Love where you live

The parks and beaches a neighbor actually knows

This is a working, local-first guide to the parks and beaches around Petaluma and across Marin and Sonoma counties, the ground I cover as a real estate agent. Each entry lists what that place really offers: playgrounds, trails, picnic spots, dog areas, swimming beaches, and coastal day trips, checked against city, county, and park department pages rather than hearsay.

Updated October 27, 2026 · Sales Associate · 01702383 · California

Petaluma & Sonoma County

The parks Petaluma runs on

These are the parks Petaluma families actually use: the wetland walk, the big community park, a quiet neighborhood green, and the regional park in the hills just past the city edge. Hours and seasonal gates can shift, so check the city or county page before you head out.

Plan your visit

A wild three-mile walk around a wetland, no hills required.

1400 Cader Lane, east side of Petaluma

3-mile trail loop
Bird watching & decks
Dogs welcome on leash
Fishing pier

The trail connects to Alman Marsh and the Petaluma Marina for a much longer walk.

01 Sonoma County

Shollenberger Park

The classic Petaluma outdoor day. A roughly three-mile loop trail, part paved and part gravel, circles a restored wetland that pulls in birds nearly all year. Benches and observation decks give you a quiet place to stand still with binoculars, and the path is wide and level enough for strollers, runners, and bicycles. Dogs are welcome on leash, and a fishing pier serves the anglers who like to cast mid-walk.

Details and visitor info. City of Petaluma: parks & open space

Plan your visit

The city hub: pond, courts, fields, disc golf, and a dog run.

320 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma

Playgrounds for all ages
Tennis & pickleball
Basketball courts
Baseball & soccer fields
Disc golf course
Off leash dog run
Picnics & group BBQs

The Petaluma Community Center sits right here when the weather turns.

02 Sonoma County

Lucchesi Park

The busiest park in town, and the one that covers every family member in a single trip. There are playgrounds for different ages, tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, Little League and soccer fields, and a disc golf course threading through the park. A small pond, picnic tables, reservable group BBQ areas, restrooms, and an off leash dog run rounds it out.

Details and visitor info. City of Petaluma: Lucchesi Park

Plan your visit

A small, friendly green spot right next to the public library.

Central Petaluma, near the Regional Library

Playground
Picnic tables & BBQ pit
Open grass
Park upgrades planned

03 Sonoma County

Kenilworth Park

A compact community park of about three acres between the fairgrounds and the Petaluma Regional Library. It is simple in the best way: a playground, a few picnic tables, a BBQ pit, and open grass for a blanket, a book, or a game of catch. A library trip and a park picnic combine into one easy afternoon, and the city has a revitalization project planned to add new play spaces.

Details and visitor info. City of Petaluma: Kenilworth Park

Plan your visit

Hilltop trails, plus a playground, on the western edge of town.

411 Chileno Valley Road, Petaluma (Sonoma County Regional Parks)

About 6 miles of trails
Hillside views
Picnic areas
Playground
Birding & fishing

Bring water on warm days; the western hills are exposed. Check the county hours before gate closing.

04 Sonoma County

Helen Putnam Regional Park

A Sonoma County regional park on the western edge of town with roughly six miles of hiking, bicycling, and equestrian trails rolling over grassy hills. The reward is open ridgeline views across Petaluma and the surrounding countryside, some of the best for the effort required. Picnic areas, a playground, and good birding join the trails, and the pond in the hills keeps fish for patient anglers.

Details and visitor info. Sonoma County Regional Parks: Helen Putnam

Marin County side

Novato & Marin, a quick 101 trip

A lot of my Novato buyers and sellers want great parks within an easy drive of Petaluma, and the highway makes Marin's best effortless. These four cover the day: a family favorite, Marin's disc golf and mountain bike hangout, a proper dog park, and a state park with serious history.

Plan your visit

The all-round family park in northwest Novato.

1007 Simmons Ln, Novato

Two play structures, all ages
4 lighted tennis courts
Basketball courts
Reservable picnic areas
Paved walking paths
Band shell & amphitheater

Restrooms on site; Novato's favorite tot lot by a wide margin.

01 Marin County

Pioneer Park

One of Novato's most-used parks and easy to see why: two renovated, inclusive play structures, one for toddlers and one for bigger kids, with soft rubber surfacing and shade umbrellas. Four lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, large grassy lawns, and paved walking paths cover the rest. Picnic areas with barbecues are bookable in advance for parties, and a small band shell hosts summer gatherings.

