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Health & Fitness

LandPaths' Backyard Adventure - Riverfront Park

Backyard Adventures are a series of posts written by LandPaths to encourage Sonoma County residents to explore their own backyards. This adventure is about Riverfront Regional Park.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons here in Sonoma County. The cold dark veil of winter lifts -- and life seems to be blooming everywhere you look. This past Sunday, my wife and I packed the dog into the car and made the short trip down the street to Riverfront Regional Park for our own Backyard Adventure.

If you’ve never been there before, it’s a few miles south of Healdsburg and just a couple miles west of Windsor (directions). The park sits right on the edge of the Russian River and is made up of two lakes that were former gravel mines and a trail system that goes around them.

The drive out to the park was gorgeous, with the Russian River Valley vineyards all starting to leaf out, and poppies as well as other wildflowers growing along the side of the road. When we arrived, there was still a chill in the air from the spring fog that had blown in overnight, but it was already starting to clear up.

The redwood grove picnic area at the end of the parking lot grabbed our attention first. With its towering trees and clear understory, we were almost disappointed we hadn’t brought a snack to relax and enjoy under them.

Instead we set out along the fire-road trail behind a couple families, children on bikes and in strollers, all out for a Sunday stroll. It’s always great to see families outside doing activities together and these kids were already immersed in the experience picking up sticks, inspecting dried mud prints from the spring rains and just having an altogether great time.

Our boxer mix, though curious with the children, quickly pulled us around them as she attempted to sniff out every scent she could find. I have a real appreciation for the Sonoma County Regional Parks' willingness to allow dogs -- there aren’t many places that seem to anymore. For me there is something special about getting out and going for a hike with the dog, she is always so inquisitive as to what’s right around the corner and an inexhaustible ball of energy that makes you want to just keep going.

The fire-road trail at Riverfront meanders next to the first lake for a while, with a few paths down to spots with scenic benches, before it comes to a fork where if makes a large circumnavigation of the second lake. We had been out here a few weeks prior, and the water was so high we couldn’t make the whole loop but today was a little different. The spillway between the two lakes was only a trickle and we were able to easily cross. We continued down the path and into an amazing spring experience.

Being spring one of the first things I noticed was all the mustard and other wildflowers growing along the sides of the trail, quickly after that I noticed the butterflies feeding on the wildflowers. They seemed to be all over. Then the low hum of bees filled in. The whole area was teaming with life the way it only does during the spring.

We continued around the lake, popping down to take a peak at the Russian River a couple times, and then across a rocky dam that makes up the far end of the lake because the fire road was still flooded. At this point the scenery changes a bit. The mustard and berry bushes give way to redwoods and oak. Wild grape grows up some of the trees as well as a plethra of poison oak. This is also the side that opens to stunning views of St Helena and the whole Mayacama range that stands above Alexander Valley. 

We continued around the lake, ever in-tow of our dog, who was much more interested in the dirt and smells of previous hikers then the sweeping landscapes that captivated our senses. At one point, an osprey made its way out of the trees and circled the lake a few times possibly seeking lunch before it retreated back to where it came from. The bird life at the lakes was abundant with ducks, heron and cormorant all enjoying its waters.

Just before returning to the fork that would lead us back to our car, we came across a group of young fisherman waiting for a bass to bite their line. They hardly noticed us pass by as they cast and reeled in focused intently on their prize. It’s rewarding to see how many different kinds of outdoor adventures Riverfront Regional Park has to offer. From fishing, to easy hiking, biking, and horseback riding it’s a great way to get outside and enjoy spring without having to go very far.

So now it’s your turn to get outside and discover a backyard adventure. Go enjoy Riverfront Regional Park or send us your own Backyard Adventure.

Backyard Adventures are a series of posts written by LandPaths to encourage Sonoma County residents to explore their own backyards. For more information, a calendar of local events or to submit your Backyard Adventure please visit www.landpaths.org

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