Local regional park with baseball, volleyball, par course, four tennis courts (no pickleball…read moreallowed), soccer fields, kids play structure, dog park and hiking trails. We came birding here recently and saw a hawk and woodpecker perched up in a tree. They also had sheep and goat grazing in a temporary fenced-off area to keep the dry grass down. I love this eco-friendly method of managing vegetation. There were about a dozen dogs happily playing in the dog park when I was there. It was fun to watch how they interact with each other. There were a few growls but responsible dog parents were there to quickly call their dogs back. There are several picnic tables sprinkled throughout the park. You can reserve areas for special events. I have attended a wedding and a friend hosted a retirement party here. The Gravenstein Apple Fair has been held at this location for many decades as well. There are a few parking lots to choose from. You can park inside the park for free if you are a Sonoma County Regional Park member. Annual pass is currently $69. Seniors get a discounted rate.

We came out here for a day trip and we had a very nice time…read more Parking: 4/5 There is several places to park throughout the park and in different areas depending on what you are there to do. However, on a busy day some of the areas such as the playground parking can get crowded. Keep in mind there there is also a $7 fee for entry. (Pretty standard for regional parks like this though.) Trails: 4/5 We enjoyed the trails very much. There is a lot of space to explore and all the trails circle back to the parking areas. There were several spots that were very muddy, but we were able to pass most of them and keep our shoes fairly clean by walking on the side of the trail. However, there was one section of one trail that was too bad that we had to turn around. Aside from that, it was very nice everywhere else. Playground 5/5 They had a large playground and a toddler playground. Our kids (13 and 9) loved the large playground. They also had many picnic benches here and throughout the park to enjoy. We also loved that most of them were shaded. Amenities 5/5 There were many other things at this park such as sport fields, dog parks, a nice little zen type garden and park bathrooms. If you are looking for a nice place to picnic and spend some quality time outdoors, this park is a great place to come explore and enjoy for a few hours!

Pinnacle Gulch is our hiking spot whenever we vacation in Bodega Bay…read more This year March 2026 is our 12th year vacationing and numerous times hiking the trail. It's my favorite trail because of the flowers, trees, creek and beautiful nature. I prefer hiking during the week because it's very quiet and less people. At the end of the trail you get a nice ocean view and met by the beach and ocean. There's much ocean life on the shore such as crabs, star fish, anemone, clams, birds and many other ocean life. FYI next to Punnacle Gulch there's a couple new hiking trails but much longer called Bluff Trail & Ridge Trail. I highly suggest if you're in the area to hike these trails. 5 Stars all around

One of my favorite trails Just the best way to experience…read morenature Love it and great workout

Wide dirt path. It's like getting to eat dessert first! Great view when you start with a moderate…read moredownhill grade the whole way. No help for it, you have to eat your veggies some time! All uphill on the way back. Also, a fairly tick rich environment. We even came away with ticks in early January. Use of the area is by permit only. See photo below. However, I have a feeling most people using the area do not have permits. Contact: www.landpaths.org, (707)524-9381. Dogs are permitted on leash. My observation is that most people politely adhere to on leash protocols. I'd recommend first time visitors park at signage which indicates "no turn around beyond this point." The road does continue for another 1/4 mile but it's extremely narrow and really meant for the few residents who live down there. Better to park at the sign and walk that last 1/4 mile the first time to get the lay of the land. So how do you find this place? It's really just a stone's throw up the hill from the town of Occidental. It's easier to just put in these GPS coordinates: 38.422560, -122.996500. Want even more information? We found the AllTrails app really helpful.

Pretty cool place for a little hike! Decent dirt road for a 6.8 there and back hike. Downhill there…read moreand uphill back. Filled with towering green trees, bright fungi, flowing creek, grassy hills and beautiful views!

I was quite surprised to see that I had never reviewed this spectacular Redwood State Park. Being…read morehere is magical, especially when you think the thousands of years the trees have been here. If only they could share their stories. The visitor center is quite helpful in suggesting various hikes, especially when you give them the distance and elevation that you are interested in. They also give you a paper map as often there's no signal in this park for Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the trail to the waterfall was closed and hopefully will be open upon our return. The hike we did today was a little over 5 miles with about 750 feet of climbing. We were happy we brought snacks! My only comment would be that the signage was not sufficient. I know that mostly volunteers make up the staff and perhaps it's not a priority yet we managed to find our way back without too many problems.

