Park · Kenwood, Sonoma County
Yes — Kenwood Plaza Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free (free parking). Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Checked September 2026 from parks.sonomacounty.ca.govStated on the venue's own website
A 5-acre village green in tiny Kenwood with shaded lawns, a gazebo, a play structure and picnic tables, a short drive from the Highway 12 tasting rooms. It's small and low-key, a place to stop for an hour with a bottle and a sandwich rather than a destination park.
Good for: Budget-friendly · Families · Dogs · Quiet
Kenwood's little village park is one of the few spots in the valley where the official park page flatly says alcohol is allowed, which makes it an easy, free stop between Highway 12 wineries. Shaded lawns and a gazebo make it pleasant, but bring everything you need, since there are no restrooms.
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Stock up at a deli nearby, then picnic close by — a short, easy loop.
Deli & market · Glen Ellen · about 4.7 mi away
Kenwood Plaza Park (this park)
Park · Kenwood
Winery · Kenwood · about 0.3 mi away
Glen Ellen · 4 mi
St. Helena · 7 mi
Rutherford · 8 mi
Kenwood· 0.2 mi
A family-run producer of Italian-style reds (Sangiovese, Barbera and friends) pouring in an old schoolhouse in Kenwood. It openly invites guests to bring a picnic to eat with their tasting in the backyard.
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 3.9 mi
Kenwood· 0.4 mi
A family-run Italian marketplace-winery in Kenwood where the deli, pizza oven and gelato counter are half the draw. It's a great buy-your-lunch stop, but outside food isn't allowed.
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.0 mi
Kenwood· 0.5 mi
A walk-in-friendly Kenwood tasting room for a Moon Mountain District Cabernet specialist. With no food service, it invites visitors to bring their own picnic, which makes it a handy stop in a stretch of Highway 12 where many big wineries ban outside food.
Ty Caton Vineyards (Kenwood Tasting Room)
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.2 mi
Kenwood· 0.6 mi
A family-owned Rhône-focused winery (Grenache is the star) on the former Paradise Ridge Kenwood site, built around drop-in glasses and bottles under the olive trees. It explicitly welcomes outside picnic food, kids and dogs outdoors — one of the most relaxed picnic stops on Hwy 12.
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.2 mi
Yes — Kenwood Plaza Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free (free parking). Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Yes. Outside food is allowed at Kenwood Plaza Park.
Yes, alcohol is allowed at Kenwood Plaza Park. Alcohol: Allowed. The Regional Parks page for this park says so directly, consistent with Sonoma County Code Sec. 20-13 (allowed unless a ban is posted). Other rules: open 7 a.m. to sunset; no amplified music or voice; no grills are listed, and county rules allow fires only in designated fire rings and BBQs. There are no restrooms on site.
No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. No reservable group area is listed; tables are first-come, first-served. Events beyond routine park use (weddings, caterers, public events) need a Regional Parks Special Use Permit.
Free (free parking).
Leashed dogs allowed.
We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Live Regional Parks page checked Sept 2026 (undated)). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Kenwood Plaza Park before you go. How we verify.
Picnic rules at a glance
What the picnic area is like
About Kenwood Plaza Park
Make a day of it
Pick up picnic food nearby
More picnic spots nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources & accuracy