Putah Creek

We randomly stumbled across this nature park when we were heading to the bay area & decided the trip wasnt worth the traffic. We exited towards Winters & just drove..we had both of our dogs with us so we wanted to pull over somewhere to let them out. This park had a lot of available parking but the bathrooms were gross and out of stock of everything. We walked our dogs down under the bridge and found a little spot for them to play in, in the creek, they LOVED IT! There was construction going on so we were limited to how far we could go but could see a secondary trail in the distance. We noticed a man with his dog off leash and ended up not staying long but i wouldnt mind coming back and exploring more.

The Putah Creek Nature Park consists of a pair of easy walking trails that start at the Winters pedestrian bridge (a converted railroad bridge) two blocks from downtown Winters. On the south bank, a mile and a quarter long seasonal walking path (mostly dirt, with some gravel) runs from the pedestrian bridge to just beyond the Interstate 505 bridge. On the north bank, situated above the creek, a paved walking path extends less than a mile to the eastern edge of the housing development off of Creekside Way. A few dirt paths also lead down from the paved trail to the creek.These are great suburban-adjacent trails for birdwatching, or just a leisurely stroll. We saw vultures, a blue heron, woodpeckers, and tons of little songbirds. And even in August, the creek had a good amount of water, and some interesting trees and vegetation are nearby. Free parking is available in downtown Winters. When we walked the trails mid-day during the week, we practically had them to ourselves.Note that the starting point for the unpaved southern trail is just a dirt stairway cut into the side of the floodplain, and may be problematic for older or disabled hikers. Hopefully that will be improved in the future, although some of the access points further down the trial looked easier to navigate. Also, both the creek and the southern trail itself could be better maintained in places -- there was some trash here and there, and the trail was a bit crowded by vegetation in spots.With well traveled roads close by, don't expect a "wilderness" experience. But for a nice change of pace just steps from downtown Winters, Putah Creek Nature Park is a nice way to spend an hour or two.

A calm and serene trail right next to downtown Winters. Definitely worth a stroll or a hike if you're in the area.

Five peacocks greeted us at the parking lot! So magical and beautiful! Short trail but well worth it with young kids as there's a playground and volleyball nets.