Details and visitor info. City of Novato: Pioneer Park

Plan your visit

Marin's disc golf mecca, a mountain bike park, and a lake.

About three miles west of downtown Novato

18-hole disc golf
Mountain bike park
Shore fishing
Adventure playground
Picnics & hammock village

Boat-free lake by design; it is the town's drinking water. Bring your own everything else.

02 Marin County

Stafford Lake County Park

A 139-acre Marin County park wrapped around a drinking water reservoir, with a relaxed country feel only minutes off the highway. The 18-hole disc golf course is famous for looks and challenge, a mountain bike park draws rides, and a nature trail wanders the base of the hills. Picnic areas with BBQs, an adventure playground, and a hammock village make it a full day out; the lake itself offers shore fishing for bass, catfish, and bluegill.

Details and visitor info. Visit Novato: Stafford Lake Park

Plan your visit

Novato's dedicated, fenced, off leash run inside O'Hair Park.

Novato Blvd & Copper Hill Way, Novato

Fenced off-leash run
Small-dog area
0.2-mile outer path
Shade & benches

Closes Wednesdays 8am-noon for maintenance; bring water in the summer months.

03 Marin County

Dogbone Meadow Dog Park

The cleanest answer in the area to where can my dog actually run: a fenced, grassy off-leash park of about an acre with a walking path around the outer edge. There is even a separate gentle-play area for small and timid dogs, a favorite for anyone who fosters rescues. The dedicated run means your dog gets the space, and you get a clear view bench.

Details and visitor info. City of Novato: Dogbone Meadow

Plan your visit

700 acres, miles of trails, and thousands of years of story.

Off Highway 101, just north of Novato

Layered California history
Oak woodland & grassland
Miles of trails
Valley views

Start at the visitor center, then pick a trail; a state park, so check entry hours.

04 Marin County

Olompali State Historic Park

One of California's most layered places: the site once hosted one of the largest known Coast Miwok villages, a Mexican-era rancho, the Battle of Olompali in the 1846 era, and later a 1960s gathering place that drew famous bands and musicians of the day. Beyond the history, miles of trails wander through oak woodland and grassland with views across Petaluma Valley. A hike here is a history lesson you can actually climb.

Details and visitor info. California State Parks: Olompali

Marin County beaches

Marin's beaches, Stinson to Point Reyes

Marin's coast runs a little over an hour from Novato and Petaluma, and each beach has its own personality: wide, lifeguarded sand at Stinson; a sheltered cove at Muir; a local's strand at Bolinas; a privately run dog beach at Dillon; and the wild open beaches of Point Reyes. This is open ocean, so cold water, sneaker waves, and fast tides deserve respect even on calm days.

Plan your visit

Marin's classic wide-sand beach, with summer lifeguards and real facilities.

Stinson Beach, off Highway 1 (Golden Gate National Recreation Area)

Wide sandy shore
Summer lifeguards
Picnics & snack bar
Leashed dogs at Upton Beach
Large parking lots

Check posted conditions on the day; the NPS posts swimming closures when surf and rip currents pick up.

01 Marin County beaches

Stinson Beach

The beach Marin thinks of first: a long, smooth stretch of sand facing the open Pacific, backed by grassy picnic areas and a small snack bar. From roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, lifeguards patrol the main swimming area, and the central building adds restrooms and cold showers. The parking lot routinely fills by mid-morning on warm summer weekends, so arrive early. Dogs stay off the federal sand, but the Marin County-managed Upton Beach section at the north end welcomes leashed dogs.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Stinson Beach

Plan your visit

A sheltered cove where Redwood Creek meets the Pacific, just past Muir Woods.

Off Highway 1 near Muir Woods (Golden Gate National Recreation Area)

Sheltered cove sand
Redwood Creek lagoon
Picnic & overlook
Dogs allowed on sand
On-site parking lot

No lifeguards, cold water, and rip currents: wading only near the creek end, and watch children closely.

02 Marin County beaches

Muir Beach

A quieter, cove-shaped beach at the mouth of Redwood Creek, reached from its parking lot over a footbridge. The creek lagoon warms up a little in summer and draws herons and egrets, and the sand is a fine spot for a picnic and a long walk. There are no lifeguards and swimming here is genuinely dangerous, so treat Muir Beach as a walk-and-watch beach, with the Muir Beach Overlook just up the hill as the bonus view.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Muir Beach

Plan your visit

The local's beach at the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon, casual and dog friendly.

