During the 1950s and the 1960s, a footbridge crossed the river to a public beach on the south shore. A small excursion boat regularly cruised between the Rio Nido beach and Johnson's Beach in Guerneville. A snack bar was maintained on the beach. Canoe rentals were available through Bob "W.C. Bob" Trowbridge, who also served as a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy and the head of the Sonoma County and State Democratic Central Committee for 38 years. Loudspeakers were set up around the square and on the beach, playing music from KSRO in Santa Rosa. A few cabins were available for rent. On summer evenings Dick Crest (1930-2010), a teacher and band director at the College of San Mateo, led a small orchestra in free concerts in the town square and at dances. By 1974, the beach had been abandoned and overgrown with weeds. The pedestrian tunnel (under the county highway) leading to the path down to the river has survived, but the path itself is virtually impassable, but some people have passed it.