Monte Rio Beach

This was an amazing year for Monte Rio Beach. Every weekend was packed and there was still always something to rent to get out on the water. Every visitor came with possitive energy and left the same way. Not 1 call had to be made to the sheriff this summer because everybody got along and followed the few rules the beach has. the boat rental shack had a record breaking year as well as the snack shack which in my opinion served the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life! If you dont believe me then head on down there before Oct. 5^th, and find out for yourself.

Dog friendly beach. Completely insanely crowded after 4 but show up between 2 and 4 to claim your prime beach spots. Bring chair, umbrella and plenty of sunscreen. It gets hot. The water flows down stream. Parts of the dog friendly beach has very shallow water, yet the water flows so it attracts lots of little fishes. Glistering lights make your heart skips a beat. You are surrounded by water, pebbles, redwood forest, and a green bridge not far away. It’s decidedly very Americana. As of late, I have been looking all over for places that represent the middle of America. Sceneries that you see only in movies.
I have been told this is a very working class beach. I think this is exactly what I had in mind. There is something quite idilic about the town this beach is located in, for all intents and purposes, this could be anywhere really, from Idaho to Texas, from Colorado to Wyoming, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Austin, Minnesota.
Ah. You are seeing a trend in my journey in discovery the newer things around the greater bay area. I’m fascinated, mainly due to my lack of knowledge or prior interest in the middle of America.
Monte Rio Beach felt very real. Like this would be something straight out of the midwest, I’m drawn to it because it’s both familiar and foreign. And the view was spectacular no matter how you look at it.
If you are lucky and can find a friendly Midwesterner boy among the crowd who was willing to take your dog for a little bit, you may want to walk over to the bridge, there is a nice watering hole, perfect for a nice summer dip in your two-​piece bikini.

Amazing spot for families and dogs! Highly recommend monte rio beach rentals. Not over crowded and wonderful atmosphere for fun in the sun. The wind on the way back kept us from meeting the time limit we desperately wanted to keep in the kayaks, but we were still only charged for the intended one hour. Outstanding customer service!

Can’t beat free parking! And the ladies at the float stand were awesome! Highly recommend and will be back :)

Really enjoyed a nice sunny Sunday on the beach. Parking is free and the staff at the rentals were very friendly. Didn’t kayak this time but look forward to trying it in the future. Dog friendly beach, I really appreciate that. Can’t wait to go back!

Great fun! The kayaking at this spot was super! Lots of scenery to enjoy along the river. We only went 30 minutes or so upstream of the launch spot, and stopped to have a relaxing swim in deep clear water. A family of Otters swam by, which was interesting to see! This spot is in Monte Rio which is near to where we were staying at Jenner. Staff was wonderful and gear was well kept. They were putting together new paddles for the hire kayaks when we were there so it was nice to have rental equipment in great shape. There is a snack concession stand on location too that we enjoyed after finishing our excursion. Highly recommended spot to do some river swimming or kayaking/​canoe.

We just happened upon this place and we are so glad we did it was perfect for our little family of 3. My son had a blast and he could actually go in the water with out me having to worry and it wasn’t freezing at the touch of your feet. We rented a kayak and a inner tube to cruise around the lake we were helped by Kevin, he was amazing and very helpful he made sure we had everything we needed and made sure it was exactly what we wanted to make our anniversary great Kevin is one of the reasons I would come back he made it feel like we were very welcome and that he really enjoyed his job! There needs to be more people like that in this world. So all in all I highly suggest going to the monte rio beach at the river if you have a family it’s perfect for the little ones that can’t swim yet!

Enjoyed a relaxing ‘river beach’ day again.
Great atmosphere, serene/​clean (please pack whatever you bring back out) beach & the right amount of water to worry less about your little & with a little effort, find a spot to submerge yourself.
We generally pack in food, but there is a close market & on site snack shack.
Bonus; rental stuff: kayaks, canoes, tubes, even umbrellas. (thanks Kevin, Riley & crew)
Also a large dedicated area for dogs lovers.
I’ll continue to drive a little farther west to enjoy this Northern California gem.

Great spot to rent canoes/​kayaks. We had a lot of fun cooling off on the river and exploring further down stream with our kayak. Ended up finding a nice hidden spot down stream where we could lay down our stuff in privacy. Only down side is the main part of the beach under the bridge was really crowded when we were there (Saturday in July)

Really nice folks here at the rental, and gave me a great deal. I’d really recommend this place for young kids!

