When the weather is warm, the Russian River draws dawdlers of all kinds, including LGBTQ+ vacationers, longtime locals and Bay Area families. On summer weekends, thousands show up in Guerneville with kayaks, canoes, inner tubes — just about anything that will float, preferably with a cooler attached. Then they spend hours gliding downstream past scenery that might as well be a Northern California highlight reel: vineyards, redwood forests and eventually a beach scene full of driftwood and sea stacks. They know that time is of the essence. Many places on the river in and around Guerneville shut down November through early May because it gets cold and rainy and the river can run high and fast. But for now through early October, with little rain and seasonal dams controlling the water’s flow, this might be California’s laziest river.

Other recreation news:

• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.): ‘We’re bumping out here’: Russian River businesses report rise in summer visitors despite economic worries