Match-making for new trails at Taylor Mountain
Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve is home to a mosaic of grassland, wetland, riparian, scrub and oak woodland plant communities. The park supports an abundance of wildlife species, and it links the stream corridors, parks and backyards of Santa Rosa to the Sonoma Mountains. It is also a hub for outdoor recreation in Sonoma County.
Providing a picturesque backdrop to Santa Rosa, Taylor Mountain offers ample public recreation on the urban edge. Over half the county's population lives within just 20 minutes of the park. Park visitors take in a sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Plain, while disc golf enthusiasts enjoy the 18-hole course. The park offers a vital reprieve from the urban landscape for families who live on nearby Santa Rosa Avenue.
Currently, the park offers 5 miles of trails, mostly old ranch roads that deliver access to this outstanding playground for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders alike.
The Park Master Plan calls for 18 miles of primarily multi-use trails. Upon completion of the new trails, 75% of the 1,100-acre park will be available for public access, with other land set aside to preserve sensitive habitats. The new Sky Lupine Trail was completed in 2022, and additional trail work will be underway by 2023.
California State Parks has awarded a grant of $1.8 million from its Recreational Trails Program to build new trails at Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. This grant requires a 12% match from Sonoma County Regional Parks, and the Parks Foundation has committed to raising $80,000 towards that match. Join us on this exciting opportunity!
For more information, please contact Parks Foundation Executive Director Melissa Kelley.
Providing a picturesque backdrop to Santa Rosa, Taylor Mountain offers ample public recreation on the urban edge. Over half the county's population lives within just 20 minutes of the park. Park visitors take in a sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Plain, while disc golf enthusiasts enjoy the 18-hole course. The park offers a vital reprieve from the urban landscape for families who live on nearby Santa Rosa Avenue.
Currently, the park offers 5 miles of trails, mostly old ranch roads that deliver access to this outstanding playground for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders alike.
The Park Master Plan calls for 18 miles of primarily multi-use trails. Upon completion of the new trails, 75% of the 1,100-acre park will be available for public access, with other land set aside to preserve sensitive habitats. The new Sky Lupine Trail was completed in 2022, and additional trail work will be underway by 2023.
California State Parks has awarded a grant of $1.8 million from its Recreational Trails Program to build new trails at Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. This grant requires a 12% match from Sonoma County Regional Parks, and the Parks Foundation has committed to raising $80,000 towards that match. Join us on this exciting opportunity!
For more information, please contact Parks Foundation Executive Director Melissa Kelley.
A Natural Play Area for the children of Sonoma County
In December 2020, Regional Parks dedicated the first phase of the Red Tail Play Area, an exciting new environmentally friendly and educational project at Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space. Taylor Mountain already benefits the community with five miles of multi-use trails and a disc golf course. Sonoma County Regional Parks' unique Natural Play Area features natural and environmentally friendly materials, landforms and vegetation to create a fun and educational play space for children of all ages.
The Red Tail Play Area provides a captivating play space that will draw children to Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, inducing them to play and improve their fitness while fostering a connection to the natural world. Studies have shown that interaction with the natural landscape is critical to the mental and physical health of children. Constructed of natural components such as plants, logs, water, sand, mud, boulders, hills and trees, Natural Play Areas are outdoor spaces designed to entice youth to experience nature.
To date, the Parks Foundation has secured more than $100,000 for this project from the Finley Foundation, PG&E, Sonoma County Vintner's Foundation, Recology, Bread for the Journey and generous individuals like you.
