Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosae.
The summer season in Sonoma County kicks off this month with the opening of Spring Lake Regional Park’s lifeguarded swimming lagoon, inflatable floating Water Park and standup paddle and boat rentals, as well as the return of free loaner life jackets at Russian River beaches.
The Spring Lake swimming lagoon, 393 Violetti Road in Santa Rosa, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with lifeguards on duty. Swimming and playing on the beach is free; free life vests are also available.
Water in the swimming lagoon is chlorinated, filtered and tested to ensure quality exceeds state standards, according to Sonoma County Regional Parks.
The Water Park features inflatable, floating play structures on a portion of the swimming lagoon. There are three two-hour sessions daily: 10:30 a.m.; 1 p.m.; and 3:30 p.m. Admission is $10 per person, per session. Children must be 6 or older, at least 42 inches tall and know how to swim. Tickets are limited; online reservations are recommended. Reserve at SoCoParks.org/Aquatics.
On Spring Lake, paddleboards and single and tandem kayaks can be rented by the hour ($14 to $18), starting at 10:30 a.m., with the last rental at 5 p.m. Online reservations are recommended. Reserve at SoCoParks.org/Aquatics. Like the swimming lagoon and Water Park, boat rentals are located at the bottom of the park’s Violetti Road entrance.
On the Russian River, swimmers and paddlers will find Regional Parks life jackets available for free use at Del Rio Woods, Forestville River Access, Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, and Steelhead and Sunset beaches. Visitors can borrow one for the day and put it back when they leave the beach.
The temporary dam at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach will be installed by early July, creating a swimming area along the park’s wide, sandy beach. Lifeguards are on duty Saturdays and Sundays through June, then daily once the dam is installed. Beach admission is free.
Summer parking fees range from $7 to $10. Regional Parks members park for free.
