Make Time for Tolay

Hike Tolay Lake Regional Park near Petaluma

10.17.2019

Hidden in the hills south of Petaluma, Tolay Lake Regional Park is 3,400 acres of wide-open space, with a network of hiking and biking trails, along with plenty of grazing cattle. In spring, wildflowers are lovely here. There's also picnic tables and farm animals like goats and chickens.

Thank the co-management efforts of Sonoma County and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria for preserving and protecting this land. The park is part of an important wildlife corridor.

There’s a 7-mile (round-trip) hike (West Ridge Trail) that’s worth the effort, but for those seeking a shorter hike to a vista, there’s also a good 5-mile (round-trip) hike or mountain bike ride connecting the Causeway Trail to East Ridge Trail. Keep an eye out for hawks and other birdlife.

The trail is mostly exposed, with a few cattle gates to pass through, and just a small section through oaks. It ascends to Three Bridges Vista Point, marked by not much more than a knoll, and nowhere else to go. You’re here for the view! Bring a blanket, or sit on your jacket and take in a beautiful panorama of the North Bay, Petaluma River, Mount Tam, and San Pablo Bay.

WILDFLOWER WALKS BONUS: Early wildflowers may already be popping at Tolay, but save the date and register for Tolay's free and guided Wildflower Walk (April 9, 2022) when the flowers should be abundant!

BONUS BEER: It’s been called the best little roadside beer bar around. Ernie’s Tin Bar (5100 Lakeville Hwy., Petaluma) is just a few minutes north of Tolay, and worth a stop for their excellent selection of craft beers at a reasonable price, and an unpretentious atmosphere. The rules of the bar: no cellphones. Get caught trying to sneak in a text, and you’re buying a round! Take a seat on their lively outdoor patio and listen to live music while shelling peanuts and drinking beers from the region. There’s food too.

Ernie's Tin Bar in Petaluma a roadside beer bar

Tolay Lake Regional Park is open 7 a.m. to sunset, 5869 Cannon Ln., Petaluma. The park is located off Lakeville Hwy., about 8 miles southeast of Petaluma. There is a $7 parking fee (waived for Sonoma County Regional Parks members). IMPORTANT: There is no water at Tolay, so be sure to bring plenty of your own water. Dog-friendly (dogs must be on a leash because of the cattle here).

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View

  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View

  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View

  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View

  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View

  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View