This is the time of year to give thanks – an occasion to voice the gratitude we feel daily, but often don't take the time to express. Here at Regional Parks, we are ever-thankful for our members and visitors, whose support makes our mission and vision possible. This month, we are also thankful for several special happenings: New parkland in the West County, rain – and the healing of Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, and our staff and visitors who continue to rise to the challenge during this pandemic. Read on for more!

It is an understatement to say this has been a rough couple of weeks, months, and year. With our community recovering from yet another catastrophic wildfire, under the shadow of a global pandemic, our thoughts go out to everyone affected. As firefighters work toward total containment of the Glass Fire, we want to update you on the impact to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve in the Sonoma Valley.

The northern coastal parks and beaches are calling you to visit. Hike along the beach, view wildlife (whales!), and even pitch a tent among the redwoods. Meander your way up the coast to discover new adventures.

Join Sonoma County Regional Parks for dozens of new hikes, classes, outings and special events! Find out what there is to do in the parks now through May by downloading the new Winter/Spring Outdoor Activities Guide or visiting our calendar of events. Enjoy time in the parks when they're less busy, yet still brimming with things to see and do. Enjoy mild weather while discovering a trail, learning a skill or making a difference by volunteering.

Winter in Sonoma County is all about crisp air, greening hillsides and rushing streams. Embrace the season by checking our winter activities calendar and joining us for nature hikes, Junior Ranger adventures, bird walks, volunteer projects, and other opportunities to enjoy this special time of year.

Thank you to all those who joined us in July for the first of our monthly preview days at the future Mark West Creek Regional Park & Preserve. We had a great time hosting nearly 200 visitors at this newly acquired site. If you're interested in exploring your next regional park, please join us for an upcoming preview day. This month's event is full, but spots are available for September, November and December.

Come explore the newly acquired Mark West Creek Regional Park & Preserve on July 13, the first of our monthly "park preview” days. You're invited to hike on 7 miles of trails and take in the views and landscapes that make this area so special. Preview days are planned for second Saturdays, so sign up now to discover your next regional park.

Big summer fun is underway at Spring Lake Regional Park, where the inflatable water park is open daily. Come for an afternoon or the whole summer with a season pass. Want to swim, not bounce? The Spring Lake lagoon is also open daily for swimming, with no charge for admission. Or, if boating is more your thing, cruise the lake with our summer paddleboard, kayak, canoe and paddle boat rentals.

Parks season is here, and our activities calendar is bursting with spring and summer outings. Yoga on the beach, forest walks, night hikes, a pride hike and potluck, cultural history walks, and a new nature journaling series are just some of the adventures we've got planned. 

Can you tell your hound's tongue from your baby blue eyes? We have a new digital field guide to help identify some of Sonoma County's more common wildflowers. Entries are organized by color, and each links to iNaturalist for more details about local sightings and habitat. Download it to your phone and have it handy on all your spring walks!

Please join us and our partners March 30 as we officially mark the opening of Tolay Lake Regional Park with a dedication and an afternoon of special activities. Enjoy an ecology hike along Tolay Creek, a wildflower walk across lush hillsides, cultural demonstrations, farm activities, bird watching, a catered picnic lunch and more. Explore your newest and largest regional park at this free, family friendly celebration.

After a first date at Taylor Mountain Regional Park, Jessica and Aaron decided to see all of Sonoma County's 50-plus regional parks together. A year later, they checked the last park off their list. Now they're married. For Valentine's Day, here's their story.

One of the best things about living in Sonoma County is the moderate weather. Even our rainiest weeks are punctuated by days of sunshine, which means hiking in Sonoma County can be a year-round pleasure. From Petaluma to Windsor and the Sonoma Valley to the Sonoma Coast, here are some of our favorite winter hikes.

Sonoma County voters on Nov. 6 will be asked to create a dedicated source of funding for their regional and city parks. If approved by two-thirds of voters, Measure M's 1/8-cent sales tax will help repair parks, reduce wildfire risks, protect waterways and wildlife, open public lands, extend trails, and improve access to parks. Learn more about park needs countywide and the citizen oversight for Measure M by reading the expenditure plan and fact sheet.

