After a cooler-than-normal June, the temperature leapt past the century mark on the first day of July, and Sonoma County families responded by heading to the latest Russian River beach to open—Veterans Memorial Beach in Healdsburg.
“Saturday was our opening day, our grand opening,” said Kaitlyn Chrisman, a Sonoma County Regional Parks lifeguard, from her perch overlooking the fresh green waters of the Russian River.
“I’d say we had about 1,400 people on shore, and about 800 people in the water,” said Chrisman. “I mean, it felt like I was working at an actual beach!”
The numbers dropped a bit on Sunday. Come Monday, things had slowed down even more. “Yesterday at this time, it was packed,” Chrisman said on Monday, anticipating another full beach on the 4th of July.
There was only one “rescue,” if that’s the word for it—someone was reported lost in the water who turned up later on shore. “All went well, very swimmingly,” Chrisman punned.
Veterans Memorial is a Sonoma County Regional Park. This is the first time since 2019 that a temporary dam was set up just downstream of the park boundary, due to reduced water flow during the latest drought.
There’s plenty of water this year, however. And the dam backs up the river for several hundred yards to form a wide pool broad enough for swimming or small-boat recreation. Hard to believe, but at one time not that long ago water-skiing tournaments were held on this beach, and a Water Festival Queen was crowned for the Independence Day holiday.
Swim zones are clearly marked, with lifeguards on duty daily, 11am-7pm, starting Friday, June 30, through Labor Day. Free loaner life vests are also available for use daily during the summer.
Today’s regional park amenities include picnic tables and restrooms, grassy areas and a short walk to Wicked Slush across Old Redwood Highway. Shoes are advised, as unleashed dogs, though unpermitted, are common. Park admission is $7, free with a Regional Parks annual membership.
River Tripping
River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe Trips, formerly WC Trowbridge, rents sit-on-top kayaks from the private beach on the north side of the bridge, and offers a five-mile float from Rio Lindo School upstream back to the bridge. When the moon is bright, an upstream-and-down paddle to Badger Park is offered.
“We’ve been open since Thursday, and probably had about 100 people a day,” said Maggie Trebilcock of the operation. She estimated they had over 600 people over the long weekend, between 85-105 a day.
More summer fun is available from Russian River Adventures, headquartered on the other side of Memorial Bridge at 20 Healdsburg Ave. They offer self-guided SOAR inflatable canoe trips from just below the Memorial Beach Dam to Riverfront Regional Park outside of Windsor, or all the way to Wohler Bridge.
“It’s been great. Coming out of the pandemic, and after three years of drought, I don’t think I ever remember seeing the river this high at this time of year,” said Larry Laba, company owner and designer of the SOAR canoes.
This year is Laba’s last in the business, and he’s scaling back to only 35 boats on the river a day, down from a more ambitious 75. “Every day has been sold out since Saturday,” he said. Both four-mile floats to Crow Bar off Westside Road, and a longer nine-mile float to Wohler Bridge are offered daily; the longer trip is dog-friendly.
At Del Rio Woods, a recent addition to the Regional Parks system on the far side of Fitch Mountain from the town of Healdsburg, a traditional temporary summer dam has not been in place for over a decade. So beach-goers can only enjoy sunbathing or a picnic on the rocky beach near the reduced summer flow. But that doesn’t mean Del Rio’s small parking lot wasn’t full to overflow.
Del Rio has a deep history of river recreation (see “Flashbacks” in this issue) and at one time boasted the Palomar dance club.
