Park · Santa Rosa, Sonoma County

Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve picnic guide

Picnics welcomeWine allowed$8/vehicle

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

Yes — Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Parking $8 per vehicle (includes the solar EV charger at the Petaluma Hill Road entrance). 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 per vehicle (includes the solar EV charger at the Petaluma Hill Road entrance); free for Regional Parks members.
Groups: No reservable picnic areas; tables are first-come, first-served.
Dogs: Leashed dogs (6-ft max) allowed; keep them close around grazing cattle.
Kids: The accessible Red Tail Play Area at the Petaluma Hill Road entrance is designed for young children.
Hours: Daily 7am–sunset
Season: Open year-round. Cattle graze in the park.
House rules: Alcohol: Allowed. Sonoma County Code §20-13 bans drinking in a county park only where Regional Parks has ordered and posted a prohibition, and Taylor Mountain is not on the county's list of restricted parks. The county parks code has no glass-container ban; obey any posted signs. Other: fires only in portable barbecues or stoves in designated areas (§20-10), and charcoal/wood fires are banned on Red Flag Warning, high-wind and Spare the Air days; keep dogs leashed around grazing cattle.

What the picnic area is like

The main picnic spot is the Red Tail Play Area at the south entrance (3820 Petaluma Hill Road), where picnic tables and benches sit beside a nature-themed playground with a supersized hawk's nest, log and boulder climbers and an embankment slide. Beyond it the park is open grassland and oak woodland, with sweeping views over Santa Rosa for anyone who carries lunch up the trails.

Picnic tables
Restrooms
Parking
Playground
Hiking trails
Wheelchair accessible

Good for: Families · Views · Dogs · Budget-friendly

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About Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve

A 1,100-acre preserve on Santa Rosa's southeast edge with about 15 miles of trails, including a long switchbacking climb toward the summit, plus an 18-hole disc golf course. Picnickers do best at the natural play area by the south entrance, while hikers are rewarded with big views across the Santa Rosa Plain.

Picnic tables and benches at the Red Tail natural play area
Accessible picnic site and portable restroom
Panoramic views of Santa Rosa from upper trails
Alcohol allowed under county rules
Parking $8, free for members

More dog-friendly spots in Sonoma County More family-friendly spots in Sonoma County More free spots in Sonoma County More best views 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.

Criminal Cafe & Bakery
Deli & market · Santa Rosa · about 3.1 mi away
Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve (this park)
Park · Santa Rosa
Luther Burbank Home & Gardens
Park · Santa Rosa · about 2.2 mi away

Pick up picnic food nearby

Criminal Cafe & Bakery
Santa Rosa · 2 mi
Oliver's Market
Santa Rosa · 3 mi
Community Market Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa · 3 mi

More picnic spots nearby

Lawn and flowering garden beds beside Luther Burbank's white house and glass greenhouse in Santa Rosa

Park

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens

Santa Rosa· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcohol

The home and gardens of pioneering plant breeder Luther Burbank are now a free, city-owned garden and museum in downtown Santa Rosa. A bench or one of the two small tables makes a pleasant spot for a quick lunch, but this is no place for a wine picnic: city ordinance bans both alcohol and glass on the grounds.

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

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

Nearest picnic food: Criminal Cafe & Bakery · 0.7 mi

Details

Park

Juilliard Park

Santa Rosa· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

One of Santa Rosa's oldest parks, Juilliard occupies the former homestead of 19th-century winemaker Charles Juilliard, directly across the street from the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens. It is a handy free lunch stop downtown with lawn, tables and a playground, but it is alcohol-free unless you hold a permit.

Juilliard Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

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

Nearest picnic food: Criminal Cafe & Bakery · 0.7 mi

Details

Park

Galvin Community Park

Santa Rosa· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationDogs OK

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.

Galvin Community Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: not confirmed
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Yes
Fee: Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Criminal Cafe & Bakery · 3.7 mi

Details

Park

Andy's Unity Park

Santa Rosa· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

A community-designed county park in Santa Rosa's Moorland neighborhood, opened in 2018 with barbecue grills, picnic tables and plenty of lawn. It's a free, practical family picnic spot close to Highway 101.

Andy's Unity Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: yes
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Yes
Fee: Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Oliver's Market · 2.9 mi

Details

All picnic spots in Santa Rosa & Bennett Valley →

Frequently asked questions

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

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

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

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

Yes, alcohol is allowed at Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Alcohol: Allowed. Sonoma County Code §20-13 bans drinking in a county park only where Regional Parks has ordered and posted a prohibition, and Taylor Mountain is not on the county's list of restricted parks. The county parks code has no glass-container ban; obey any posted signs. Other: fires only in portable barbecues or stoves in designated areas (§20-10), and charcoal/wood fires are banned on Red Flag Warning, high-wind and Spare the Air days; keep dogs leashed around grazing cattle.

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

No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. No reservable picnic areas; tables are first-come, first-served.

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

Parking $8 per vehicle (includes the solar EV charger at the Petaluma Hill Road entrance); free for Regional Parks members.

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

Leashed dogs (6-ft max) allowed; keep them close around grazing cattle.

Is Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve good for kids?

The accessible Red Tail Play Area at the Petaluma Hill Road entrance is designed for young children.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Park page listing Oct–Nov 2026 events). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve before you go. How we verify.

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