Authentic river cruises and scenic tidal wetlands tours departing from the dock at Cuttings Wharf Public Boat Launch on the Napa River are available on a daily basis, year round by reservation.
A local insider guide to everything Napa – including Downtown Napa, the Napa Valley and the far reaches of Napa County.
Inside the Guide:
- Food & Wine
- Outdoors & Nature
- Local Experiences
- Where to Stay
- History & Fun Facts
- And more
Things To Do In Napa Blog Posts
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Wildlife & Bird Watching Tours
Enjoy one of the best bird watching experiences in Napa. Whether you’re an experienced birder or simply enjoy seeing wildlife, our guided tours explore the rich wetlands of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes. Napa River Cruises, Wetlands Tours and Birdwatching Black Necked Stilt These are one of the signature birds of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes and the San…
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Napa River Sunset Cruises
Just south of town, the Napa River winds through thousands of acres of protected tidal wetlands, where peaceful waterways, abundant birdlife, and spectacular sunsets create an unforgettable evening cruise on the water.
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Restaurants – Harvest Table
One of my favorite restaurants in the Napa Valley for fine dining at a reasonable price in a beautiful, relaxed and tranquil setting.
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Sightseeing – The Grape Crusher Statue
Towering above the southern end of Napa Valley, the Grape Crusher Monument is one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks—yet surprisingly, many visitors never make the short trip up the hill to see it. Perched high above The Meritage Resort and the Napa Valley Corporate Park, the monument offers sweeping views across vineyards, wetlands, and…
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Outdoors – Napa River Cruises & Wetlands Tours in Summer
Napa River Cruises & Wetlands Tours in Summer Did you know: “When its HOT in Napa it’s typically NOT down on the Napa River and out in the wetlands.” This is because of the proximity of the lower portion of the Napa River to San Pablo Bay where cool onshore breezes flow under the Golden…
Overview of Napa County
Looking at the map above you can see that Napa County basically starts as you leave Vallejo and head north on highway 29 passing through American Canyon, South Napa, Napa City, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena and Calistoga continuing up Mount Saint Helena to Lake County. The Napa Valley is simply defined by that section of land which is bordered by the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas to the west terminating in the quaint little town of Calistoga at the base of Mt Saint Helena.
Mt Saint Helena’s highest peak is 4,342 feet however it is not as clearly visible compared to the other San Francisco Bay Area peaks like Mt Diablo at 3,848′ and Mt Tamalpais at 2579′. So when there is a dusting of snow on Mt Diablo creating delight amongst Bay Area residents rest assured there is probably more snow up on Mt Saint Helena and a possibility even down at Angwin and maybe Mt Veeder (2,680′).
The Napa River is a prominent and essential part of the Napa Valley with it’s headwaters at Mt St Helena. The Napa River winds it’s way through the valley floor and into the Carquinez Strait at Vallejo where there is actually a “t-junction”.
As you exit the Napa River into the Carquinez Strait you will see the Carquinez Bridge and the C&H Sugar Refinery to your left. Further up from here are the historic towns of Crockett, Benecia, and Martinez with the waters leading you into Suisun Bay and the Sacramento River. I’m mentioning this because it has an additional impact on the salinity of the Napa River at certain times of the year which I will discuss later.
If you continue on to your right you will enter San Pablo Bay, pass under the the Richmond Bridge and eventually end up in San Francisco Bay. From there it’s under the Golden Gate Bridge, out into the Pacific Ocean and all of the way to Hawaii if you wish!
I’m not going to say that the Napa River empties into the Carquinez Strait because the Napa River is heavily affected by tides and twice a day the water actually pushes back up and well into the Napa River. The tidal influence can easily be seen as far up the river as “Downtown Napa’.
When we are out on the Napa River many people ask me if the water is salt, freshwater or brackish. I’ve taken my own water samples and tested them. The answer is brackish but the freshwater/salinity ratio is very dependent upon the time of the year, how much rain we had over winter, what part of the tide the sample was taken and at what depth.