Went kayaking with my fiancé last Monday, July, 13^th. Called in advance to make sure everything was going to be ok and it was perfect! Kevin was extremely nice and polite; he helped us into the water and we had a great day! I might recommend stretching before and after, because I was sore for a couple of days…
Thanks Monte Rio Beach and Kevin for making our day on the Russian River one to remember!!!

Great very secluded area to come BBQ, kayaking, fishing, or just lay by the water! There is a cute little bridge to walk across and the area is dog friendly! Came here after ziplining at Sonoma Canopy Tours because our tours guides recommended it as a cute romantic place. I love the feel you get being here, there is no service whatsoever so it gives you some time to put your electronic devices down for a second and enjoy the calm, peaceful little town. They have tiny little antique shops around the area and one or two cafes. I would definitely recommend coming here with a group for a BBQ.

Wonderful setting, great place to bring young ones to, I felt they were in safe waters and surroundings. Overall, it was a beautiful place to spend the afternoon. Everyone had a great time wading, swimming and just hanging out right at the river’s edge. With the Conor’s right at the edge of the water it made that part of our day very helpful.

I’ve gone to this spot since I was a kid. Now I have kids and bring them here. It is shallow enough for the kids but there is still deep spots. My daugther caughter her first fish here too :) great memories. It is a great place for canoe/​kayak launch however I recommend going upstream toward Guerneville on the canoe first and then let the river bring you back because you’re usually worn out on the way back. They also allow dogs.

This truly is a gorgeous and convenient spot to swim, albeit crowded at high times.
On the north side of the Monte Rio bridge you can find a parking lot which will lead you down a bit closer to the Russian River. You can rent kayaks and canoes and such for reasonable amounts ($ 40/​day or so). If you’re brave, you can walk right across the shallow part of the river and set up camp on another riverbank that is slightly less crowded.
The only downfalls are the high traffic, meaning many families will make a ‘day camp’ and bring their dogs (which are allowed here) and kids and more kids and more dogs… SO it can be a little challenging if you are looking for straight up relaxation. Good for recreation though. Also, a group of the local ‘river folk’ will generally gather at the back of the western bank and can be semi-​obnoxious at times, but are pretty much harmless.

Great place to rent a canoe from. Lot’s of parking, port-​o-​potties. dog friendly. easy access.

Not really much of a beach, when I think beach I think sand and there really isn’t much of that here at all just lot’s of rocks and mud but very pretty and relaxing nonetheless.
While we were staying in the area we came here each day in hopes to hire a Kayak but every time there was no one there to hire from despite it being within their ‘opening hours’ which was a real shame.
It is Dog friendly (on a leash) and they also have a Volleyball net. Water is so clear and safe to swim in. There is also a little hut where you can buy refreshments too but that was also closed while we were there too.
A really great place to come and relax, Sunbath, Boat up and down the River but the opening times for Kayak rentals /​Food stand need to either be updated or adhered to.
Due to everything being closed it’s only 3 star worthy unfortunately.

This is an AMAZING place to launch your kayak into the Russian River. I can’t think of a better place in the Russian River area actually… There is a boat ramp, but I suggest launching where you see all of the kayaks on the beach. Getting under the bridge is rather difficult.
Pop in and head towards Guerneville. Hopefully you will be treated to some of the things we were:
Being the only two people on the river in the area.
Total silence except for you and the sounds of nature after the first portion (the first little bit you can hear the highway).
Seeing two deer pop onto a beach, swim across the river and disappear into the woods.
A HUGE great heron patient enough to let us take tons of pictures, and play hide and seek with us in the water plants.
Great Egrets, Cormorants, and other awesome birds.
Beautiful forests.
Perfect weather.
An easy paddle in both directions except for a few spots where the wind picked up.

… is a lot of like johnson’s beach! in fact, their set up and prices (for kayak rentals, etc.) are exactly the same. BUT johnson’s beach’s proximity to downtown guerneville gives it an edge (if you can call it that!) a fun, low-​key alternative nonetheless!

We were camping nearby & my 3 year old wanted to swim so we came here. They are dog friendly (bonus), offer kayak & canoe rentals & do have portables for restrooms. The views are gorgeous. One can sit & watch a mama bird feed her young, children splashing each other in the river & kayaks float on by. It’s a relaxing & mellow place to spend the day.