Sonoma County readies for Memorial Day

With temperatures nearing 80 this holiday weekend, carloads of beachgoers are expected at the Russian River and Sonoma Coast.|

Though it’s nearly a month before summer officially arrives, the three-day Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of beach runs and river trips in Sonoma County, and the promise of warmer temperatures has amped up anticipation.

“It should be a really good weekend,” said Jeff Gehring, owner and instructor at SUP Odyssey Forestville, which offers stand-up paddleboard instruction and rentals from Steelhead Beach Regional Park in Forestville. “Quite a few people come out on the river in general, and the water conditions are really good, thanks to all that rain we had, especially that last storm” in early April.

Pent-up enthusiasm for water fun is evident in reservations on the books for Burke’s Canoe Trips in Forestville, a family-owned campground and canoe and kayak rental business in operation for close to seven decades.

“It seems like people are really chomping at the bit to get out on the Russian River for some recreation after the long winter,” said co-owner Linda Burke. “People are just counting the days till Memorial Day weekend.”

The latest predictions from the National Weather Service call for a chance of light showers Thursday night and Friday morning, with high temperatures in the mid 60s. By Saturday afternoon, it’ll be 70, 78 on Sunday and near 80 Memorial Day, meteorologist Scott Rowe said.

Temperatures on the coast will rise slightly over the weekend, as well, Rowe said.

Coastal crowds are expected to be larger than usual, given the three-day weekend, Supervising Sonoma Coast State Beach Ranger Damien Jones said.

Campgrounds up and down the coast are almost sold out, and day-trippers will add to the numbers.

“The main thing when we get the major crowds is just the parking area and the congestion factor,” Jones said.

Salmon Creek Beach on the south end and Goat Rock Beach on the north typically fill up faster than other coastal beaches. Those willing to drive a little farther toward something in between those points - think Portuguese or Schoolhouse beaches - are likely to have an easier time parking and more room to roam, Jones said.

Bodega Bay’s only gas station, the 76 station on Highway 1, is out of commission until June 9, though fuel is available 11 miles north in Jenner and in Sebastopol, according to station clerk J.R. Armas.

At Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, earth movers were used Wednesday to shift the sand around and smooth out the riverfront beach.

Monte Rio Beach is ready to receive guests, having hosted a soft season opening last weekend, though the boat shack opens this weekend.

“We’re prepared for a crowd,” Monte Rio Recreation and Park District Administrator Sherry Pimsler said.

The river level is not as high as a year ago, after record rainfall, but “the water still does have some flow to it,” said Sonoma County Regional Park Ranger Scott Bolin, supervising ranger for the Russian River.

“Especially people coming from outside of the area, they might think, ‘Oh, it’s the lazy Russian River,’” he said. “But it’s not quite that. We’re kind of letting people know about that.”

After a recent dive to check out the shifting contours of the river bottom, the county parks River Patrol Unit will alert swimmers and other visitors to deeper spots in front of popular beaches, as well as loaning life jackets at Steelhead and Sunset beaches, and the Forestville River Access, also known as Mom’s Beach.

“You always want to be cautious during this early part of the season,” Bolin said. “The river can be deceptive.”

Summertime dams at three locations on the rivers aren’t due to be installed until June 15 and 16 at Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, June 18-21 at Vacation Beach west of Guerneville and July 1 at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.

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