A state park with a good amount of redwood trees albeit mostly smaller/younger ones due to a good…read moreamount of logging done in this area to help build California in the 20th century. It is near the Russian River just outside of Guerneville. Redwood vibes similar to some parts of the Santa Cruz range or Marin Hills, but nothing that compares to the big redwoods in Northern California like near Humbolt Co or Crescent City, those are next level. There's a fee to park inside the park. Think it was about $10. It gets busy during the weekends and spaces can be super limited if you come after 11am. We were with a toddler, so we stayed on the main flat trails that go through redwood groves. It is very shady and well trafficked trails. There are a few loops you can join together, and the circumference may be a 2-3 mile hike. But you can do however long you want it to be. Now the trails that elevate into the hills are much more involved. It can elevate to a 1300 foot gain which is pretty strenuous. I haven't tried those yet but it is on my list to try. But even the easy trails that one day, was still beautiful and relaxing. To majestic red bark trees with healthy ferns all on the ground cover, fallen trees to climb on, large rocks to hop on was just a nice jaunt especially with young kids. We brought a light lunch and refreshments and were able to run into a small area with picnic benches. Perfect way to end a few hours steeped in nature, without having to be totally in the wild. Great intro for those that aren't too versed (yet) and to get them exposed to nature, ecosystems and wildlife. Connect with the world amongst which you live with but rarely see. Weekend mission accomplished!

Very nice hike. Prepare with uphill slightly rough terrain. Cute little park for kids at the…read moreentrance

Found this open preserve area on my hiking app. Was camping nearby and wanted a nice and peaceful…read moretrail but with some incline for cardio. These are the hills above Santa Rosa so basically above the sprawl of suburban track homes. I had to actually weave through the streets of several neighborhoods to reach their staging/parking area. There's a parking fee of $8 that's payable through a kiosk. It seemed a bit much for a 1-2 hour hike, so I used the ticket for another Santa Rosa park that also charges. Not sure if it were good for both places but that's what I did on a slow weekday. And I got to see 2 places. The terrain is mostly dry grass pasture-land. I didn't see any cattle but there are signs pointing out how to deal with them if encountered. For an October hike I also didn't see any evidence of cattle activity aka 'cow patties'. So not sure how often cattle gets to roam here. The dry grass from the previous summer was quite full. Did a 3 mile loop (East and West Trails) that went up about 600 feet n elevation gain. About a 30-40 min climb so definitely got the circulation going. No switchbacks pretty much a gradual straight climb, maybe steep and tough on one stretch. Terrain not incredibly pretty as it is mostly dry grass with a very rocky trail. I did like the majestic large oak trees that tower over some parts of the trails. Some of the biggest oak trees I've seen, easily over 200 years old. The view up top is nice and refreshing but it is just a view of already mentioned suburban Santa Rosa, not really a stop and admire view. But I got a nice morning workout in, even on a very grey day with drizzle. 3 utilitarian stars.

Flat accessible trails but not much to see this time of year. A lot of parking spots and apparently…read moresome of the trail are horse friendly, dogs are also allowed on leash. Maybe give it another try in the Spring.

Trail Bonding 1.8…read moremiles (one way) of trails that border the Laguna Wetlands Preserve and is located just a short drive from Downtown Sebastopol. We honestly weren't expecting much, and just needed a place to kill a few hours while we waited for our lunch reservation, but walked away kinda impressed with the place. The Good: *Free *Fairly large dirt parking lot *Port-o-potty in the parking lot *Leashed dog-friendly (on certain trails) *Trails are flat and should be easy enough for almost anyone of any age. *Lots of wildlife *There's a few other offshoot trails to mix things up if you want to stray off the main one. The Meh: *Not the biggest park The Ugly: *Trails can get quite muddy after a rain Conclusion: Swell, easy trail with tons of nature and easy parking. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit, but if you happen to be in the area and want to get your nature on then it's highly recommended.

A splendid park- views over the valley and Rohnert Park…read more Great views of Sonoma mountain to the east.

Looking for a holiday activity to do with my family that wasn't centered around food, I found Crane…read moreCreek Regional Park on AllTrails. I'm glad I did! This park is not too far from Cotati and Rohnert Park, but it feels like you are far away amongst the vineyards and farms. Parts of the trail have great views. There is a decent size parking lot with a $7 fee. Trail maps near the parking lot direct you where to walk and sign posts on the trails keep you from getting lost. It's not humongous so we walked for less than an hour, only about 2 miles, but the trails were well maintained as mostly gravel, hard packed dirt, or grass. There is also a very popular disc golf course here. Dog friendly, on leash. Pit toilets. No sink or hand sanitizer.

Memorable hike , went up north for work and decided to take a mini hike and came across bodega bay,…read moreI am still mesmerized by the coast guard ships (or so I believe they were) there were so many of them and wish to retire here

This is a short trail that leads down to the beach with beautiful views! There are stairs although…read moreit's an easy walk for those wtih families with older adults or young kids. It's nice to hang out on the beautiful small beach at the end of the trail. Great for those with dogs as well.