Brighton Avenue, end of Highway 1, Bolinas

Sandy shore & small surf
Tidepools at the edges
Dog friendly, often off leash
Street parking only

Bolinas runs a residential parking permit program, so read every sign before you park on a weekend.

03 Marin County beaches

Bolinas Beach

Known to locals as Brighton Beach, this stretch of sand sits where Bolinas Lagoon meets the ocean at the literal end of Highway 1, which sets the town's low-key tone. The beach is easy and unglamorous: good sand, modest surf in the lee of the point, and tidepools at the rocky edges. Bolinas residents walk their dogs here, frequently off leash, and there is no big parking lot, just free street parking along Brighton Avenue, which is exactly why it fills on sunny weekends.

Details and visitor info. California Beaches: Bolinas

Plan your visit

Northern Marin's privately run beach with a café, cabins, and famously off-leash dogs.

1 Beach Avenue, Dillon Beach

Wide sandy strand
Off-leash dog beach
Picnics & café
Tidepools & coastal views
Fee day-use parking

Day use runs roughly sunrise to sunset; pay at the kiosk and book parking ahead on busy summer weekends.

04 Marin County beaches

Dillon Beach

The northernmost public beach on Marin's coast, a wide strand of hard-packed sand where the Tomales Bay country meets the open Pacific. Dillon Beach is privately operated and open to day visitors for a parking fee, with restrooms, picnic tables, and the resort café and surf shop a short walk from the sand. It is one of Northern California's best-known dog beaches, and low tide exposes good tidepools along the rocky ends.

Details and visitor info. Dillon Beach Resort

Plan your visit

Point Reyes' wide, wild open strand just a short walk past the dunes.

End of Limantour Road, Point Reyes National Seashore

Miles of open sand
Beach & dune walks
Leashed, 2-mile stretch
Picnic tables
Paved path from lot

No potable water and almost no shade, so carry both; the wind picks up through the afternoon.

05 Marin County beaches

Limantour Beach

One of the great long beaches on the California coast: a broad, wind-raked stretch of sand inside Drakes Bay that never feels crowded, even in summer. An accessible paved path crosses the dunes from the parking lot, then drops you onto miles of hard-packed sand. The quieter water of Drakes Bay makes it safer for wading than the west-facing beaches, and the walk east is the classic birding stretch. Dogs are allowed on leash on the first two miles of beach southeast from the main lot.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Limantour Beach

Plan your visit

Sand beneath white cliffs, and the most sheltered water in Point Reyes.

End of Drakes Beach Road, Point Reyes National Seashore

Broad sandy beach
Calm water for wading
Visitor center & café
Permit campfires
Beach wheelchair on request

Dogs are not allowed at Drakes Beach. Call ahead about visitor center and café hours, which shrink in winter.

06 Marin County beaches

Drakes Beach

A remarkable setting: a broad beach beneath soft white sandstone cliffs, with the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center, a seasonal bookstore café, flush restrooms, and picnic tables right at the sand. Because Drakes Bay sits east of the open ocean, waves are usually small and the water comparatively calm, which makes this the most family-friendly place in the Seashore for wading. Campfires are allowed on parts of the beach by permit, and a beach wheelchair is available on request.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Drakes Beach

Marin County parks & open space

The big Marin parks beyond the 101 corridor

Stafford Lake, Olompali, and Pioneer appear in the Novato section above. These are the heavyweight parks and preserves farther south and west in the county: the redwood canyons of Mount Tamalpais, the headlands under the Golden Gate Bridge, a Chinese shrimp-fishing village turned state park on the bay, and Novato's own backyard open space.

Plan your visit

The mountain Marin hikes, with 200-plus miles of trails in redwood canyons.

Mill Valley area; trailheads at Pantoll, Bootjack, and East Peak

200+ miles of trails
Redwood canyons
Summit views
Free astronomy program
Camping & cabins

No entrance fee, but you pay to park at the developed lots; the East Peak lot tops out before 10am on clear days.

