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Parks
Petaluma has numerous parks offering a variety of recreational activities. Call 778-4380 for more information about what is available at each location or follow this link Park Info
Cavanagh Park is accessible from a staircase that leads from the Golden Eagle Center to docks along the east Petaluma River Bank. While exploring the park it is easy to image where hunters first camped on the river banks in the 1850s and to visualize the bustling river port, that exported flour, potatoes, lumber, shoes, and eggs in the years following those first camps. The Balshaw footbridge invites visitors to step across it and wander through the Golden Eagle Center (once a huge flour mill site).
Helen Putnam Park, 411 Chileno Valley Road, a Sonoma County Regional Park, has panoramic views, trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding and a gazebo, picnic area and children's playground at the trail head. The is a large pond for fishing. This 216-acre gem is open from sunrise to sunset year 'round. Dogs are allowed on a six-foot leash. Admission is $3 per vehicle.
Oak Hill Park at Howard Street is on of the neighborhood parks on the Tree Walking Tour and is the home of Petaluma's Cretan Labyrinth.
Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, 3325 Adobe road, features an adobe building that served from 1836 to 1846 as the center of Gen. Mariano Gualalupe Vallejo's 66,000-acre working ranch. Restored to an 1830-40s era atmosphere, with an educational interpretive display and an "exhibit room," the park hosts many special events throughout the year. Call 762-4871.
Shollenberger Park offers an opportunity to experience the wetlands with a 2 or 4-mile round-trip walk winding through wetlands along the Petaluma River. The park features a two-mile circular trail and a new one mile link to the Petaluma Marina through 80 acres of marshland. Free docent-guided tours begin in October and continue through June. Tours are offered on the second Saturday of each month starting at 9 a.m. from the information kiosk just beyond the parking lot. See a wide variety of birds and many species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Learn about animals, fish, plants, history, the geology of the area and enjoy the park at your own pace. The park is open from dawn to dusk. For information, call 769-0429.
Steamer Landing Park sits on the 33-plus-acre McNear Peninsula, and is bordered on one side by the Petaluma River. Visitors can walk the half-mile of trails, spot birds and other wildlife and see a historic livery stable that was moved to the park to become a Petaluma River Heritage Center.The Park is named for the ship "Steamer Petaluma." Remnants of that historic vessel are said to be visible in the channel bordering the park at low tide.
About 17 Petaluma parks have playground facilities including: Anna's Meadows Park (Henry Way at Wieling Way), Arroyo Park (Garfield Drive at Village East Drive), Bond Park on Banff Way, Del Oro Park (Casa Grande and Sartori Drive), Cherry Valley Park (Cherry Street), Kenilworth Park (Fairgrounds Drive at Payran Street),Lucchesi Park (320 No. McDowell Blvd.), McNear Park ('F' and 11th )streets, Walnut Park (Petaluma Boulevard South and 'D' Street), and Legghorns Park (Sonoma Mountain Parkway).
There are picnic areas at 15 city parks including: Kenilworth Park, Lucchesi Park, McNear Park Walnut Park
Sunset Park (Lakeville Highway and Jefferson St.)
Miwok Park at St. Francis Drive. The approximately seven-acre Legghorns Park, (Sonoma Mountain Parkway), one of Petaluma's newest, has a barbecue area and bocci ball area.
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