9 Fun Swimming Pools in Sonoma County

When temperatures rise in Wine Country, there’s nothing better than a trip to the pool. If you’re looking for a relaxing escape from the hubbub of life — or a place to let the kids splash around for a few hours — you’ve got multiple options in Sonoma County to get your swim on.

From hotels and wineries with poolside tastings to ancient geothermal swimming areas and seasonal swimming lakes with inflatable bounce islands, each has a distinct personality. Here’s a list of great Sonoma County pools, each with something special to help you find the experience you’re looking for.

1. Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa

With its sleek mid-century modern architecture and Olympic-sized swimming pool — not to mention poolside dining and drinks on the patio — the Flamingo is a great swimming and sunning destination on a summer’s day. The on-site Montecito Health Club & Spa also offers a lap pool, plus a variety of massages and other restorative therapies.

For the ultimate in poolside lounging, hotel guests can reserve cabanas or daybeds (called “birdhouses” or “nests” in Flamingo-lingo), where they can order cocktails and snacks and indulge themselves in pure leisure.

2. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma

The water in the Olympic-sized outdoor pool at this luxurious resort comes directly from the natural hot springs below ground; for centuries, Native Americans considered these waters to be so curative that distant tribes would travel for days to bathe in them. The pool is naturally heated to 85 degrees year-round, and offers both lap and recreational swimming.

The pool is available to hotel guests free of charge, but non-guests are in luck, too: Day passes to this Sonoma hotel are available for a range of aquatic experiences, from simple access to the main pool to deluxe packages that include a private shaded poolside cabana, access to five thermal spa pools, and the Fairmont Bathing Ritual (an exfoliating shower, soothing aromatherapy steam room, halotherapy sauna, and cold showers).

3. Morton’s Warm Springs, Glen Ellen

Morton’s Warm Springs Resort, with 22 acres nestled into a bucolic setting of forested hills and a lively creek, is located in Sonoma Valley about four miles from Glen Ellen’s village center. The property’s geothermal mineral springs, once sacred to the local Wappo people, remain accessible today in three mineral spring pools; water averages between 82-84 degrees, and pool depth ranges from 4.5 to 9 feet.

The pool area is furnished with comfortable chaises, lifeguards are on duty, and you can safely store your possessions in shower room lockers. The season runs from early May through late September; reservations are required and available on a first-come, first-served basis. While there you can also enjoy Morton’s hiking and biking trails, the baseball field, beach volleyball courts, and other sports areas. There are also plenty of picnic and barbecue sites.

4. Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville

Film director Coppola wasn’t exaggerating when he described his Geyserville winery as a “wine wonderland.” With a design influenced by Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens amusement park — and awesome views guaranteed to take your breath away — the family-friendly winery is all about having fun. Aside from various wine-tasting venues, you’ll find two connected swimming pools (they total 3,600 square feet) bordered by European-style cabines with showers, a sunbathing terrace, a movie gallery, a performing arts pavilion, and a park with game tables and bocce courts. The pools and cabines are open from May through October, and four-person cabine packages are available. The winery offers two ADA-compliant cabines as well as an ADA-compliant pool lift.

5. R3 Hotel, Guerneville

Triple-R’s high-spirited, gay-friendly weekend pool parties — with drink specials, jello shots, and music — are wildly popular. This is definitely a party scene, so if you’re looking for a pool where you can finish that sci-fi novel and enjoy a peaceful nap in the sun … well, maybe this isn’t the place for you. But if you’re up for party-hearty fun, you’ll love this seasonal summertime scene. Entry is free (but bring your own towel).

6. Highlands Resort, Guerneville

Also in Guerneville but on the opposite end of the party spectrum is Highlands Resort. Here you’ll find a strict no-music policy at the pool (and elsewhere at the resort) and quiet hours from 10 p.m. until 9 a.m.  The large outdoor pool here is beautifully situated amid soaring redwoods and flower-filled gardens (in summer). It’s open May through October and heated to 80 degrees … but guests can technically use the pool other times of year for a cold plunge. Use of the pool is free if you’re staying at Highlands, and guests must be at least 18 years old.

7 & 8. Ridgway Swim Center and Finley Aquatic Center, Santa Rosa

These two swimming pools offer fun-in-the-water time for a small drop-in fee. Ridgway’s pool offers a twisting, 140-foot water slide and tumble buckets, making it a popular choice for families with kids. Finley Aquatic Center is fully ADA accessible (with a pool ramp and wheelchair lift) and consists of a large training pool and separate instructional pool; during the summer, there’s a concession stand offering food and beverages. At both pools, you’ll find lifeguards on duty and lockers for storing valuables.

9. Spring Lake Regional Park, Santa Rosa

This 320-acre gem of a park, surrounded by beautiful rising hills, is home to a lake, ponds, woodlands, grasslands, and spring-through-summer wildflowers. Among the many popular attractions here is the park’s three-acre, spring-fed swimming lagoon, which is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The lagoon has a nice beach and lifeguards on duty. This place is extremely family-friendly, and admission is free (but there is a $7 parking fee for non-members).

There is also an inflatable water park in the swimming lagoon. Designed for children 6 and older (adults, too), it features slides, bounce islands and bridges, a trampoline and more. Children must be 6 or older, 42 inches or taller, and know how to swim. Admission is $10 per person, per session, and there are two daily admission sessions: 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 2–5 p.m. Online reservations are recommended.

Traveling to Wine Country with kids? Find the perfect place to stay with Family-Friendly Hotels & Campgrounds in Sonoma County, then explore more things to do with our Definitive Guide to Family-Friendly Fun in Sonoma County.

Written by Sonoma Insider Suzie Rodriguez