Sonoma County Regional Parks are open for day use 365 days a year from 7:00 a.m. to sunset, with parking lots and entry gates closing at sunset. Park policies are codified in Chapter 20 (Parks and Recreation) of the Sonoma County Code. Overnight stays are restricted to established campgrounds with reservations; amplified music is prohibited; alcohol is banned year-round at several specific parks (Larson Park, Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, Guerneville River Park) and seasonally at Steelhead Beach, Sunset Beach, and Forestville River Access from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Sonoma County Regional Parks operates over 60 parks, beaches, trails, and open-space preserves covering roughly 12,000 acres across the County, from Doran Regional Park and Bodega Head on the coast to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (operated under partnership), Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa, Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma, Foothill Regional Park in Windsor, Cloverdale River Park, Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, Maxwell Farms Regional Park in Sonoma, Riverfront Regional Park in Healdsburg, Crane Creek Regional Park in Rohnert Park, Tolay Lake Regional Park, and the Russian River system of access points including Steelhead Beach, Sunset Beach, Forestville River Access, Monte Rio Beach, and Guerneville River Park. Under Chapter 20 of the Sonoma County Code, park hours are 7:00 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year. Parking lots and entry gates close at sunset, after which entry to most parks is prohibited except by registered overnight campers at parks with campgrounds (Doran, Bodega Dunes/Sonoma Coast State Parks operate under California State Parks rules; Spring Lake's campground operates with reservations through Reserve California). Park Policies adopted under Chapter 20 include: amplified music and voice are prohibited at all times - stereos, portable speakers, and similar devices must be kept at a minimal level; dogs and cats must be on a 6-foot leash and attended; public nudity is prohibited; fires are restricted to designated fire rings and BBQs, banned during Red Flag Warnings and high-wind advisories, and prohibited on all beaches year-round; wood and charcoal fires are prohibited at backcountry environmental campsites; gas stoves are generally allowed; swimming is allowed only at designated river and beach parks (lake swimming is prohibited except at Spring Lake lagoon, seasonally Memorial Day through Labor Day with lifeguard on weekends at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach). Alcohol is prohibited year-round at Larson Park (Maxwell Farms area), Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, and Guerneville River Park; alcohol is prohibited from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day at Steelhead Beach, Sunset Beach, and Forestville River Access; at Maxwell Farms Regional Park, alcohol is permitted only within reserved group picnic areas; special-use permits can authorize alcohol at restricted locations for organized events. After-hours presence in a park (entering or remaining after sunset/closing) is a Chapter 20 violation enforceable by the Regional Parks Rangers and the Sonoma County Sheriff. The Russian River parks have additional summer crowd-management rules including bus-access restrictions adopted in 2024-2025 in response to overcrowding and parking pressure. Parks operated by California State Parks within Sonoma County (Sonoma Coast State Park, Salt Point State Park, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, Austin Creek State Recreation Area, Jack London State Historic Park, Annadel State Park / Trione-Annadel State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge, Petaluma Adobe, Sonoma State Historic Park) follow Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations with sunset-to-sunrise closures.
Entering or remaining in a Sonoma County Regional Park after sunset, possessing prohibited items (alcohol where banned, glass containers, fireworks), playing amplified music, or violating dog-leash rules can result in citation by a Regional Parks Ranger or Sheriff's deputy under Chapter 20. Penalties under Sec. 1-7 start at $100 for a first offense and escalate to $200 and $500 per day for repeat violations. Use of a park without a required permit (group events, alcohol service, photography with equipment) can result in additional penalties and ejection. Persistent violators may be barred from park entry; serious violations (vandalism, fires set in violation of restrictions) may be charged as misdemeanors with fines up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
Sonoma County, CA
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