Nature lovers and athletes alike take to the Laguna de Santa Rosa Regional Trail to get some exercise and explore Sonoma County's biggest freshwater wetland. It's home to many small critters and plants you won't find anywhere else in the area, including the California tiger salamander, which is named for its black body with spots of yellow or orange. You also might encounter Lobb's aquatic buttercup, which looks much like its land-based counterpart, but it floats in the water.

Enjoy the unique flora and fauna while you go for a stroll, run, or horseback ride on the Laguna de Santa Rosa Regional Trail. It measures almost two miles long and welcomes dogs, too, so long as they're leashed. One Yelp reviewer notes that the path is relatively flat, so although it didn't offer he and his companion much of challenge, it's an ideal place for leisurely walks. Drink in views of local vineyards and even Mount Saint Helena (from the Highway 12 entrance, heading north) while you enjoy the Laguna de Santa Rosa Regional Trail.

Laguna de Santa Rosa Regional Trail
6303 Highway 12
Santa Rosa, CA 95472
(707) 433-1625
parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Get_Outdoors/Parks/Laguna_de_Santa_Rosa_Trail.aspx
www.yelp.com/biz/laguna-de-santa-rosa-regional-trail-santa-rosa

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/natalie419