A guided paddle tour
Paddle The Petaluma: Turn to The River
Explore the “saltwater highway” that supplied Gold Rush-era San Francisco, and beyond. Spend an enlightening 90 minutes on calm water. No experience needed.
Small groups. Big connections.
Beginner-friendly kayaks.
Easy downtown launch.
Gentle 90-minute paddle on calm water.
Explore Petaluma’s historic tidal river with an expert local guide.
$75/person • All gear included • 15 guests max
Post-paddle perks at select riverside businesses.
Show up curious. Leave connected.
What our guests say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Good prices, and the river tour was fun. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for fun activities in the area. The river is beautiful.” -A. Peterson
“The ‘Turn to the River’ tour was fun, educational, and inspiring. We had a great morning with Maggie.” - T. Irvin
“Very friendly and helpful staff. The river is quite calm, which made it easy to paddle without a ton of splashing. Lucky enough to see a heron and egret as well!” -R. Li
What you need to know
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![Four people in kayaks on a river seen from above. There are trees on the left side, and a street on pilings on the right. There is a bridge in the background with flags flying on it.]()
What are the details?
Duration ~2 hours (about 90 minutes on the water)
Price $75 per person, includes post-paddle perks at riverside businesses
Includes Kayak, paddle, life jacket, guided experience, and post-paddle perks
Location Central downtown Petaluma (easy walking distance to everything, even the SMART train downtown station)
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![Man on dock hands a paddle to a woman in a kayak, who is wearing a white beanie hat and smiling. Both people are wearing personal flotation devices and there is a wooden footbridge in the background.]()
Who is this for?
People who like doing things If you value meaningful outdoor activities, this tour’s for you.
Visitors Get the inside scoop! If you want to do more than just “look around”, we’re here to deliver.
Locals Gain insight and learn fun facts that even longtime locals don’t know
Couples, friends, and solo explorers Come as a group or make new friends while we paddle!
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![Four people in sit-on-top kayaks smile. In the background is a dock a Victorian home, as well as a low white building behind that]()
Is it easy to do?
Yes. We launch locally. The Floathouse is just steps from Petaluma’s shops, restaurants, and transit, making this outing an easy add-on to your day.
Yes. You need no paddling experience. This tour is beginner-friendly and fully supported. We use stable, sit-on-top kayaks and guide you every step of the way—from getting into the boat to taking your first paddle strokes.
Yes. Solo travelers are welcome. This is a small-group tour and we invite you to be yourself. Ask questions, connect with your guide and fellow paddlers, and enjoy a relaxed, unhurried pace.
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![A guide in a tandem sit-on-top kayak with a male person in stern gestures to point to a landmark out of the picture. She holds a notepad and speaks into a headset microphone. A wooden footbridge is in the background.]()
What makes it special?
We paddle from the river’s past into its living present. Thanks to fascinating landmarks and our city’s history of gathering at the waterfront, we can trace the river’s role through the centuries —from a Gold Rush-era saltwater highway to “Petaluma’s Longest Park.”
The we introduce the people shaping the future. Your guide shares today’s stories about the locals, nonprofits, and small businesses redefining Petaluma’s waterfront. You may well meet some of them as you paddle.
We give you insider perks: After your paddle, you’ll get access to exclusive discounts at select riverside spots you’ve just experienced from the water. Because we actually ARE part of the community. And now you are, too.
Why the Petaluma River?
A Sonoma County Signature Experience
Sonoma County Tourism has certified our paddle tour as a Sonoma County Signature Experience, one that deepens your relationship to our storied and vibrant region.
The Petaluma River isn’t just scenery—it’s the reason this town exists, and the reason San Francisco grew the way it did. On this guided kayak tour, you’ll paddle through the heart of Petaluma, discovering the stories, industries, and people that shaped—and are reshaping—this place today. Find out how Petaluma grew to boast more money in the bank per capita than any other place on earth, and also an astounding number of chickens!
This is more than a history tour. It’s a past–present–future experience of “Petaluma’s Longest Park.”
Watch this video to see why Turn to The River is a Sonoma County Signature Experience.
Get a Free Petaluma River Guide
When you book your seat on this tour, you’ll receive a free downloadable PDF, The Floathouse Guide to The Petaluma River.
We love sharing our work. When you book Turn to The River, we’ll share a downloadable PDF of some of our findings, giving you insights into local architecture, info on local businesses, fun facts about past and present efforts of members of our community around our “origin waterway”, as well as cool photos that will give you a new appreciation for this living link between Sonoma County and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Petaluma River is a 13-mile tidal waterway stretching from downtown Petaluma to San Pablo Bay. It has supported human life, commerce and recreation for thousands of years.
This photograph, by Edward S. Curtis, is of a Pomo tribe member fishing in a tule reed canoe in 1927. Coast Miwok on the Petaluma River used similar boats.
George P. McNear (1857-1947) was the only child of Petaluma pioneers John and Clarinda McNear to survive to adulthood. Here, he rows his single scull in 1910.
80 years after this photo was taken of G.P. McNear holding his single scull in front of his "boathouse" on the Petaluma River, the land was developed as McNear Landing residential neighborhood. (Photo, 1910)
Young waterskier on the Petaluma River (1950s)
Petaluma's first yacht club, a speedboat racing and waterskiing club, was formed in 1940, on the land of Petaluma's oldest family-owned business, Van Bebber Bros. Riverside boating organizations operating there today: North Bay Rowing Club, River Town Racers, SSU Crew and Hee Na'lu Outrigger Canoe Club.
