Park · Healdsburg, Sonoma County

Del Rio Woods picnic guide

Picnics welcomeWine allowed$8–$12 parking

Can you picnic at Del Rio Woods?

Yes — Del Rio Woods has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Parking $8 (fall–spring) / $12 in the summer season (May 23–Sept 7 in 2026). Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

Checked September 2026 from parks.sonomacounty.ca.govStated on the venue's own website

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking: Picnics welcome
Bring your own food: Allowed
Alcohol: Allowed
Purchase required: No
Reservation: Not required
Fee: Parking $8 (fall–spring) / $12 in the summer season (May 23–Sept 7 in 2026); free for Regional Parks members
Groups: Small first-come, first-served picnic area; the County says large gatherings are not allowed here.
Dogs: Leashed dogs (6-ft max) allowed.
Kids: No lifeguards; free loaner life vests in summer.
Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to 30 minutes before sunset
Season: Open year-round; busiest in summer. No lifeguards; free loaner life vests on the beach in summer.
House rules: Alcohol: Allowed by default. Sonoma County Code §20-13 bans drinking in a County park only where Regional Parks has ordered and posted a ban, and this park is not on the posted-ban list (the year-round bans are at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach and Guerneville River Park; Steelhead, Sunset and Forestville River Access are banned in summer). Obey any signs posted on site. No fires or barbecues on the beach, and charcoal/wood fires are banned countywide on Red Flag, high-wind and Spare the Air days. No large gatherings. Leashed dogs OK. No lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. No amplified music; no smoking or vaping.

What the picnic area is like

A small picnic area sits above a bend of the Russian River at the foot of Fitch Mountain, with a stairway down to a gravel-and-river-rock beach. Locals have used it for summer swimming, paddling and sunbathing for generations; outside summer it's a quiet place to watch birds on the river.

Picnic tables
Restrooms
Parking
Wheelchair accessible

Good for: Quiet · Budget-friendly · Dogs

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About Del Rio Woods

A small County river-beach park at the foot of Fitch Mountain, a few minutes east of downtown Healdsburg, with a picnic area and stairs down to the water. Unlike nearby Veterans Memorial Beach, it isn't on the County's alcohol-ban list, so it's the Healdsburg-area riverside picnic where a bottle of wine is allowed by default.

Picnic area above a gravel Russian River beach (stairway access)
Alcohol not banned (not on the County's posted list), unlike Veterans Memorial Beach
No lifeguards; free loaner life vests in summer
No fires or BBQs on the beach; no large gatherings
Parking $8 off-season / $12 summer; portable toilets

More dog-friendly spots in Sonoma County More free spots in Sonoma County More parks that allow wine spots in Sonoma County

Make a day of it

Stock up at a deli nearby, then picnic close by — a short, easy loop.

Shelton's Natural Foods Market
Deli & market · Healdsburg · about 2.9 mi away
Del Rio Woods (this park)
Park · Healdsburg
Villa Chanticleer Park (Lower Villa Chanticleer Park)
Park · Healdsburg · about 1.5 mi away

Pick up picnic food nearby

Shelton's Natural Foods Market
Healdsburg · 2 mi
Journeyman Meat Co.
Healdsburg · 2 mi
Troubadour
Healdsburg · 2 mi

More picnic spots nearby

Red Villa Chanticleer hall with wisteria-covered pergolas under oaks in Healdsburg

Park

Villa Chanticleer Park (Lower Villa Chanticleer Park)

Healdsburg· 1 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

A low-key neighborhood park on Healdsburg's east side, best for a picnic before or after a walk up Fitch Mountain or a romp in the dog park. Facilities are modest (a few tables and a playground), and alcohol is not allowed.

Villa Chanticleer Park (Lower Villa Chanticleer Park)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: no
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Yes
Fee: Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Shelton's Natural Foods Market · 1.2 mi

Details

Park

Giorgi Park

Healdsburg· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholShade

Healdsburg's best-equipped city park for a group picnic: shaded tables with barbecues, a bocce court and a playground, close to downtown. It suits birthday parties and family reunions, but it is not a place to open a wine bottle, because City code bans alcohol in every park except the Plaza.

Giorgi Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: no
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: not confirmed
Fee: Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Shelton's Natural Foods Market · 0.4 mi

Details

Winery

Stuhlmuller Vineyards

Alexander Valley· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationDogs OKVineyard views

A laid-back Alexander Valley estate that pours its own Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet in a redwood barn a few minutes from Healdsburg. It openly invites guests to bring a picnic and a dog, and walk-ins are welcome.

Stuhlmuller Vineyards

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine purchase: not confirmed
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Yes
Fee: not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Jimtown and Then Sum · 2.5 mi

Details

Swimmers and sunbathers on the sandy Russian River beach below the steel Healdsburg Memorial Bridge

Park

Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach

Healdsburg· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

Sonoma County's lifeguarded Russian River beach at the south edge of downtown Healdsburg, with shaded tables and lawn above the sand. It is the easiest family swim-and-picnic stop in the Healdsburg area, but it is one of the few County parks where alcohol is banned year-round, so leave the winery bottle in the car.

Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: no
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Outside
Fee: $8–$12 parking

Nearest picnic food: Quail & Condor · 0.7 mi

Details

All picnic spots in Healdsburg, Dry Creek & Alexander Valley →

Frequently asked questions

Can you picnic at Del Rio Woods?

Can you bring your own food to Del Rio Woods?

Yes. Outside food is allowed at Del Rio Woods.

Can you drink wine at Del Rio Woods?

Yes, alcohol is allowed at Del Rio Woods. Alcohol: Allowed by default. Sonoma County Code §20-13 bans drinking in a County park only where Regional Parks has ordered and posted a ban, and this park is not on the posted-ban list (the year-round bans are at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach and Guerneville River Park; Steelhead, Sunset and Forestville River Access are banned in summer). Obey any signs posted on site. No fires or barbecues on the beach, and charcoal/wood fires are banned countywide on Red Flag, high-wind and Spare the Air days. No large gatherings. Leashed dogs OK. No lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. No amplified music; no smoking or vaping.

Do you need a reservation to picnic at Del Rio Woods?

No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. Small first-come, first-served picnic area; the County says large gatherings are not allowed here.

Is there a fee to picnic at Del Rio Woods?

Parking $8 (fall–spring) / $12 in the summer season (May 23–Sept 7 in 2026); free for Regional Parks members.

Are dogs allowed at Del Rio Woods?

Leashed dogs (6-ft max) allowed.

Is Del Rio Woods good for kids?

No lifeguards; free loaner life vests in summer.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Regional Parks press release May 15, 2026; park page current Sept 2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Del Rio Woods before you go. How we verify.

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