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Park · Santa Rosa, Sonoma County

North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve picnic guide

Picnics welcomeWine allowed$8 parking

Can you picnic at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

Yes — North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $8 parking (free for Regional Parks members). Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

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

Grassy slope and oak woodland looking out over the green hills of Bennett Valley from North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park
Photo: Matkatamiba · CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
$8 parking (free for Regional Parks members)
Dogs
Dogs not permitted on trails
Hours
7am to sunset
House rules
Alcohol: Not among the parks where Sonoma County Regional Parks bans it (County Code Sec. 20-13 allows it unless a ban is posted); follow any signs. No drinking water in the park, so bring your own. Dogs are not allowed on trails. Cattle graze seasonally.

What the picnic area is like

From the trailhead, the first 800 feet of the Ridge Trail (wheelchair-accessible compacted gravel) lead to a creekside picnic area in a grove of coast redwoods beside Matanzas Creek. For a view picnic, the one-mile Umbrella Tree Trail climbs through oaks and bays to a giant bay-tree cluster with a lone picnic table looking over Santa Rosa and Bennett Valley.

  • Picnic tables
  • Shade trees
  • Restrooms
  • Parking
  • Hiking trails
  • Wheelchair accessible

Good for: Views · Quiet

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About North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve

An 820-acre preserve on Sonoma Mountain's north slope, about five miles southeast of Santa Rosa, with a stretch of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that connects to Jack London State Historic Park. Picnickers can stay close to the car at a redwood creekside area or hike up to a single table with one of the best views in central Sonoma County.

  • Accessible creekside picnic area in the redwoods, 800 ft from parking
  • Hilltop picnic table at the Umbrella Tree, 1 mile up
  • Ridge Trail links to Jack London State Historic Park
  • No water or dogs on trails; $8 parking

More free spots in Sonoma CountyMore best views spots in Sonoma CountyMore 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.

  1. Glen Ellen Village Market

    Deli & market · Glen Ellen · about 5.6 mi away

  2. North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve (this park)

    Park · Santa Rosa

  3. Crane Creek Regional Park

    Park · Petaluma · about 3.3 mi away

Pick up picnic food nearby

More picnic spots nearby

Rolling grassland and oak thickets in Crane Creek Regional Park in the hills east of Rohnert Park
Park

Crane Creek Regional Park

Petaluma· 3 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

A small, quiet regional park in the oak-dotted hills just east of Rohnert Park, with 3.5 miles of trails, a creek-side path and an 18-hole disc golf course. It is a no-frills spot for an uncrowded picnic and a short walk, with spring wildflowers as the seasonal bonus.

Crane Creek Regional Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
yes
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
$8/vehicle

Nearest picnic food: Lombardi's Deli & BBQ · 5.9 mi

Details: Crane Creek Regional Park
Winery

Matanzas Creek Winery

Bennett Valley· 3 mi

Reserved picnicsPurchase requiredDogs OKShade

A Bennett Valley estate famous for its lavender gardens and Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. It rents picnic tables for two-hour stays where you bring your own food, buy bottles and wander the lavender.

Matanzas Creek Winery

Reserved picnicsChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine purchase
Required
Reservation
Required
Dogs
Yes
Fee
not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Criminal Cafe & Bakery · 5.8 mi

Details: Matanzas Creek Winery
Lone picnic table in a redwood grove beside the Mountain Trail at Jack London State Historic Park
Park

Jack London State Historic Park

Glen Ellen· 3 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

Jack London's former Beauty Ranch combines history, vineyard views and 29-plus miles of trails with some of the valley's most varied picnic spots, including a reservable oak grove with barbecue stands. No alcohol ban is posted, so a bottle from a nearby winery fits right in; expect the $15 vehicle fee.

Jack London State Historic Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
yes
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
$15/vehicle

Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 1.1 mi

Details: Jack London State Historic Park
Terraced vineyard rows climbing toward a wooded Sonoma Mountain ridge at Benziger Family Winery
Winery

Benziger Family Winery

Glen Ellen· 3 mi

Bring your own foodPurchase requiredNo reservationDogs OK

A large biodynamic estate high on Sonoma Mountain above Glen Ellen, known for its tractor-tram vineyard tours. Its terrace picnic tables let small groups bring their own food with a bottle purchase.

Benziger Family Winery

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine purchase
Required
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Outside
Fee
No fee listed

Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 1.0 mi

Details: Benziger Family Winery

All picnic spots in Santa Rosa & Bennett Valley →

Frequently asked questions

Can you picnic at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

Yes — North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $8 parking (free for Regional Parks members). Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

Can you bring your own food to North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

Yes. Outside food is allowed at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve.

Can you drink wine at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

Yes, alcohol is allowed at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Alcohol: Not among the parks where Sonoma County Regional Parks bans it (County Code Sec. 20-13 allows it unless a ban is posted); follow any signs. No drinking water in the park, so bring your own. Dogs are not allowed on trails. Cattle graze seasonally.

Do you need a reservation to picnic at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

No reservation is needed to use the picnic area.

Is there a fee to picnic at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

$8 parking (free for Regional Parks members).

Are dogs allowed at North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve?

Dogs not permitted on trails.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Official Regional Parks page current Sept 2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve before you go. How we verify.

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