01 Marin County parks

Mount Tamalpais State Park

The defining landmark of the North Bay: a mountain wrapped in more than 200 miles of trail, climbing from redwood canyons like Steep Ravine and Matt Davis up to sweeping summit views of the bay, the city, and the coast. The park runs free docent-led weekend hikes and a free astronomy program on summer evenings, and camping is available at Pantoll, Bootjack, and the Steep Ravine cabins. Parking fees apply at the East Peak, Pantoll, and Bootjack lots.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Mount Tamalpais

Plan your visit

Grassy headlands under the Golden Gate: forts, a lighthouse, and Rodeo Beach.

Off Highway 101 at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito

Hillside trails & fire roads
Rodeo Beach
Hawk Hill raptor watch
Road & mountain biking
Batteries & lighthouse

Leashed dogs are welcome on many trails here, but not on the steep Tennessee Valley route down to the beach.

02 Marin County parks

Marin Headlands

The rolling, wind-scoured hills just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, managed as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The main draws are historic military batteries, the Point Bonita Lighthouse, and Rodeo Beach, a dark-sand cove at the base of the bluffs. Tennessee Valley offers an easy walk down to the coast, Hawk Hill is a major fall hawk migration lookout, and the fire roads are a favorite of road cyclists and mountain bikers. Daily entry is free, though some parking lots now charge on weekends.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Marin Headlands

Plan your visit

Oak hills meet San Pablo Bay at a historic Chinese shrimp-fishing village.

101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, off North San Pedro Road

Shrimp village & museum
About 15 miles of trails
Mountain biking
Bay launch & paddling
Picnic areas & campground

Dogs are not allowed on trails or the beach; they are welcome on leash in developed areas and can swim at China Camp Beach.

03 Marin County parks

China Camp State Park

A bayfront state park best known for the restored Chinese shrimp-fishing village at China Camp Point, with original buildings and a small museum telling the story of the immigrant fishermen who worked these waters in the 1880s. Roughly fifteen miles of trail cross the oak hills for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, and the calm bay shore is a natural launch for kayaks and paddleboards. Picnic tables, a sandy swimming beach at the village, and a campground round it out.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: China Camp

Plan your visit

Novato's backyard preserve: fire roads, a seasonal waterfall, and room to run.

Behind the College of Marin Indian Valley campus, Novato

Fire roads & trails
Seasonal waterfall
Leash; off-leash on fire roads
Equestrian trails
Free parking lot

Dogs may run off-leash under strict voice control on the fire roads, but keep them out of the pond.

04 Marin County parks

Indian Valley Open Space Preserve

A 558-acre Marin County open space preserve tucked behind the College of Marin's Indian Valley campus, only minutes from central Novato. The flat Indian Valley Fire Road is the local favorite for dog walkers, runners, and equestrians, while the Waterfall Trail climbs about a mile and a quarter to a seasonal cascade that runs after winter rain. The preserve is open every day at no charge, with a free parking lot at the west end of the campus.

Details and visitor info. Marin County Parks: Indian Valley

Sonoma County beaches

Bodega Bay and the wild Sonoma Coast

Sonoma's beach life centers on Bodega Bay and the chain of state-park beaches that runs up Highway 1 toward Jenner. Expect cool wind and cold water, and take the ocean seriously: sneaker waves and rip currents are a real hazard all along this coast, so keep children close and keep an eye on the water.

Plan your visit

Bodega Bay's great sandy spit: two miles of beach, camping, and harbor calm.

201 Doran Beach Road, Bodega Bay (Sonoma County Regional Parks)

Two-mile sandy beach
Year-round campground
Fishing & birding
Harbor launch
Kite flying

The campground has roughly 120 sites with no hookups; reserve early for spring and summer weekends.

01 Sonoma County beaches

Doran Beach (Doran Regional Park)

Sonoma County's first regional park is a 120-acre spit sheltering Bodega Harbor, with a wide, roughly two-mile beach on the ocean side and calm harbor water behind it for kayaks and small boats. It is the beach for a full Sonoma Coast day: picnic on the sand, fly a kite, walk out to the jetty, launch a boat, or stay at the year-round campground with flush toilets and showers. Fishing and birding are first-rate around the harbor mouth.

Details and visitor info. Sonoma County Regional Parks: Doran

Plan your visit

The southern Sonoma Coast's wide, dog-friendly walking beach.

Highway 1, about two miles north of Bodega (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Wide sandy strand
Dog-friendly beach
Long beach walks
Surf fishing
Two parking lots

Sneaker waves and rip currents are common up and down this coast, especially around creek mouths.

