Lake Hennessey Beach

Located on the east side of St. Helena within Napa County, Lake Hennessey Beach has a small, rocky beach with very little sand.  Lake Hennessey is actually a reservoir formed by the Conn Creek Dam across Conn Creek.  This lake is the primary source of water in the region, but when the reservoir reaches its capacity, it outflows and reaches San Pablo Bay via the Napa River.  The beach is positioned on the shores of Lake Hennessey, which is surrounded by the Vaca Mountains and offers Instagram-worthy views.

Lake Hennessey Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms and a boat launch.

Lake Hennessey Beach offers several fun activities, including fishing, boating, picnicking, and hiking.  The water near the beach is shallow, which is ideal for kayaks and small boats.  If you like fishing, you may catch many fish, including rainbow trout, largemouth bass, black crappie, smallmouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. The beach is a perfect place to relax and unwind.  It is important to note that swimming and paddleboarding are not allowed on this beach.  Lake Hennessey Beach is an ideal spot for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience, as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.  Dogs are welcome on the beach if they are on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.

Lake Hennessey Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Lake Hennessey Beach is easy - the beach has a few street parking spots located at 930-700 Sage Canyon Road, which is easily accessible via State Highway 128 and provides easy access to the beach.

The lake got its name from Edwin R. Hennessey, a prominent member of the community who contributed to the development of the Conn Valley reservoir.

There are many attractions near Lake Hennessey Beach.  Moore Creek Park is spread over 1,600 acres and is home to rugged terrain including oak woodlands, Douglas Fir and Madrone forests, grasslands, and chaparral.  The park offers many amenities, including restrooms, hiking trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, and a parking lot.  Visitors may spot black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, gray foxes, and coyotes.  Napa Valley Museum is a small museum that focuses on preserving and showcasing the history, art, and culture of the Napa Valley region through interesting exhibits, artifacts, photographs, and related memorabilia.  In addition, it hosts many interesting educational programs throughout the year that attract visitors of all age groups.  Yountville Park is a family-friendly neighborhood park that offers many amenities, including a playground with swing sets, benches, restrooms, picnic areas, picnic tables, and trash cans.  Continuum Estate is a vineyard that offers amazing wine tasting experiences of world-renowned wines from the Napa Valley.  If you are looking for another attraction near Lake Hennessey Beach, Bothe-Napa Valley is a dog-friendly, easy hiking trail that meanders through oak woodland, coastal redwoods, Douglas fir, tanoak, and madrone and offers interesting insight into the native biodiversity.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants within a six-minute drive of Lake Hennessey Beach.  The Restaurant serves amazing pre-designed three- and four-course meal options.  Goose & Gander is an upscale restaurant that serves soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, chops, meat, seafood, and poultry dishes.  The Charter Oak Restaurant is another upscale restaurant that serves breads, salads, burgers, pasta, burgers, steaks, seafood, poultry dishes, and desserts.  Rutherford Grill serves amazing salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, barbecued ribs, steaks, pork meat, seafood, and poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Lake Hennessey Beach,Villa Corona serves Mexican food, including burritos, nachos, rancheros, quesadillas, chimichangas, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and fajitas.

 If you are looking for a hotel near Lake Hennessey Beach, there are many great options nearby.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, 5-Star Poetry Inn Napa Valley is 13 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, a spa, a fitness center, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 4-Star Harvest Inn, which is nestled on eight acres of vineyards and offers many amenities including two heated outdoor pools, two hot tubs, a fitness center, a spa, a golf club, and a restaurant.  Another moderately priced option is the 4-Star Southbridge Napa Valley, which offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, a spa, a lap pool, a steam room, a fitness center, and a restaurant.  A more reasonably priced option is the 3-Star Rancho Caymus Inn, which has many amenities, including an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a terrace with a stone fireplace.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Lake Hennessey Beach, the 3-Star Vineyard Country Inn has several amenities, including an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a sun deck, and complimentary breakfast.