Photo: Colin Marquardt, Colin Marquardt · Public domain18% of Petaluma’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 22 miles of mapped trail cross Petaluma, 1.5 per square mile of land. 18% of Petaluma’s land is conserved, about 1,661 acres.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #88 of 847 in California. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Petaluma?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Petaluma have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Petaluma is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #88 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Shollenberger Park, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Helen Putnam Regional Park
Leghorn's Park
Oak Hill Park
All 33 parks & preserves
1,661 conserved acres
18% of Petaluma’s land. Who manages Petaluma’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 16 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 103 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shollenberger Park Local Park | Town or city | 452 | Open |
| Rooster Run Os Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Westridge Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Adobe Creek Os Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Crinella Park Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Rockridge Os Local Conservation Area | Private owners | 55 | Open |
| Petaluma Urban Separator Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Helen Putnam Regional Park Local Park | County | 45 | Open |
| Leghorns Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Petaluma Marsh Acquisition, Enhancement and Access Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 39 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
35 places to go in Petaluma
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
7 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
31 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
9 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Petaluma: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 57 | 61 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 75 | 65 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 5.8 | 5.9 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 6.2 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 6.2 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Petaluma →
Questions about parks and trails in Petaluma
Where can I hike in Petaluma?
The longest trail networks: Shollenberger Park, 2.2 miles; Lucchesi Park, 0.6 miles; Helen Putnam Regional Park, 0.4 miles; Leghorn's Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Petaluma is conserved land?
18% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Petaluma’s trails?
Shollenberger Park and Lucchesi Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Petaluma?
31 miles of bike routes are on the map: 18 of painted or protected lanes, 8.9 of off-road paths and 4.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Petaluma?
29,843 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Petaluma or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,293 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Petaluma have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #88 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Petaluma neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →