Things to Do in Forestville, California
In short
Forestville is the put-in town for the Russian River canoe day, about 80 minutes north of San Francisco on Highway 116. Paddle from Burke's in summer, swim at Steelhead Beach, and eat on Front Street or River Road. Guerneville is ten minutes west when you want Armstrong.
Written by the Casago Sonoma team — we manage 5 homes in Forestville and answer guest texts about the river seven days a week.
Last updated August 18, 2026 · Last checked on the ground August 18, 2026
Know before you go
- This is the launch town
- Burke's puts you on the water one mile north of Front Street. Guerneville is where the canoe day ends, ten minutes west. Stay here for the put-in, the beach, and a quieter night.
- Our houses are a drive from Front Street
- The five homes we manage sit on Ridge Retreat, Rio Vista, River Road, and Westside Road. None of them walk to the bakery. Read the listing if you need to be in town without a car.
- Grocery is a short drive
- Forestville has a gas station and a few shops, not a supermarket. Safeway in Guerneville is about ten minutes west. Sebastopol is about ten minutes south if that drive is clearer.
- The river is in charge
- Strap a life jacket on every kid before they step off the sand. Stay out when the current is high or brown after rain. This stretch is still moving water.
Things to Do in Forestville, California
Burke's Canoe Trips
This is the Forestville river day. You put in at 8600 River Road, drift ten miles through the redwoods, and get off in Guerneville. A canoe is $95. A solo kayak is $60. The shuttle brings you back. The 2026 season runs Memorial Weekend through mid-October. Call 707-887-1222 before you drive over.
8600 River Road, one mile north of Front Street.
Official siteSteelhead Beach Regional Park
This is the in-town swim and picnic, a half mile downriver from Burke's. You can launch a kayak year-round, and in summer they loan life vests on the beach. Arrive mid-morning on a summer weekend. The lot closes when it fills. Dogs stay leashed, even in the water.
9000 River Road, Forestville.
Official siteWest County Regional Trail
Five and a half paved miles link Forestville to Graton and Sebastopol on the old railroad bed. Start at the downtown trailhead and ride past farms and vineyards. This is the easy walk or bike when the river isn't in a swimming mood.
Trailhead on Highway 116 in downtown Forestville. Parking at the trailhead.
Official siteEat & drink
The Restaurant at Farmhouse Inn
This is the River Road dinner. Come for burrata and greens, a New York steak, or the roasted chicken with polenta. Lunch and dinner run Thursday through Monday. Book a table.
7871 River Road, Forestville.
Official siteCanneti Roadhouse Italiana
Tuscan cooking on Front Street. The pasta is extruded in the house. Come for pici with duck ragout, or ricotta ravioli, and sit on the patio if the weather holds. Closed Wednesday.
6675 Front Street, downtown Forestville.
Official siteGroceries & essentials
Safeway Guerneville
The nearest full supermarket is ten minutes west in Guerneville, at 16405 Highway 116. Pharmacy and deli are in the same building. Fill the fridge on the way in.
16405 Highway 116, Guerneville.
Official siteSutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital Emergency Department
Call 911 in an emergency. Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital at 30 Mark West Springs Road is about twenty minutes east on 116.
30 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. About 20 minutes from Forestville.
Official siteHeat and high water
Summer afternoons here run warmer than a Highway 1 morning. Bring a layer for the shade along the trail and something lighter for the beach after lunch.
Winter changes the plan. After a big storm, low roads can flood. Look at the river height the morning you drive up.
After the boats come off the water
Front Street is a few blocks, not a plaza. You get a bakery, an Italian room, and a trailhead. The river sits a mile north. That's the whole town, and it's enough for a Saturday if you came to paddle.
From our team
- They'll open a cooler if you leave it out — raccoons treat Westside decks like a buffet. Bring the food in at dusk. The payoff is a quiet porch and a dark sky.
- Nightingale Breads fires the oven Thursday through Sunday. Get the wood-fired sourdough on Front Street before you drive to the beach.
- Burke's fills on summer Saturdays. Call the day before if you want a canoe.
Forestville questions
What is there to do in Forestville?
Paddle from Burke's Canoe Trips in summer, swim at Steelhead Beach, and walk or bike the West County Regional Trail. Dinner is at Farmhouse Inn on River Road or Canneti on Front Street. Nightingale Breads is the Thursday-through-Sunday bakery stop.
How far is Forestville from San Francisco?
Forestville is about 80 minutes north of San Francisco. Take Highway 101 to Highway 116 west through Sebastopol, then stay on 116 into town. Guerneville is ten minutes farther west. Santa Rosa is about twenty minutes east.
What's the difference between Forestville and Guerneville?
Forestville is the put-in for the canoe day and a quieter night. Guerneville has Armstrong, Johnson's Beach, and a longer Main Street dinner list. Stay in Forestville if you want Burke's and Steelhead close. Drive west when you want the grove.
