Lake Sonoma Visitor's Center and Fish Hatchery

Here is an educational outing for you and your preschooler. Check out the Visitor’s Center and Fish Hatchery at Lake Sonoma. Your preschooler will learn all there is to know about how the hatchery works and will be delighted when he/she gets to feed the fish! In the Visitor’s Center you will get to see some examples of the different types of animals you can find in the area. Don’t forget to bring a lunch!

About the Hatchery

When the dam was built in Dry Creek valley in the late 1960’s there was concern about the impact of local fish and wildlife. The Don Clausen Fish Hatchery at Lake Sonoma plays an important role in protecting and enhancing fish populations that use the upper reached of Dry Creek for spawning. It spawns thousands and thousands of King and Silver Salmon and Steelhead Trout every year, helping to keep their populations increasing and thriving.

What to Expect

When you get there, your first stop should be the Lake Sonoma Visitor’s Center where your preschooler will get the chance to see specimens (taxidermy) of many of the birds and other animals of the area. Porcupine, quail, cougar, hawks, squirrel, just to name a few. Ask the forestry worker on duty for maps and information brochures if you are interested.

After you have seen all there is to see in the Visitor’s Center, go through the double doors in back and go across the bridge to the Hatchery. Inside, there is a huge area with displays and videos examples, and more telling all about the history of the Dry Creek Valley, the dam, and the hatchery. You will have to help your preschooler understand all that is being taught by reading and reinterpreting to their level.

After enjoying the inside, go out the back and down the path and you will get to feed the fish! Fish are there year round but the “big ones” are there in February. If you can pull your preschooler away from that and you brought a lunch, there are picnic tables near the Visitor’s Center where you can enjoy a bite to eat in the great outdoors.

Benefits to Preschoolers

Getting to feed the fish down in the “racing ponds” is definitely a highlight for any preschooler. Make sure you have quarters before you get down there – the food machine only takes quarters. If you forget, it’s quite a walk back to the Visitor’s Center to get change!

Learning about our environment and what can be done to protect it is important at any age. Letting them know the value of all creatures will not only benefit their future but everyone else’s as well.

Disadvantages to Preschoolers

First of all, call ahead and make sure they are open and you can feed the fish. There hours are a little sketchy. The biggest disadvantage to preschoolers, unless you are able to go with a group and get a guided tour, is that there is a lot of reading that you need to do to understand what is going on. There is a short video that is playing on a loop but it is above a preschooler’s comprehension. So definitely be ready to do some explaining. And, it can get hot there in the summer! Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Details

Lake Sonoma Visitor's Center and Fish Hatchery
3333 Skaggs Springs Rd
Geyserville, CA 95441
(707) 433-9483
Fax: (707) 431-0313

Call to confirm hours before you go!
Winter Hours: Mon, Thurs-Sun 9-4:30 Summer: Open Daily – call for hours.

Admission is Free.