If you’ve visited Helen Putnam Regional Park recently, you may have noticed exciting improvements— an expanded and restored trail network, the popular new stairs, and enhancements around the pond that make the park more welcoming than ever.
Breaking News! An anonymous donor has pledged an additional $6,500 towards the connecting trail from Putnam Park to Scott Ranch. Your gift today for that new trail will be matched by both this new pledge and our original challenge grant from Ginnie and Peter Haas, Jr., tripling the value of your donation! Donate today and help us unlock $13,000 in matching funds!
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A beautiful bench site is available on the lower West Wind Trail at Putnam Park. For more info, contact Jodie Ellis at: [email protected]
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With your help, Sonoma County Regional Parks is planning the next round of improvements at Helen Putnam Regional Park:
Thanks to a generous $80,000 challenge grant from Ginnie and Peter Haas, Jr., Sonoma County Regional Parks will continue to make improvements to beloved Putnam Park in 2026 and 2027! Park visitors can expect enhanced trails, thinning of vegetation, flocks of sheep to graze the park, and projects for the Regional Parks Youth Crew.
Improved All-Weather Trails
Helen Putnam Regional Park is a treasured destination for more than 250,000 visitors each year, offering the physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors to people of all ages. With your support, it can continue to thrive for generations to come. Please make your gift today and double your impact!
Thanks to a generous $80,000 challenge grant from Ginnie and Peter Haas, Jr., Sonoma County Regional Parks will continue to make improvements to beloved Putnam Park in 2026 and 2027! Park visitors can expect enhanced trails, thinning of vegetation, flocks of sheep to graze the park, and projects for the Regional Parks Youth Crew.
Improved All-Weather Trails
- Building a small bridge and connector trail to Scott Ranch, which will expand the Putnam Park in the future
- Reinforcing storm-damaged sections to create safer, all-weather trails
- Adding a split-rail fence to protect the hillside around the Stairway to Helen.
- Annual sheep grazing on 30 acres to reduce fire fuels and encourage native plants and wildflowers
- Forestry Crew projects to thin vegetation and reduce fire risk.
- Paid Youth Crew assignments in trail maintenance and fire preparedness, giving young adults hands-on training and mentorship while they care for the park.
Helen Putnam Regional Park is a treasured destination for more than 250,000 visitors each year, offering the physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors to people of all ages. With your support, it can continue to thrive for generations to come. Please make your gift today and double your impact!
Earlier improvements
Thanks to funding from the Parks Foundation, Measure M-Parks for All Sales tax, and the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, two large water tanks for a rainwater catchment system are being installed at Helen Putnam Regional Park. This is the first of its kind at a Sonoma County Regional Park! These tanks will help the park adapt to drought and climate change by storing rainwater and reducing reliance on trucked-in water for operations.
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New trail markers and interpretive signage are part of the significant investments made to park infrastructure.
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The Panorama steps, affectionately known as “Stairway to Helen,” this 123-step staircase replaces the steep trail that had eroded to 80 feet wide in places. The steps provide an environmentally sensitive redesign that still allows hikers to challenge themselves with a steep climb.
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