Hi there,
What are some good walks in and around Sebastopol? Nature walks, if possible. A little off the beaten track. Thanks!
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Join Date: Jul 29, 2005
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Hi there,
What are some good walks in and around Sebastopol? Nature walks, if possible. A little off the beaten track. Thanks!
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My vote goes to visiting the Regional Parks in this area. Ragle has a variety of trails ranging from half mile on up to a couple of miles. Riverfront Park (off River Rd. towards Windsor) has a really nice trail surrounding a small reservoir near the Russian River, Laguna Park - park by the Chevron station on Hwy. 12 and go through the gate to access the park there...it has a trail that extends to Occidental Road.
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Ragle Park has a nice set of dirt trails that start going downhill next to the dog park. There are several ways to loop around, longer and shorter. The map provided by the park is pretty useless, but I'd just start walking. These trails become mostly inaccessible during the wet months. If you want a more detailed guide to this trail check out Hiker's Hip Pocket Guide to Sonoma County, 2nd ed, by Joshua Edelman.
If you are 60 or over a year pass to Ragle (and all the other county parks) is $39, otherwise $69. A great bargain if you go with any frequency, and you are supporting a wonderful community resource. More info at https://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/membership.htm
Another possibility is the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Start from the parking lot next to the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, or from the wooden archway entrance on Morris next to the Community Center parking lot. There's a bridge not far from the archway entrance that leads into the larger Laguna area. The bridge gets pulled up at the beginning of the rainy season, but there are still walks available year round. You may be able to access the area from the gas station on 12; I plan on checking that out this year after the bridge gets pulled.
Then there's the Joe Rodota trail that runs roughly parallel to Highway 12 between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa. This is paved but still nice, and stays open year round. It also is part of, or borders, the Laguna de Santa Rosa. It starts behind the bike shop. Turn right into the bike shop parking lot at Morris and Hwy 12.
I'm sure there are others but these are the three I know that are close to town. They all have their different charms. Happy exploring!
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Richard Nichols has written a wonderful little book, "Sebastopol Walks", which describes a lot of great walks in our area. You can get a copy at the Chamber of Commerce office and at City Hall.
Last edited by Barry; 09-25-2011 at 12:24 PM.
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Would that be the one mentioned in the first reply?
"Laguna Park - park by the Chevron station on Hwy. 12 and go through the gate to access the park there...it has a trail that extends to Occidental Road."
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