Activities

Sustainable Travel Guide for Sonoma County

Sidecar Tours in Sonoma County

Here in Sonoma County, laid-back luxury meets a deep commitment to the tenets of sustainability — supporting a healthy economy, society, and planet.

We encourage you to fly to Sonoma County more sustainably, or to take the train and bring your bike. We invite you to use this sustainable travel guide to fill your Sonoma County itinerary with sustainable lodgings, wining and dining, shops and experiences, and suggest ways for you to conserve gas — especially when prices at the pump are sky-high.

Pair these sustainable travel options with the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, and together, we can protect and preserve Sonoma County for generations to come!

STAY

There are many places and ways to stay sustainably in Sonoma County, in every corner of our 1,768-square-mile region.

Glamp sustainably at Wildhaven Sonoma in Healdsburg

You can positively impact the Sonoma County community by choosing to:

Go glamping at a luxury safari tent or Airstream trailer camp
Go tent or RV camping at one of our beautiful campgrounds
Cozy into a bed & breakfast for some truly local hospitality
Make yourself at home in your own vacation rental

If sustainability-focused hotels are more your style, consider booking through Kind Traveler, the first socially conscious give + get hotel booking and media platform. Kind Traveler enables you to unlock exclusive rates and perks from curated Sonoma County hotels when you give a $10 nightly donation to a vetted charity.

Sonoma County charities that benefit from Kind Traveler bookings include Sonoma Land Trust; Russian Riverkeeper; Redwood Empire Food Bank; and Farm to Pantry.

Farmhouse Inn in Forestville is a Kind Hotel

And Kind Hotel properties in Sonoma County includeFarmhouse Inn in Forestville; Timber Cove Resort in Jenner; and in Santa Rosa, Vintners Resort, the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country, Flamingo Resort, The Sandman Hotel and Hotel E.

DINE

Many Sonoma County eateries, markets, and cooking classes are committed to sourcing ingredients that are locally grown and/or sustainably made. This commitment enables area food producers to prepare and serve conscientious, delicious cuisine with a real sense of place.

For some great Sonoma County sustainable food options, check out our restaurant and dining guide, and consider the following:

Fresh crab and oysters are local delicacies

Produce in Sonoma County is known for being sustainably farmed—and delicious

TASTE

Remember that wine is only one of the sustainable craft drinks made here in Sonoma County. You can also slake your thirst with libations like:

Golden State Cider is one of Sonoma County’s most popular cideries

Cider made from locally grown apples, by producers like Tilted Shed Ciderworks in Windsor, and Golden State Cider in Sebastopol;

Spirit Works Distillery at The Barlow in Sebastopol

Spirits made from locally grown grains, by distilleries such as Young & Yonder Spirits in Healdsburg, Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastopol; and Hanson of Sonoma in Sonoma;

Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma is one of dozens of breweries in Sonoma County

Beer made from locally grown hops, by breweries like Fogbelt Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma, and Seismic Brewing Company in Sebastopol.

If you’re a wine lover, though, you’ll be happy to know that Sonoma County also has more than 425 wineries in 19 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), and 99% of our vineyards are certified sustainable.

You can go wine tasting at many of the 425 wineries in Sonoma County

Consider this Sonoma County wine-tasting road trip itinerary, which lets you manage your time, fuel, and environmental impact by choosing wineries that are near one another. Or use our wine tour guide to learn about the wineries in each town, cities, or region you’d like to visit.

Benziger offers tractor tours of its biodynamic vineyards in Glen Ellen

You might also want to choose wineries that are biodynamic or organic; dry-farmed; or simply eco-friendly. We can also suggest a cellar’s worth of sustainable wine tours and sustainable winery experiences. Cheers!

TOUR & DO

Sonoma County is chock full of activities that promote sustainability, either on foot, on wheels, or even way up in the air.

Our mild climate, rugged mountains, deep valleys, thick forests, 11 state parks, more than 50 regional parks, and 55 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline offer a wide range of outdoor activities that include:

Canoeing, SUPing, and kayaking on lakes and rivers
Horseback riding on park, mountain, and coastal trails
Golfing in Wine Country and at the coast
Ziplining through groves of redwoods

Segway rentals and tours with Sonoma Adventures
Tandem motorcycle sidecar rides with Sonoma’s Sidecar Tours
Electric bike tours with Pedego and Pushpak Motors

Renting a bike and hitting some trails in Santa Rosa
Mountain biking through gorgeous regional parks
Going wine tasting by bike
Following the best bike itineraries in Wine Country

Celebrate sustainability by hiking and walking in Sonoma County

Hiking (without or with your dog) on our beautiful trails
Guided hiking tours with Wine Country Trekking, Landpaths, Unbeaten Path and/or Coastwalk
Beach walks at the coast
Walking tours of Healdsburg and Sonoma

SHOP

Sonoma County is renowned for local products and handcrafts that have been created with minimum impact on the environment and community — so rest assured, it’s easy to shop sustainably here.

Art(s) & Crafts

Locally handmade pottery at Artisans Co-Op in Bodega

For locally made arts and crafts, shopping destinations include:

Artisans Co-Op in Bodega
Hand Goods in Occidental
Made Local Marketplace and Wild Honey Mercantile in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village
Art galleries in downtown Healdsburg

Apparel

Indigenous Clothing in Sebastopol, California

If socially-conscious trade, eco-friendly textiles, and/or sustainably-produced fashion are important to you, comb through the racks and shelves at clothing stores like: