Spring Lake Park — Attraction in Santa Rosa

This is a great public park! I've been using it for decades in all seasons. It connects to Howarth park so seamlessly they almost feel like one in the same to me.

I've posted pictures of the havoc caused by our areas recent flooding, but there park is normally free of any obstacles.

The park is very well kept and full of beautiful wooded areas as well as tree lined trails mixed in among the paved paths that loop the entire park and info connecting Howarth park as well.

There are ducks, geese, rabbits, deer and other wildlife throughout the park, including tons of birds. Over the years I've also seen squirrels, snakes, mink, raccoons and a mountain lion.

During Summer months; Memorial Day to Labor Day, the swimming lagoon next to the main lake is open for swimming, playing, picnicking, sunbathing, etc. There are several barbeques located at the parking lot end also.

They have lifeguards on duty around the parameters and swim testing for youngsters to pass in order to go into deeper water.

There are dressing rooms, showers, restrooms, rentals and a snack bar.

The rental shop has life vests, inner-tubes, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats.

The snack bar has food, drinks and soft serve ice cream.

There are tables and chairs to sit and enjoy a treat and lots of benches and picnic tables around the area as well. If course there is also the great lawn surrounding the entire lagoon too. Plenty of spots where you can grab some shade of you're not there to catch a tan.

During peak season they erect a floating playground on the water which the kids love!

There is a very large parking lot next to the lagoon. It's a short walk over to the lagoon, lawn and lake. A lot of folks bring their birthday parties and family gatherings here to celebrate.

If you prefer fishing or paddling, you'll want to walk across the sidewalk to the actual lake. There is no swimming or wading allowed in the main lake. The lake is stocked so you can fish year round, but no motors allowed.

The lake is surrounded by exercise stations where you can follow instructions and get a real work out as you walk along if you choose.

There is also camping on site, not a huge campground, but very nice and easy to access and only minutes from town yet in the woods!

On the Howarth park side of the park, there are seasonal pony rides, a small riding train, and a great playground for the kids. Also areas with cover for holding parties and showers, etc.

There is a second lake, Ralphine, on this side, where you can rent boats and stand up paddle boards. A second playground sets beside this lake with tennis courts and a ball field right below it. Lots more parking on this side as well and additional restrooms.

Above all of this is Annadel and lake Elsanjo. A wonderful hike and a beautiful marsh on the top of the mountain. Tons of hiking trails and wildlife viewing as well as endless photo ops.

There are many ways to access the property. The only one that charges is the entrance that leads down to the swimming lagoon, off of...

This expirience was not as good as it was advertised. The campsite itself was gorgeous. Eveeything was properly managed, etc. However, there were quite a few things that were off-putting about the campsite rules.

No swimming in the lake. -The lake itself, you may not swim in. There is a man made lagoon that you can swim in, however; if you are under the age of 18 you may not pass the buoy line, which stops at about 3 feet. If you are under the age of 18, you must take a swimming test, but your knees will most likely hit the ground, as you either have to freestyle or butterfly. No music, period. -It is an unspoken rule at the campsite not to play music, especially not on a speaker. The camp host called the park ranger to tell us to turn the music off because "people often come here to listen to the trees." Newsflash, trees dont make noise, the wind does. The Camp Host was incredibly rude to my family. -In the whole music debacle, our Camp Host was incredibly out of line and disrespectful. He came by making hand signs at us, so my best friend and I got up to ask what he needed, extremely politely (ex; "Excuse me, sir, how can I help you?/Excuse me, sir, i dont understand what you mean.") and he just walked away. It wasnt until my mother, the renter of the camp, called him over to ask what he meant. He continued on by whispering everything he had to say to make us turn down the music. We were informed Quiet Time was 10 PM. We were not informed, however, that we could not play music. My mother told him politely, "I'm sorry, but quiet time isnt until 10, so if i dont want to turn my music down, i dont have to." He later called the Park Ranger, who spoke to my mother and stepfather and said that he was incredibly sorry for the Camp Host, but we did need to turn the music off which we did.

Now, I was on a annual family camping trip, so my direct family was there as well as extended family. it was between 30 and 40 people. Our group was polite and respectfully quiet for a group of that size. The Camp Host once again sent the Ranger up to my grandparents site, in which we were just putting everything away as the youngest cousins made smores and told us to quiet down, as we were "too loud for the Camp Host." Mind you, the Camp Host is 4-6 sites away and I couldnt even hear my family after going one site away.

In summary, it is a beautiful campground and I highly recommend it for someone who has a very small and quiet family. Otherwise, dont...

Got there at 12:00 pm No One had stayed in the campground we reserved yet the two very unfriendly profiling rangers said we had to wait needlessly for two hours before we could set up camp so they could clean up even though know one had been camping there THEY DID NO CLEAN UP AT ALL IT WAS SPOTLESS SND WE PARKED IN A SPOT WHERE WE COULD SEE THE CAMPSITE NO ONE EVER CLEANED ANYTHING! AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WE NEEDED TO WAIT FOR TWO HOURS TO SET UP CAMP WE WERE PROFILED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST OR THEY WERE JUST NASTY ANGRY RANGERS MAD AT THE WORLD TYPE VERY UNFRIENDLY HE HAD DARK HAIR WITH GREY DIED STREAKS HE WAS NOT AS BAD AS THE FEMALE SHE WAS VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND HAD A NASTY ATTITUDE I WILL BE POSTING THERE NAMES SOON The pryor week the ranger was extremely friendly respectful and we were there at , 10:00 AM and she said we could go in and set up camp know one had used it just like today and if there policy is to make people wait 4 hours needlessly when there is absolutely no reason what a garbage campsite and unfriendly environment ! I WILL NOT BE CAMPING THERE IN THE FUTURE I WILL NEVER CAMP HERE AGAIN WITH THE ATTITUDE AND THE POLICY'S THEY HAVE THEY DO NOT ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE IN A FRIENDLY WAY AT ALL ! AND AT 4:00 am - 5:00 am still dark this ranger cruises around all the campsites with his lights on high beam waking everyone up in the camp grounds They could weight to do a check at day break or turn on fog lights instead of high beam lights or even regular low beam lights TURN THEM OFF YOU JERK AND USE FOG OR PARKING LIGHTS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF GODDAMN CONSIDERATION YOU'RE DAMN LIGHTS GO RIGHT THROUGH THE TENTS AND WAKE EVERYONE UP EVEN SCARING SOME PEOPLE WONDERING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON LIKE BEING SPOTLIGHTED BEFORE GETTING ATTACKED OR SOMETHING IN THE LATE HOURS OF THE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING NO NEED ! SO BE AWARE THE RANGERS BEFORE IT'S EVEN LIGHT OUT DRIVE AROUND THE WHOLE PARK LIKE COPS AND WAKE EVERYBODY UP IN THEIR TRUCK WITH THE LIGHTS ON DON'T EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP IN NOT AT...