Guide to The Sonoma County Regional Park System

Sonoma County boasts more than 50 scenic parks that include nature trails and open spaces that cover nearly 60,000 protected acres, from Gualala to Bodega Bay, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Sonoma Valley.

If you and your crew are looking to hike, picnic, spot wildlife, and snap photos of sweeping vistas, you’ll find it here. If you’d like to splash, fish, paddle, mountain bike, and camp — all of this and more is calling you in Sonoma Wine Country.

Here is a handy guide to help you enjoy and explore the natural treasures of Sonoma County Regional Parks.

Parks with Panoramic Views and Mountains in Sonoma County

The newest regional parks are 1,100-acre Taylor Mountain, providing panoramic views of Santa Rosa and distant peaks, and 820-acre North Sonoma Mountain, which includes a four-mile section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and connects to more trails in Jack London State Historic Park.

Wishing to instill a love of the outdoors in your kids, while also ensuring that they gain practical, eco-helpful knowledge about Mother Nature? Located within Spring Lake Regional Park, the Environmental Discovery Center — an earth science center with hands-on exhibits for children and their families — may be the perfect visit.

Parks on the Pacific Coast in Sonoma County

Make camping memories in Sonoma County at one of the many welcoming campgrounds that can host you and your group with nature as a playground, like Doran Regional Park on the coast in Bodega Bay.

Many Sonoma County regional parks maintain accessible trails, and you can find how to reserve accessible sites in Sonoma County regional parks.

Here are a few of the ocean-facing regional parks calling you to explore — just make sure to review Sonoma County’s safety tips for water activities first:

• Gualala Point Regional Park, in the village of Gualala
• Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail, Bodega Bay
• Shell Beach Coastal Access Trail, in The Sea Ranch community
• Stillwater Cove Regional Park, Jenner
• Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay is great for those with boats, as the guest docks welcome overnight visitors.

Most Popular Regional Parks in Sonoma County

It’s hard to pick a favorite regional park in Sonoma County, as so many are jam-packed with beautiful scenery and things to do. But some are more popular than others, possibly due to the number of planned activities to participate in. For example, each spring, various parks host free guided wildflower walks. In summer, Regional Parks co-sponsors the YMCA fitness program. Throughout the year you’ll find sunset walks, nature talks, birding excursions, family-friendly adventures and a lot more. Check our Outdoors Activities Calendar to see what’s happening at any given time.

Here are a few favorites to add to your itinerary to visit:

• Spring Lake Regional Park (Santa Rosa)
• Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach (Healdsburg)
• Ragle Ranch Regional Park (Sebastopol)
• Riverfront Regional Park (Healdsburg, near Windsor)

The parks department maintains a handy A-Z list of all Sonoma County Regional Parks and often has information about activities like nature talks, birding excursions, and more.

Did you know Sonoma County is home to a few fantastic state parks, too? Discover even more options to explore in the gorgeous natural beauty of Sonoma Wine Country.

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.

---

Written by Sonoma County Insider Suzie Rodriguez