Johnson's Beach — Attraction in Guerneville

I'm going to give you a few details to be aware of if you visit Johnson's Beach. I gave it a 5, but I am a Guerneville resident of 18 years and my opinion is jaded. I only say this so you can always trust my opinion. I am an EXPERT critic in food, wine, and Sonoma County. See if we don't agree. Guerneville is great esp when the weather is hot or there is a local event like a PARADE, CONCERT, FESTIVAL, HOLIDAY, COMEMORATIVE WEEKS and special EVENTS. I Also love our restaurants, specialty stores, flea market, thrift store; and Kings fishing and sporting goods, True value Hardware and every beach you can access, legal or otherwise (hint: 50 ft of the shoreline is a public easement from sunrise until dawn due to the fact it is classified as a CA nagavitable waterway. So don't let locals scare you of any beaches. Just beware of parking traps cuz you will get ticketed in such places as Sunset Beach, Streelhead Beach and Oddfellows Bridge. Know that Korbel security is stiffer than local Sheriff protocols. Expect CHP along the River Rd corridor from daylight till around midnight. The safest place to park and drink beer is Johnson's Beach. Don't bring your own or your dog. DO bring an extra 10 bucks for an umbrella rental or 40 bucks for a Canoe or kayak. Skip the hassle of preparing your own picnic with the enivitable sand in it and get a burger or a soft serve cone, ice cold drinks including a great selection of local microbrew draft beer. The beach is shallow with warm water for the kids to play in and fishing is available for dad and sunbathing for mom and we also love young people on the river and it's fairly cannabis friendly also with an excellent local dispensary on River Rd just past Rio Nido. SANDY Beach, aka Monte Rio Beach is Also a legal and large place to park for free and enjoy the beach. You may bring your own food ad drinks and your pets as this is a public beach not a private one. The water gers progressively more polluted as you move past the First Summer Crossing at Oddfellows, which is an excellent bass hole. No baits, barbs or treble hooks or taking salmon are allowed. Hatchery Steelhead with no adipose fin may be taken in season. Please see the warnings about eating bass from the river on the signs that are clearly posted at along all local beaches. Enjoy Guerneville when the temp in SR or any of the grape growing valleys are too hot. We run about 10 degrees cooler. Hope to...

I went there for the annual Blues Festival. I even volunteered to work part I'd the show. In return I get a free ticket, lunch, a short and have some fun. I was early getting there at 7 am. I had breakfast then went to check in. There was about 5 or 6 of us at the moment and the idiot they had running the check in booth was so full of him self because he got to tell a few people where to sign in the clipboard and had out shirts. One guy in front of me was looking at the couple of stacks of shirts and Rodney started screaming at him not to touch the shirts. That was his job to hand out shirts, Rodney walked over and handed him the exact same shirt he had just picked up. The guy and I started laughing. Two minutes later he's yelling at an 80 year old woman for stepping past an a frame sign before he called for the next person. She was so put off by his overbearing attitude she was trying g to get her friend to come and pick her up. She didn't want to be bullied by a loud mouth black guy that might hit her. She was almost in tears. It was already 80 degrees and expected to hit over 100 that day. I stayed. I never got a break, lunch, or my ticket for the rest of the day. Rodney was mad that I had taken a break after 5 hours in the direct Sun with zero shade. We didn't get any cold water nothing. I got a beer and was headed over to Rodney to tell him I was in need of some shade, food, water and a rest. He told me I wouldn't get to stay because I was drinking a beer. So. No pay, no water, no ticket, no lunch all after I worked 5 hours with no break. I told Rodney I wanted the number to the office to talk to someone that is in charge. He refused to give me the number. He said he was GOD. I just walked out and drove the 2 and a half hours home. I will never go back...

I had a terrible experience here. $10 for parking is fair enough for a private beach in a tourist town, but if you’re charging customers that much you should at least treat them with basic human dignity.

The man working at the burger shack the afternoon of Monday 6/30 gave perfectly kind and polite service to the people in front of and behind me. But he did not look me in the eye or utter a single word to me. I ordered politely, said please and thank you anyway because I was raised right. He did not respond or acknowledge me even when handing me my order. The only acknowledgement I received was an annoyed glare at the end because I apparently didn’t leave his sight fast enough.

The only obvious differences between myself and the other patrons who received decent service was that I am a woman with short hair and tan skin. I believe I was treated poorly due to homophobia and perhaps racism. But even if that wasn’t it, even if he was somehow offended by my mere presence, what kind of family establishment charges these prices and treats customers like dirt?! And then asks for a tip??? The experience was so awful and degrading that I spent the rest of my time on the beach crying.

The rest of the facilities were so rundown and expensive (bathroom floor covered in toilet paper and fluids) that I struggle to see how anyone can recommend this facility in good conscience.

Gay and queer people, go anywhere else. And if you’re not gay but you (gasp!) want a clean bathroom,...