A great green wall of oak forest, damp meadows, cool lakes, and broad grasslands, Annadel State Park flanks Santa Rosa’s eastern margin, its 5,000+ acres ribboned with over 40 miles of trail, welcoming to any who would approach it. A former ranch and quarry site, many of the old farming and mine roads are now byways, traveled by foot, hoof, and bike tread since Annadel’s establishment as a state park in 1971. It now boasts one of Northern California’s most undisturbed oak woodlands, with an assemblage of wildflowers in the spring that would make a rainbow blush. Couple that with abundant bird life, flowing streams, and the occasional mountain lion, and Annadel’s status as a jewel on the landscape is inarguable.
Beyond its natural resources, Annadel is rare for its proximity to a major urban area and its permitted access to all trail users. This combination has resulted in a unique quality of life for Santa Rosa residents, who are able to move from downtown environs directly into the near-wilderness of the Annadel front country nearly immediately. Additionally, this park successfully allows access for mountain bikers to nearly all trails, an increasing rarity for cyclists in a time when land managers are looking to distance themselves from the trail conflicts all too common on other public lands.