02 Sonoma County beaches

Salmon Creek Beach

Two parking lots, North and South Salmon Creek, sit on the bluff above one of the widest strands anywhere in Sonoma Coast State Park. The walk down to the sand is short, and the beach runs flat and firm for more than a mile at low tide. Dogs are allowed here, which makes it a favorite winter walking beach, and surf fishers work the creek mouth. Restrooms are at the lots. Bring layers, because the wind is part of the experience.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Plan your visit

A quiet pocket cove near Bodega Bay, best at low tide for fishing.

Highway 1 north of Bodega Bay (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Pocket cove sand
Rock & surf fishing
Tidepools at low tide
Dogs allowed

Go at low tide for the tidepools and the broadest sand, and watch the short access trail after rain.

03 Sonoma County beaches

Portuguese Beach

A small, sandy cove that most visitors drive right past, and locals like it that way. A short trail from the Highway 1 pullout drops to the sand, which is a favorite for rock and surf casting; low tide opens up tidepools at either end. Dogs are permitted here, and weekday mornings can feel almost empty. There are no facilities at the beach itself, so use the restrooms at the nearby pullouts.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Plan your visit

The beach at the Russian River mouth, famous for its harbor seal colony.

Off Highway 1 at Jenner (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Wide river-mouth sand
Harbor seal colony
Sea stacks & sunsets
Picnic tables & restrooms

Dogs are not allowed north of Goat Rock, and the river mouth current is dangerous even on calm days.

04 Sonoma County beaches

Goat Rock Beach

One of the most photographed spots on the Sonoma Coast: a wide sand bar where the Russian River meets the Pacific beneath a landmark sea stack that gives the beach its name. From roughly March through July a harbor seal colony hauls out at the river mouth, and visitors must stay at least fifty yards back. The beach has picnic tables and restrooms, and sunset views north along the headlands are superb.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Plan your visit

A pocket tidepool cove on the Kortum Trail, with easy restroom access.

Highway 1 between Goat Rock and Wrights Beach (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Tidepooling at low tide
Kortum Trail access
Headland views
Accessible restroom

Check a tide chart before you go; at high tide the cove's rocky ledges are largely underwater.

05 Sonoma County beaches

Shell Beach

A smaller, partly stony cove that is one of the best tidepooling stops on the Sonoma Coast, with an accessible restroom right at the small trailhead lot. The Kortum Trail runs along the bluff here, linking Shell Beach to Blind Beach and Wrights Beach, and even a short stretch gives you classic headland views. Low tide is the time to come, when the rocks at the cove's edges turn up hermit crabs, anemones, and starfish.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Plan your visit

A beachside campground with showers, set right on the sand.

Highway 1, about five miles north of Bodega Bay (Sonoma Coast State Park)

Campsites near the sand
Direct beach access
Kortum Trail start
Accessible campsites
Day-use parking

Summer campsites at Wrights Beach reserve out far in advance, so book early.

06 Sonoma County beaches

Wrights Beach

One of the few places on the Sonoma Coast where you can camp within steps of the Pacific. Wrights Beach pairs a good stretch of sand with a small campground that includes accessible campsites, restrooms, and showers, and the Kortum Trail trailhead sits right there. Days start with a walk on the sand and end at a campfire in the sound of the surf. The day-use area is first come, first served.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Sonoma County parks

A Santa Rosa trio, redwoods, and the coast

Beyond Petaluma's own parks, the rest of Sonoma County spreads out in every direction: Santa Rosa's classic community park and its big lake park, a state park that is a mountain-biking hub, old-growth redwoods by the Russian River, and the seventeen-mile coastline of Sonoma Coast State Park. Each is an easy day trip from Petaluma or Novato.

Plan your visit

Santa Rosa's beloved 138-acre community park with a lake, train, and carousel.

630 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa

Lake Ralphine fishing
Vintage train & carousel
Playgrounds & courts
Picnic areas
Trails to Spring Lake & Annadel

Rides and paddle boats are pay-per-ride; park entry and parking are free.

01 Sonoma County parks

Howarth Park

The park Santa Rosa grew up in: 138 acres of lake, lawn, and woods with free entry and free parking. Lake Ralphine is stocked for fishing and rents paddle boats in summer, and the vintage train and carousel have been a rite of childhood here for generations. Playgrounds, tennis and pickleball courts, picnic areas, and a network of trails spread across the park and connect on to Spring Lake and Annadel beyond.

