Wade in the Water

What better way to beat the heat than relax in cool water or set up a chair with a view of the river? Sonoma County has quite a few spots to lay down a towel or go for a swim. Here are a couple ideas.

Spring Lake Swimming Lagoon – This hidden spot is located between Annadel State Park and Howarth Park in Santa Rosa. You can use the Violetti Entrance to get close to the swimming lagoon. This great swimming hole is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Parking is $7 from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Lagoon is three acres of water fun, fully staffed with Lifeguards all summer long. The beach is sandy (mostly) and has bathrooms, rinse off showers and a snack bar. There are plenty of shady spots and picnic tables along with barbecue spots for picnics as well. The location is 393 Violetti Rd., Santa Rosa. Click here for directions and lake rules.

Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach – This is one of the nicest river spots in the county. Parking is $7 from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The beach has picnic tables, barbecue area, bathrooms and the manmade swimming beach. Usually the swim area is open and staffed by lifeguards from Memorial to Labor Day but call 707-433-1625 to verify. Hours areo at sunrise until sunset, but on nice days get there early, as it fills up. Memorial Beach is located at 13839 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg.

Russian River Spots – The Russian River plays host to a few seasonal beach locations. Johnson’s Beach Dam and Lower Vacation Beach Dam are two of these special summertime spots. For non-locals finding the best spots can be a little tricky at first. You can either take River Road from the 101 towards Guerneville or come out Highway 116 from Sebastopol. Once you hit Guerneville, keep an eye out for parking areas closer to the river and get out and explore.

Monte Rio – Monte Rio Community Beach is a popular river spot to lounge around at countywide. The beach stretches along both sides of the Monte Rio Bridge. With the boardwalk, concession stand, boat rental and covered picnic area, this swimming hole has it all. There are also sand volleyball courts, barbecue pits and horseshoe pits for use. For directions, follow Highway 116 toward Monte Rio and look for the signs near the bridge that connects to the Old Bohemian Highway.

Lake Sonoma –This is a really nice lake that provides a lot of fun activities including camping, boating and fishing. The day area has plenty of great stuff as well. There is a barbecue area, swimming beach and a small deli. The lake also has a large party area available for rent. Driving directions: Take the 101 north towards Healdsburg and exit on Dry Creek Road heading west. Visit their website  for more information.

Sebastopol – Ives Pool, a public pool that's run by a nonprofit, located in Sebastopol, is a great spot for swimming year round for anyone in the county. The pool has a pretty busy schedule of events most days but they always have public swim time from Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m. On the weekends, public swim hours are 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the evenings, family swim is offered in the small pool from 6:15-8:30 p.m. during the week and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekends. Rates are $4.50 for adults and $3 for kids with group pass discounts available. Visit them at 7400 Willow St., Sebastopol or on their website.  

Petaluma – The Petaluma Swim Center is a sweet spot if you're looking for a bigger swim area. The pool features a 50-meter heated outdoor pool and a smaller 2-3 foot deep wading pool. There are heated showers and dressing rooms as well as a large deck to relax on and picnic areas. Fees are great with $5 for adults and only $2 for kids. Open swim is available Monday to Friday from 12:30 to 7 p.m. On Saturday you can swim from 12:30-6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Petaluma Swim Center is located at 900 East Washington, Petaluma. You can reach them by phone at 707-778-4410 for more information.

Santa Rosa – The Finley Aquatic Center is Sonoma County’s most state-of-the-art facility. Built in 1993, they have a large training pool and instructional pool. They are fully ADA accessible with a pool ramp and wheelchair lift. They have full locker rooms and showers as well as a summer concession stand. Public swim is available for $5 for adults and $4 for kids. Public swim is Monday through Friday from 1:30-4:45 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Finley Center is located at 2060 West College Ave., Santa Rosa. They can be reached at 707-543-3760 for more information.