The parks and beaches a neighbor actually knows

01 Sonoma County

Shollenberger Park

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

1400 Cader Lane, east side of Petaluma

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.

• 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.

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

02 Sonoma County

Lucchesi Park

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

320 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. City of Petaluma: Lucchesi Park

03 Sonoma County

Kenilworth Park

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

Central Petaluma, near the Regional Library

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.

• Playground
• Picnic tables & BBQ pit
• Open grass
• Park upgrades planned

Details and visitor info. City of Petaluma: Kenilworth Park

04 Sonoma County

Helen Putnam Regional Park

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

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

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.

• 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.

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

01 Marin County

Pioneer Park

The all-round family park in northwest Novato.

1007 Simmons Ln, Novato

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. City of Novato: Pioneer Park

02 Marin County

Stafford Lake County Park

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

About three miles west of downtown Novato

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. Visit Novato: Stafford Lake Park

03 Marin County

Dogbone Meadow Dog Park

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

Novato Blvd & Copper Hill Way, Novato

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. City of Novato: Dogbone Meadow

04 Marin County

Olompali State Historic Park

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

Off Highway 101, just north of Novato

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. California State Parks: Olompali

01 Marin County beaches

Stinson Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Stinson Beach

02 Marin County beaches

Muir Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Muir Beach

03 Marin County beaches

Bolinas Beach

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

Brighton Avenue, end of Highway 1, Bolinas

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. California Beaches: Bolinas

04 Marin County beaches

Dillon Beach

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

1 Beach Avenue, 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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. Dillon Beach Resort

05 Marin County beaches

Limantour Beach

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

End of Limantour Road, Point Reyes National Seashore

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Limantour Beach

06 Marin County beaches

Drakes Beach

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

End of Drakes Beach Road, Point Reyes National Seashore

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Drakes Beach

01 Marin County parks

Mount Tamalpais State Park

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Mount Tamalpais

02 Marin County parks

Marin Headlands

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. NPS: Marin Headlands

03 Marin County parks

China Camp State Park

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: China Camp

04 Marin County parks

Indian Valley Open Space Preserve

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

Behind the College of Marin Indian Valley campus, Novato

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. Marin County Parks: Indian Valley

01 Sonoma County beaches

Doran Beach (Doran Regional Park)

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. Sonoma County Regional Parks: Doran

02 Sonoma County beaches

Salmon Creek Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

03 Sonoma County beaches

Portuguese Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

04 Sonoma County beaches

Goat Rock Beach

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

Off Highway 1 at Jenner (Sonoma Coast State Park)

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

05 Sonoma County beaches

Shell Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

06 Sonoma County beaches

Wrights Beach

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

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast

01 Sonoma County parks

Howarth Park

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

630 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa

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.

• 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.

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

02 Sonoma County parks

Spring Lake Regional Park

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

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

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.

• 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.

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

03 Sonoma County parks

Annadel State Park

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

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.

• 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.

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

04 Sonoma County parks

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

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

17000 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Armstrong Redwoods

05 Sonoma County parks

Sonoma Coast State Park

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

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.

• 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.

Details and visitor info. CA State Parks: Sonoma Coast