Details and visitor info. City of Santa Rosa: Howarth Park

Plan your visit

A 72-acre lake with a paved loop, swimming beach, and camping close to town.

3915 Violetti Drive, Santa Rosa (Sonoma County Regional Parks)

Seasonal swimming beach
Paved lake loop
Paved, bike friendly
Paddle launches
Campground
Shore fishing

A day-use parking fee applies; the paved loop is the most accessible dog-friendly trail in the regional system.

02 Sonoma County parks

Spring Lake Regional Park

More than 300 acres of parkland wrapped around a 72-acre lake, with about ten miles of trail including a flat, paved 2.3-mile loop that is made for strollers, skates, and slow bike rides. There is a seasonal swimming beach, a launch for kayaks and paddleboards, shore fishing, and a campground with picnic tables and BBQs. Trails connect it to Howarth Park in one direction and Annadel in the other.

Details and visitor info. Sonoma County Regional Parks: Spring Lake

Plan your visit

Thirty-five miles of oak-woodland trails and a North Bay mountain-biking hub.

6201 Channel Drive, Santa Rosa, with a secondary trailhead on Lawndale Road

Mountain biking
35 miles of trails
Ridgeline views
Lake Ilsanjo fishing
Oak woodland & marsh

Dogs are generally not allowed on the trails here, so this one is best on your own two feet or wheels.

03 Sonoma County parks

Annadel State Park

Officially Trione-Annadel State Park: a roughly 35-mile network of trails across volcanic oak woodland east of Santa Rosa, climbing past Lake Ilsanjo and Ledson Marsh to ridgeline views of the Santa Rosa plain. It is one of the best-known mountain-bike destinations in the North Bay, while hikers and trail runners use the same fire roads and singletrack. Day use only, and parking fees apply at the developed lots.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Trione-Annadel

Plan your visit

Old-growth coast redwoods, some more than a thousand years old, on flat easy paths.

17000 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville

Old-growth redwoods
Easy, accessible trails
Picnicking in the grove
Cool, shaded forest

Even in summer the grove stays cool and damp, so bring a layer; dogs are limited to paved roads and picnic areas.

04 Sonoma County parks

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

The closest old-growth redwood grove to the Sonoma Coast: a quiet reserve of giant coast redwoods, including the Colonel Armstrong Tree at more than 1,400 years old, on broad, flat trails that accommodate strollers and wheelchairs. The 0.75-mile Pioneer Nature Trail and the self-guided 1.2-mile Grove Loop are perfect for a slow, shady morning, and picnic tables sit right among the big trees.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Armstrong Redwoods

Plan your visit

Seventeen miles of headlands, coves, and beaches from Bodega Head to Jenner.

Highway 1, Bodega Head north past Jenner; day-use fees at many lots

Chain of beaches
Bodega Head & Kortum trails
Whale watching
Wrights Beach camping
Cliff & cove scenery

Dogs are not allowed at Pomo Canyon, Willow Creek, or north of Goat Rock; check the park map before choosing a beach.

05 Sonoma County parks

Sonoma Coast State Park

Not a single beach but a chain of them: seventeen miles of headland cliffs, pocket coves, and sandy strands running from Bodega Head to the Vista Trail above Jenner. The Bodega Head Trail and the Kortum Trail are the classic coastal hikes, with beach access at nearly every cove below. It is also one of the more dog-friendly state parks in California on the beaches where dogs are permitted. Expect wind, cold water, sneaker waves, and occasional whales offshore in winter and spring.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

Dogs, welcome.

On top of the dog runs listed with each park above, Petaluma maintains two dedicated off-leash parks worth knowing well: Rocky Memorial Dog Park on Casa Grande Road, about eight acres above a wetland preserve, and the smaller, fully fenced Deer Creek Village Dog Park near N McDowell Blvd. Both run on posted hours, so check the city page before you go. On the coast, the dog rules vary beach by beach, and several beaches above spell them out, so read the entry and the posted signs before you let your dog off the leash.

City of Petaluma dog run areas

The park and the beach tell you about the neighborhood.

When I show a buyer around, I park the car and walk the neighborhood green space first. If you are weighing Petaluma against Novato, or one side of town against the other, these parks and beaches are part of the equation.

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