We're thrilled to announce that Tolay Lake Regional Park will be open every day beginning October 27. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved the park's master plan, an action that lets us open the 3,400-acre park daily without the need for visitor permits. With the opening comes new access to the southern half of the park via an extension of the West Ridge Trail, pictured above. But first, we're hosting the annual Tolay Fall Festival!

Want to see pure joy? Bring your dog to the Spring Lake Water Bark, the annual off-leash party at the park's swimming lagoon, and watch him splash, fetch, chase new friends, and practically wag his tail off. Dogs can swim and romp Sept. 8-9, Sept. 16, Sept. 22-23, and Sept. 29-30.  

Sonoma County voters this fall will have the opportunity to create a dedicated source of funding for their Regional and city parks. The Board of Supervisors agreed Aug. 7 to place a 1/8-cent sales tax for parks on the November ballot. If approved by voters countywide, the measure will help the county and cities maintain parks, reduce wildfire risks, protect waterways and wildlife, open long-awaited parks, expand trails, and offer programs. A key piece of the measure is an expenditure plan that details how the funding will support parks. 

July kicks off the swim season at Veterans Memorial Beach in Healdsburg. With lifeguards on duty daily and swim zones clearly marked, this family friendly beach is one of the safest places to enjoy the Russian River. The calm, deep swimming area is created by a seasonal dam, a feature that takes a fair amount of engineering and has been a summer tradition for decades. See how the dam goes up and some cool historical images in this short video.

Join us Saturday, June 2, to dedicate Andy's Unity Park and celebrate the community spirit that transformed a site of tragedy into a space to play, garden, gather, and remember. The afternoon's activities include prayer, reflection, music, art, food, dancers, drummers, games, crafts, yoga, skateboarding demonstrations, and booths hosted by local groups. Designed by residents, Andy's Unity Park is a testament to a neighborhood's vision and perseverance.

With Hood Mountain's Pythian Road entrance open for the first time since the wildfires, now's the time to visit. The post-fire landscape offers a unique look at both the ferocity of the flames and the resiliency of nature. At upper elevations, blackened trees stand like burnt matchsticks, but among the charred trunks are hints of regrowth. Our latest blog post tells you what to expect when hiking recently reopened trails. 

The Pythian Road entrance to Hood Mountain Regional Park is open! We've restored access to nearly all the trails closed after October's wildfire. These include trails leading from Pythian Road to the mountain's 2,700-foot summit and Gunsight Rock. The opening gives hikers their first opportunity to see how fire affected the southern half of the park - and how it's healing. 

Nature can be formidable and challenging, as last fall's wildfires reminded us. But is nature also a resource for health and healing? Intuitively, most of us know it is. Our latest blog post explores the science that shows why time outdoors is good for us, especially when recovering from trauma. And if you'd like to deepen your connection to nature, check out our new Nature Heals series of yoga, poetry, art, and mindfulness activities in the parks.

It's never been easier to "check out" your parks, thanks to our new partnership with the Sonoma County Library. Now available at all library branches are Regional Parks Discovery Packs, backpacks donated by REI and filled with a parking pass, parks map, nature guides and games, trail notes, Junior Ranger guides, and other park info. All you need to check out the packs - and the parks - are your library card and sense of adventure.

We're happy to announce Hood Mountain's Los Alamos Road entrance reopens Saturday, Jan. 20. October's wildfires mostly spared the north end of the 1,750-acre park, so we're able to restore access to beautiful settings like Santa Rosa Creek, Homestead Meadow, Hood Mountain Trail, and the McCormick addition in adjacent Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. 

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Northern California wildfires. The trauma we are all experiencing is palpable and profound, with some of the very spaces that we turn to for refuge, such as our parks, compromised and closed.  We want to update you on the current park conditions, the role Regional Parks played during this tragedy, and the status of Regional Parks programs and services.