Johnson's Beach
Johnson's Beach is a pebble beach on the Russian River at the edge of downtown Guerneville, run as a summer beach since 1918 with canoe, kayak and tube rentals and a snack shack. Expect to share the water with paddlers and floaters from the rental stand. The beach operates daily from early June to early September, and the county posts weekly bacteria results and algae alerts, so check them first.
Photo: Lasthib · CC BY-SA 3.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 88/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 28°C, wind 15 km/h, UV 7. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Privately run beach at the end of Church Street in Guerneville; open weekends in mid-May, then daily from June 1 through September 7 (2026 season). No pets on the beach and no outside alcohol.
- Parking & transport
- $10 per car for day visitors; the lot is open 10am to 6pm.
- Water quality
- Sonoma County Environmental Health samples Russian River beaches, including Johnson's Beach, weekly for bacteria from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and posts blue-green algae status for the beach.
- Season
- Summer: beach services run from late spring to early September.
- Watch for
- Harmful algal blooms (cyanobacteria)
- Winter flooding on the Russian River
- Facilities
- Canoe, kayak, inner tube, chair and umbrella rentals · Snack shack (11am to 5pm) · Cabins, lodge and campground
Sources: johnsonsbeach.com, johnsonsbeach.com, johnsonsbeach.com, sonomacounty.ca.gov, sonomacounty.ca.gov, en.wikipedia.org
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Details
- Location
- Guerneville, CA, United States
- Type
- river
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Coordinates
- 38.5012, -122.9985