10 Gorgeous Fall Color Walks in Wine Country

Autumn is beautiful in Sonoma County, California, with vineyards showcasing harvest colors and nature trails inviting hikes, picnics, and strolls through fall foliage. The Sonoma Coast offers invigorating fresh air with seasonal flowers and mild temperatures that entice visitors to seaside towns, beaches, and scenic bluffs. Here is a handy list of places not to miss this Autumn in Sonoma Wine Country.

Spring Lake Regional Park, Santa Rosa

In the fall, hiking and exploring the trails at this 320-acre park is a special treat, as the park is home not only to a pretty lake but also deciduous trees that really show off their colors.  Here you’ll find the Environmental Discovery Center, a natural history center featuring hands-on displays and exhibits designed especially for elementary school children.

Bodega Head, Bodega Bay

Lunch is waiting for you in Bodega Bay (fresh seafood and more) after the coastal air awakens your appetite. Hike this easy one-mile path to and from the overlook or choose the three-mile route around the headlands. Your reward is spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This small peninsula juts into the ocean and is a popular spot for whale watching. Bring binoculars to increase your chances of seeing something amazing.

Sonoma Overlook Trail, Sonoma

Downtown Sonoma is framed against a beautiful hillside backdrop, and you can explore that hill on the Sonoma Overlook Trail. This gently graded path winds up and loops around a meadow at the top, providing spectacular views. The main trail (no dogs, bikes, or horses) is slightly less than three miles round-trip, and an offshoot leads to the adjacent Montini Open Space Preserve for more trails and beautiful views.

Jack London State Historic Park, Glen Ellen

This slice of California history is a true jewel, taking you on wilderness trails past Jack’s charming cottage and castle ruins, then up into the high mountains thick with redwoods and sunny meadows. The surrounding Preserve boasts 1,750 acres of wilderness, the tallest peak in the Southern Mayacamas Mountain Range, plus trails lined with creeks, wildflowers, and meadows.

North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park, Santa Rosa

This 820-acre park and preserve offers sweeping views of autumn vineyards and trees ablaze in color as far as the eye can see. Take the 3.7-mile section of the Sonoma Mountain Bay Area Ridge Trail, which begins in the ferns and redwoods on the south fork of Matanzas Creek, then winds through dense groves of oaks and bay laurels.

Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, Windsor

Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, an 850-acre park in the town of Windsor, is full of winding trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Visitors can take any number of short trails to excellent views, or meander along shaded creek beds and past a pond where you’ll often see geese, deer, turkeys, and other wildlife. In the fall, the park shimmers with color, while vineyards bordering it burst with iconic autumn hues.

Taylor Mountain Regional Park, Santa Rosa

The 1,100-acre Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve features at least four beautiful miles of trails for hikers and dogs, plus a three-mile network for equestrians and cyclists. It joins the 820 acres of adjacent protected preserves, capped by a peak soaring 1,400 feet high for dramatic views.

Goat Rock Beach, Jenner

You’ll thrill to this spectacular stretch in Jenner, just north of Bodega Bay. As one of the most easily accessible sandy beaches tucked amid the towering bluffs and crashing waves, the partial cove is also a superb area for wildlife watching, where the Russian River meets the sea. Hike the trails on the surrounding cliffs to watch migrating gray whales, or perch on the beach to watch a colony of frolicking harbor seals.

Free Vineyard Walking Tours Across Sonoma County

The Sonoma County Vineyard Adventures program offers free, no-appointment-needed, self-guided vineyard tours. Stroll among the vines and see different grapes up-close. Trails are no more than a mile long and relatively easy to walk, with points of interest marked along the route. Stop in the winery’s tasting room to pick up your walking-tour map — you can start or finish up with a nice wine tasting, too.

Winery Hikes and Picnics in Sonoma Wine Country

Sonoma County wineries offer hiking experiences, most of which include a wine tasting and picnic or lunch.

• In Healdsburg, Alexander Valley Vineyards offers daily vineyard hikes that conclude with a delicious wine-country boxed lunch. 
• In the town of Sonoma at Bartholomew Estate Winery, you can explore the winery’s 3-mile trail that takes you past a duck pond, windmills, and beautiful oak and redwood trees.
• In Windsor, La Crema Estate offers a guided walk of the renowned Saralee’s Vineyard.

Find more info about outdoor activities in Sonoma County.

Together, we can protect and preserve the beauty and natural resources of Sonoma County for generations to come. Check out our page on Sustainable Travel, and look over the Leave No Trace Seven Principles.

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Written by Sonoma Insider Carey Sweet