Lake Ralphine, reservoir in Santa Rosa, California

Lake Ralphine is a reservoir in Howarth Memorial Park near Santa Rosa, California. The water is surrounded by gentle trails and framed by trees that provide shade and a natural setting.

The reservoir was created when Colonel Mark Lindsay McDonald built its dam in 1882. Santa Rosa took ownership in 1947 and transformed it into a public park, establishing it as a community gathering place.

The lake is named after the wife of Colonel Mark Lindsay McDonald, who built the dam in 1882. This personal connection ties the place to the community's local heritage and reminds visitors of the people who shaped it.

The lake is ringed by the Eagle Scout Trail and Old Fisherman's Trail, which link to the Howarth Park parking lot off Summerfield Road; horses and motorized vehicles are barred from both. In season, kayaks, paddle boats, canoes, rowboats and sailboats can be rented, and a launch ramp serves private boats.

The lake's earthen dam was built in 1882 by Colonel Mark Lindsay McDonald, who named the reservoir after his wife. The City of Santa Rosa bought the lake in 1947. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks it annually with catchable-size trout; bass, bluegill and catfish also live in the water.