Photo: Stepheng3 · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Can you picnic at Howarth Park?
Yes — Howarth Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free entry and free parking. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Checked September 2026 from srcity.orgStated on the venue's own website
Photo: Stepheng3 · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Picnic rules at a glance
Picnicking
Picnics welcome
Bring your own food
Allowed
Alcohol
Allowed
Purchase required
No
Reservation
Not required
Fee
Free entry and free parking; reserved picnic sites $80–$160 ($105–$185 for non-Santa Rosa residents); train, carousel and pony rides cost extra.
Groups
Unreserved tables are first-come, first-served. Eight reservable sites: Cypress Point A/B, Lower Oak 1–3 and Upper Oak 5 (up to 50 people, $80; $105 non-resident), Upper Oak 4 (80 people, $160/$185) and the Gazebo site (90 people, $160/$185); party areas A–D are sold only as birthday-party packages. Book 10–365 days ahead online (PerfectMind via the city page), by phone 707-543-3753, by email picnics@srcity.org or in person at Finley Community Center. Groups over 100 need a park permit.
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed (6-ft max leash, Santa Rosa City Code §7-12.100); owners must clean up (§7-28.010).
Kids
Very kid-oriented: playgrounds plus the K-Land miniature train, carousel, pony rides and a summer animal barn (rides closed on rainy days).
Hours
Daily sunrise–sunset (trails, playgrounds, fishing); rides and boathouse keep separate seasonal hours
Season
Park open year-round. Rides and attractions run weekends in spring and fall and most days in summer, and close for winter Oct 26, 2026–Mar 5, 2027; the boathouse closes for the season Sept 27, 2026. Reserved picnic sites run 9am–7pm Mar–Oct and 7am–5pm Nov–Feb.
House rules
Alcohol: Allowed only at set times, and never in glass. Santa Rosa City Code §13-24.050(A) lists Howarth among ten community parks where beer, wine and other alcohol are banned 6am–5pm on weekdays, so drinking is legal on weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends (city web page: weekends and City-observed holidays; the code exempts Independence, Memorial, Labor, Veterans, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day), within park hours. Weekday-daytime drinking requires an alcohol permit issued with a picnic reservation (§13-24.060). Glass beverage containers are banned in every city park (§13-24.070), so bring wine in a can, box or plastic carafe rather than the bottle. Other: amplified sound, including Bluetooth speakers, needs a sound permit tied to a large-site reservation; inflatables only at designated reserved sites ($25, not Nov–Feb); no electricity in city parks; smoking prohibited (§9-20.030).
What the picnic area is like
Picnic tables with barbecues are spread across the park's lawns around Lake Ralphine, a small fishing and boating lake with a boathouse. The reservable sites carry names like Upper Oak, Lower Oak and Cypress Point, and a 90-person gazebo site sits by the playground, a short walk from the K-Land ride area, so weekends are lively.
Picnic tables
Lawn
Pond or lake
Restrooms
Parking
Playground
Hiking trails
BBQ grills
Covered pavilion
Good for: Families · Groups · Large parties · Budget-friendly · Dogs
Picnicked here recently?Tell the next visitor how it went.▾Share a photo of the picnic areaHelp others see the spot before they go. We'll credit you by name.▾
About Howarth Park
Santa Rosa's 138-acre flagship community park wraps around Lake Ralphine, with fishing, seasonal boat rentals, tennis and pickleball courts, playgrounds, trails that connect to Spring Lake, and a kids' ride area. It has the most picnic infrastructure of any city park and is one of the few where you can legally drink, but only at certain hours and never from glass.
Free entry and free parking
Barbecues at tables; eight reservable group sites ($80–$160)
Alcohol OK weekends and weekdays after 5pm — no glass bottles
Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK
One of Sonoma County's most popular regional parks, Spring Lake circles a small reservoir on Santa Rosa's east side with a paved 2.3-mile loop, a summer swim lagoon, boat rentals and a campground. It is a full-day family picnic destination with grills everywhere, and its trails link straight into Howarth Park and Trione-Annadel State Park.
Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK
A 5,500-acre state park on Santa Rosa's eastern edge with more than 40 miles of trails through redwood, fir and oak woodland and wildflower meadows, centered on Lake Ilsanjo. It suits hikers who want to carry lunch to a lakeside table; there are no grills, and dogs are barred from the trails.
A neighborhood-scale community park on Santa Rosa's east side, handy for a family barbecue near the Highway 12 wineries and Annadel. It has a dog park, playground and reservable picnic sites.
A big east Santa Rosa community park with barbecues, a dog park and an unusual fly-casting pond, plus one of the city's largest reservable picnic sites. Most tables are first come, first served.
Yes — Howarth Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free entry and free parking. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Can you bring your own food to Howarth Park?▾
Yes. Outside food is allowed at Howarth Park.
Can you drink wine at Howarth Park?▾
Yes, alcohol is allowed at Howarth Park. Alcohol: Allowed only at set times, and never in glass. Santa Rosa City Code §13-24.050(A) lists Howarth among ten community parks where beer, wine and other alcohol are banned 6am–5pm on weekdays, so drinking is legal on weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends (city web page: weekends and City-observed holidays; the code exempts Independence, Memorial, Labor, Veterans, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day), within park hours. Weekday-daytime drinking requires an alcohol permit issued with a picnic reservation (§13-24.060). Glass beverage containers are banned in every city park (§13-24.070), so bring wine in a can, box or plastic carafe rather than the bottle. Other: amplified sound, including Bluetooth speakers, needs a sound permit tied to a large-site reservation; inflatables only at designated reserved sites ($25, not Nov–Feb); no electricity in city parks; smoking prohibited (§9-20.030).
Do you need a reservation to picnic at Howarth Park?▾
No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. Unreserved tables are first-come, first-served. Eight reservable sites: Cypress Point A/B, Lower Oak 1–3 and Upper Oak 5 (up to 50 people, $80; $105 non-resident), Upper Oak 4 (80 people, $160/$185) and the Gazebo site (90 people, $160/$185); party areas A–D are sold only as birthday-party packages. Book 10–365 days ahead online (PerfectMind via the city page), by phone 707-543-3753, by email picnics@srcity.org or in person at Finley Community Center. Groups over 100 need a park permit.
Is there a fee to picnic at Howarth Park?▾
Free entry and free parking; reserved picnic sites $80–$160 ($105–$185 for non-Santa Rosa residents); train, carousel and pony rides cost extra.
Are dogs allowed at Howarth Park?▾
Leashed dogs allowed (6-ft max leash, Santa Rosa City Code §7-12.100); owners must clean up (§7-28.010).
Is Howarth Park good for kids?▾
Very kid-oriented: playgrounds plus the K-Land miniature train, carousel, pony rides and a summer animal barn (rides closed on rainy days).
Sources & accuracy
We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Plan Your Visit page with 2026 season hours; Santa Rosa City Code current through Ord. 2026-013 (June 16, 2026)). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Howarth Park before you go. How we verify.
Picnic rules at a glance
What the picnic area is like
About Howarth Park
Make a day of it
Pick up picnic food nearby
More picnic spots nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources & accuracy