayak or canoe for a paddle. Affordable. The river is nice and slow so you can paddle upstream fairly easily for a leisurely paddle back when you get tired. The people who work here are super nice. read more

This is a great spot to go for a swim, play, lay on the beach or what I really like to do is rent a single or double kyak for $25 for the day and row the calm russian river passing by the high redwoods and seeing the wild life. You just have to be back at the beach spot before 6 to return the kyak and safety gear. I've been going to this spot at least once a month during the summer read more

We were camping nearby & my 3 year old wanted to swim so we came here. They are dog friendly (bonus), offer kayak & canoe rentals & do have portables for restrooms. The views are gorgeous. One can sit & watch a mama bird feed her young, children splashing each other in the river & kayaks float on by. It's a relaxing & mellow place to spend the day. read more

Went kayaking with my fiancé last Monday, July, 13th. Called in advance to make sure everything was going to be ok and it was perfect! Kevin was extremely nice and polite; he helped us into the water and we had a great day! I might recommend stretching before and after, because I was sore for a couple of days... Thanks Monte Rio Beach and Kevin for making our day on the Russian River one to remember!!! read more

River Rats, where have you been hiding. A great place to hang out in the summer with family and friends. JoAnn Rolls where are you? Steve and Al Liner do you still have a place there?Been going there since 1957. Roller skating in the movie theater. Those were the days. read more