A four-person kayak speeds past Foundry Wharf, skillfully paddled by members of the River Town Racers sprint kayak team , founded in Petaluma and flourishing and medaling nationally and internationally. (2021. Photo by Marcus Moore)
KaiWai Northbay members pose on The Floathouse dock after a demo day. KaiWai is one of three Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe clubs practicing on the Petaluma River year round. (2023)
Two scullers enjoy a morning row on the ever changing Petaluma River. 2014.
A member of the North Bay Rowing Club sculls at dawn on the Petaluma River. (2019)
Most transportation on the tidal Petaluma River was carried out by flat-bottomed, large-decked scow schooners like this one until the steam engine was developed and steamboats became more prevalent. (Photo 1906)
A pleasure boat in the turning basin in front of the Golden Eagle Milling Company (on land now occupied by River Plaza shopping center)
Pleasure boats began to replace working boats on the Petaluma River in the mid 1950s. Here, passengers crowd onto a little yacht in the Petaluma River Turning Basin.
A snowy egret on the former Petaluma public dock, now replaced by concrete docks.
Before it was developed as Foundry Wharf in 1979, this building at 1st and F Streets served the Kresky Manufacturing Company. Photo 1954.
Floathouse Petaluma guest pedal Hobie kayaks past Foundry Wharf, a mixed-use development created by real estate developer Walter Haake in 1987 on a site formerly occupied by the Kresky Manufacturing Company.
Before Adobe Road Winery was built in 2025, this site at C and 1st Street was occupied by the Bay Bridge Garage. (Photo 2006)
Adobe Road Winery mock-up. Expected completion 2026. On site of former Bay Bridge Garage at C and 1st Street in Petaluma, CA.
Boats in the Petaluma River turning basin, 1962. The D Street power poles are in the background.
The Floathouse's Stand up Paddle Board Yoga class in the turning basin, 2024.
Stand up Paddle Board Yoga in the Petaluma River Turning Basin. D Street bridge and power poles are in the background. (2025)
Dogs are welcome to join The Floathouse's Free Community Yoga on The Dock. (2026)
A "Downriver Run" to Sundrop Sauna at Lakeville Landing Marina takes Floathouse guests past a barge at Lind Marine's sand yard, opposite Schollenberger Park. (2026. Photo by Marina DeVol)
Bands on The Basin outdoor concert, a Covid-era fundraiser created by Scott Ferrera so the community could safely play and listen to music. A fundraiser for The Floathouse held on the Floathouse docks in the Petaluma River turning basin. (2022)
Families enjoy The Floathouse Petaluma's Hobie Fiesta, a four-person pedal raft with room for passengers and lots of fun, 2026.
A teen operates a pontoon boat on the Petaluma River, 1965.
Floathouse Summer Camper tries sculling, at Haystack Landing. Prior to the 2015 construction of the SMART RR bridge and new highway bridge. (2014)
Floathouse Full Moon Paddlers head toward SMART RR bridge, Haystack Landing. (2024)
A full moon paddle from The Floathouse Petaluma in downtown Petaluma, 2024. The SMART Railroad bridge and Highway 101 bridge are in the background.
The elusive green heron frequents the Petaluma River's turning basin.
Paddle Steamer "Steamer Gold" in Petaluma between 1890 and 1935
Paddle Steamer "Steamer Gold" in Petaluma between 1890 and 1935
Passengers aboard the Steamer Gold, Petaluma, CA. (1902)
Scows docked behind Vonsen warehouse, south of the D Street bridge. Grain came by rail and were shipped to San Francisco markets on the Petaluma River. (1911) Downtown River Apartments were built here in 2005.
Floathouse guests on a "Downriver Run" pedal kayak past River Apartments, whose roofs mimic those of the original warehouses that lined the river, including the famous Vonsen's warehouse. (2026, Photo by Marina DeVol)
A great egret fishes in the reeds upstream of the turning basin.
Petaluma Turning Basin prior to being enlarged by dredging in 1922 to allow for more and larger boats and barges to enter and exit Petaluma's bustling downtown port. (1920)
The Floathouse Petaluma's "Downriver Run" to the Lakeville Landing Marina in pedal kayaks take guests through vast wetlands, part of the San Pablo Baylands. (2026, Photo by Marina DeVol.)
Nighttime paddle at The Floathouse Petaluma (2025)
Kids will play on water, no matter what! Teens maneuver The Floathouse's Megalodon giant paddle board (2022)
Inaugural Bands on The Basin. Bands on The Basin began as a Covid-era fundraiser for The Floathouse and a way to safely enjoy music as a community. (2021)
Executive Director Greg Sabourin prepares for Bands on The Basin. (2025)
2014 photo of the future location of The Floathouse Petaluma: Petaluma River Turning Basin. Petaluma Small Craft Center, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit behind The Floathouse, was founded and began programming and fundraising in 2007.
Pilings for The Floathouse Petaluma are driven into the bedrock below the mud in the Petaluma River Turning Basin. (2022)
The Floathouse's temporary location along the western docks in downtown Petaluma, California (2024-2026). Photo by Scott Hess.
Dredge on the Petaluma River. The tidal nature of this waterway requires constant attention to silt buildup, so dredging is required maintenance. (1920s)
Dredge at dawn, Petaluma Turning Basin (2020)
Dredge in the Petaluma Turning Basin (2025)