New $5 Shuttle to Russian River Beaches Starts July 10
Visitors of two Russian River beaches will have more options to get there beginning Saturday, when a shuttle bus begins providing weekend service from Santa Rosa.
The Sonoma County Regional Parks River Shuttle will take passengers from Top Schopflin Fields to Steelhead Beach Regional Park and to Sunset Beach River Park in Forestville. The service will run weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with departures every 30 minutes in new 39-seat ADA-accessible, low-emission buses operated by C3 Transportation.
Russian River Shuttle / Summer 2021
Saturdays & Sundays, July 10, 2021 to Labor Day
10am to 6pm / Loops every 30 minutes
$5 Round Trip shuttle
More Info | Reserve Shuttle TicketsReservations are not required, but seats are first-come, first-served so we recommend buying tickets in advance and arriving at the shuttle stop earlier than the scheduled departure time.
Shuttle Stops
- Santa Rosa – Tom Schopflin Fields, 4351 Old Redwood Hwy – Park & Ride – Parking is Free
- Forestville – Steelhead Beach Regional Park – free inflation station for rafts and inner tubes
- Forestville – Sunset Beach River Park – Last shuttle leaves at 6pm
The last shuttle departs Steelhead Beach at 5:45 p.m. and Sunset Beach at 6 p.m. To make the final shuttle at Sunset, start your float from Steelhead Beach NO LATER THAN 1 p.m.
Conflicting Info Warning: Please note that their is conflicting information on the website about the shuttle. The Sonoma County Regional Parks website says the shuttle runs every 30 minutes through Labor Day. The booking page says the shuttles run every 20 minutes and you can actually book shuttles through the end of September 2021.
The Regional Parks River Shuttle is a low-cost transportation option for visitors to Steelhead and Sunset beaches on summer weekends. The shuttle lets visitors avoid full parking lots and the need to leave a car at each beach when floating the river.
An all-day round trip shuttle ticket costs $5 and county officials recommend buying them in advance. A free inflation station for rafts and inner tubes is available at Steelhead Beach, so visitors can carry uninflated items on the bus.
“This gives us an alternative to turning visitors away when parking lots fill,” said Bert Whitaker, Sonoma County Regional Parks director.
For more information on the Regional Parks River Shuttle and route maps, visit parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/russian-river-shuttle/.
Service for summer 2021 begins July 10 and ends on Labor Day.
The shuttles travel a loop from Tom Schopflin Fields, 4351 Old Redwood Hwy., in Santa Rosa to Steelhead Beach Regional Park and Sunset Beach River Park in Forestville.
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