Parking is plentiful weekdays or you must arrive early for weekends! You can also drive in and…read moredrop your stuff off.... They have very nice bathrooms, they offer FREE air service to inflate your rafts! Plenty of picnic tables which can be popular. Calling it a "beach" is a tad misleading but a great access point and a good swim spot for the family. If you can swim upstream about 100 yards there is an awesome spot of rapids to walk up and float down many times. It was awesome! Otherwise the river itself barely moves. Perfect for paddle boarding!

So much fun! 2.5 miles of floating fun. It can be longer as you can maroon yourselves on little…read moreshores and beaches all along the way. The water was pretty low and more than anything calm. We were sore and sunburnt the next day from all the paddling. (Paddles also recommended) We were able to rent shuttle rides (highly recommended) and floats through the regional parks website. When were on the water there were about 1000 people seen throughout the day. My float mate and I both agreed we'd do this again. Kids are able to do this however free life vests are available for them. Can I say dog friendly?? YES! So many furry friends on floats!!

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.

The Sonoma Coast near Jenner was a nice stop during our trip. We weren't completely blown away, but…read moreit was still a pleasant place to visit and take in the scenery. The coastline is rugged and peaceful, and it was really cool to see the seal nursery - lots of seals lounging and playing, which was definitely the highlight. Jenner has a quiet, calm vibe, making it a good spot to get some fresh air, take photos, and enjoy a low-key coastal view. Overall, a nice experience if you're already in the area.

I solo adventured to Sonoma Coast State Park in approximately 2018. I was looking for a beach a…read morenice drive away from where I was living in the East San Francisco Bay Area and had found this site listed on the California State Parks website. I went exploring around a large rock named Goat Rock. I did not see any of the hoofed ungulates on my visit. To the south of Goat Rock, the beach was a little narrowed with occasional pieces of rounded sea glass and intact mussel shells. I picked one of the shells up and noticed a faint violet color. It was one of those light phenomena where exposure to light drains the color from the shell, meaning the next day the faint violet color was gone. Parking was limited and I was fortunate to arrived before the masses. There were not any trees for shade on the beach, though the cool of the water on my feet did provide reprieve from the warmth for my feet.

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.

I liked it . We did the easy hike and hit all three lakes. Park outside on the street . It's…read moreeasier and plenty of parking. Otherwise you have to pay. It was a very nice Saturday afternoon. There were quite a bit of people there hiking with their dogs. It have a nice family feeling to the park.

Burke's Canoe has been around for many years and offers Canoes and Kayaks for rental. This is a…read moreunique service as you rent the boat and float and row downriver to their pick up where you are transported back to your start. It's about 3 hours depending on your skills and your attitude. It's a beautiful perspective of a beautiful place. Many folks have lived their lives in bay area and have not done this. It's a mistake not to try it. Bring sunscreen beverages and snacks. There are no restrooms, per se, on the route. Does not require much skill. Couple of swifter short sections with no rapids

We rented canoes from Burke's on a Saturday and the entire river was so packed with inner tubes…read morethat it was like playing Frogger. It was dangerous and stressful trying to navigate through the inner tubes and waders without hitting anyone. They charged $97 for each canoe. It was an expensive and miserable day. I wish they had warned us that the river would be packed like an amusement park.

gorgeous place with amazing views. It's just absolutely stunning. I love that you can climb on top…read moreon the other side and just go close enough the edges to see everything.

What a massive & beautiful part of the Bodega Bay coast! I have photographed a couple Wedding…read moreelopements here, along with a proposal, and its by far one of my favorite spots in the area!

Spring Lake Campground has been one of our favorite little gems but not anymore due their inability…read moreto enforce RV generator courtesy. The campground itself is a lovely little gem in the heart of the city by beautiful Spring Lake. PLEASE......they need to regulate how long an rv can have their generator on!!!! The people next to us had their loud generator on from 8:05am to 8:00pm!!! We talked to the camp host who was nice but could not do anything. The rules say campers can have it on between 8:00am and 8:00pm. We have never been at a campground where someone runs their generator ALL Day Long! This made for a Horrible experience! It really ruined our two days and was very uncomfortable. I actually started getting a migraine. Length of time generators run should be regulated to a reasonable amount of time. We will not be back now and sadly it was one of our favorite campgrounds.

Sonoma County's Regional Parks Department is definitely one of the best parts of the County's…read moregovernment. The department runs about 55 parks, trails, and other scenic areas. It is charged with maintaining some of Sonoma County's greatest assets. I have enjoyed Spring Lake, Shilo, Riverfront, the Joe Rodota Trail, Santa Rosa Creek Trail, West Side Trail, and others in the short time I have lived in the area. All the parks and trails are fairly well maintained, clean, and safe for families. The department also runs camps for kids in the summer. My two boys had a great time at Kayak Camp. They got to spend four days kayaking the Russian River. They learned safety and technique and were introduced to some of the flora and fauna of the river. They had such a great time that they asked me to take them kayaking as soon as possible after camp was done. My boys also went to Discovery Camp at Spring Lake. Again, they had a great time. They learned about the wildlife in the area and got to swim in the lagoon. They also did some crafts and made a footprint trap so they could study the prints of the locals. You can support the Sonoma County Regional Parks by purchasing a Parks Pass. The pass provides free parking at all locations, so it can save you some money if you use the parks frequently.

This park is so serene and has lovely benches to sit near the lake or atop of a hill! It's a quiet…read morespot to have a nice lunch or sit and have a picnic. Lots of available parking spots and it has a bathroom but it's a bit smelly. If you have to go, you have to go, I guess.

Nagasawa Park was my first in last 3 years of staying in Fountaingrove. I would say it's a hidden…read moregem. Has a water body, ample parking, bench, however seems it's not much visited. We were here on a beautiful Sunday morning in November and could not see more than 3 people at the time.