Hearts Desire Beach — Attraction in Petaluma

I'd give it zero stars if I could. You pay $8 to get in but you don't know how busy it is until you get to the car Park, car park was full and the overfill carpark is about half a mile away. We parked on a bit of grass and there were no visible signs saying dont park on the grass. We stayed about an hour as it was full of people and nowhere to sit on the beach, there were also people blasting music so not very relaxing. When we returned to our car we found the sneeky park ranger had given us a $51 parking ticket. I'm sure they are makings lots of money out of this, if they were that bothered about people parking on a bit of grass they would put Ballards or signs up but no they let you park there and give out many many tickets per day. Will never go back here. Small cramped beach, too many people, not enough car spaces and sly park rangers making easy money. There are better...

Great place to bring toddlers. We took my son and his little brother for his 4th birthday and they loved it. The waves are gentle and the water is shallow. Toddlers can go pretty deep without fear of being swept away unlike most other beaches in northern CA. Don't bring your dog - they aren't allowed past the parking lot. The sand is a bit rocky and coarse, but you can still make castles. There are trails off to both sides that we didn't get to explore. There are grills, picnic tables, bathrooms, and showers to rinse off. There is ample parking and a second lot. Parking is self serve at a machine on the way in; card only. It cost $8. There was no service here at all. It was a short walk from parking to the beach. We'll...

Hearts Desire Beach is a neat little cove area with a sandy beach and picnic tables. There is a small trail adjacent to the beach that leads to a group picnic spot at a Vista point and other stops further up the trail. All points of interest are clearly marked with distances so you ilknow how far of a walk you are getting into. The trail itself is like something out of a movie. It is beautifully green and shaded and almost feels enchanted. I half expected a talking chipmunk to join us on our walk. The entrance fee to the park is self-pay and costs $8. The fee is well-worth the view and atmosphere of...