Napa and Sonoma encompass a vast and diverse landscape—from wave-swept beaches and rugged sea cliffs to vineyard-covered hills and valleys. To the west, Highway 1 winds up the rocky Pacific coast past a string of beaches and headlands protected under the umbrella of Sonoma Coast State Park, offering hiking trails across flower-strewn coastal bluffs and providing breathtaking panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. To the east lie Sonoma and Napa, where hiking and wine-tasting go together like a bold merlot and Brie. This landscape offers a surprising amount of variation: Perennial streams, coastal redwoods, and wildflower-covered hills abound. Several peaks are worth climbing—Mount St. Helena, Sonoma Mountain, Bald Mountain, and Sugarloaf Peak—although easier jaunts are also plentiful. An abundance of beautiful parks wait to be explored. Why not pack a picnic and hit the trails?
1 GILLIAM AND AUSTIN CREEKS LOOP
8 GOODSPEED/NATTKEMPER TRAIL TO GUNSIGHT ROCK
13 RITCHEY CANYON AND COYOTE PEAK
16 MARSH AND SOUTH PASTURE LOOP
Austin Creek State Recreation Area, Guerneville
Distance: 4.1 miles round-trip
Duration: 2.5 hours
Elevation Change: 900 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers
Season: Late fall, winter, and spring
Passes/Fees: $8 day-use per vehicle
Maps: A park map is available at www.parks.ca.gov.
Contact: Austin Creek Recreation Area, c/o Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, 17000 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, 707/869-9177 or 707/869-2015, www.parks.ca.gov
Leave the crowds at Armstrong Redwoods far behind you and head for sweet solitude on this loop hike in neighboring Austin Creek State Recreation Area.
In the summer, there’s nothing quite as appealing as a walk in the cool redwoods, and that’s when Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve is at its nicest. But the rest of the year, when the temperatures are cooler, leave the shady dampness of the redwoods behind and take a hike in Armstrong Redwoods’ less famous neighbor, Austin Creek Recreation Area.
The two adjacent parks offer polar-opposite scenery. Armstrong Redwoods is dark and shady with its canopy of tall trees, while Austin Creek Recreation Area is a mix of bald, grass-covered hills and steep stream canyons that plunge into graceful groves of bay laurel, maple, and oaks. You get a taste of it all on this 4.1-mile loop that starts at the Gilliam Creek Trailhead, 0.6 mile below Bullfrog Pond Campground.
First, two warnings: This trail is not recommended for a hot day in summer; save it for winter or spring, when the streams are running full and the sun is much gentler. Second, use extreme caution driving the last 2 miles to the trailhead. This narrow, winding road has barely enough room for two opposing cars to pass.
At the trailhead, set out on Gilliam Creek Trail, a narrow single-track (not Pool Ridge Trail, which also begins here). The magic starts right away: For the next hour or so, you do not see any signs of civilization except the trail you are walking on. The initial stretch passes through open grasslands dotted with occasional oak trees. Blotches of purple from blue-eyed grass and the school bus-yellow of goldfields highlight the grasses in spring. Serpentine outcrops are accented with California poppies and scarlet gilia.
After about 20 minutes of walking, you start to descend more steeply into the canyon of Schoolhouse Creek, a charming year-round stream bordered by big-leaf maple and California bay. You hear its murmuring music before you reach it and then walk beside it for almost 0.5 mile, crossing back and forth occasionally. This level streamside stretch seems picture-perfect for a movie set; it’s just right for lingering and taking photographs.
You may never want this beautiful trail stretch to end, but 2 miles from your start is a major stream crossing where Schoolhouse Creek and Gilliam Creek join together (this crossing can be dicey, sometimes even impassible, after big winter storms). Here, at a signed fork, leave your lovely single-track and cross the stream by rock hopping or wading—whichever is necessary.
On the far side, you join much wider Austin Creek Fire Road for a climb out of the canyon. As you ascend from 300 feet to 1,200 feet in elevation, notice how the vegetation changes—big-leaf maples are replaced with black oaks, blue oaks, and coast live oaks as you ascend the drier side of this canyon. You may notice erosion damage (dug-up soil) from wild pigs and see a large metal cage or two set up near the trail. (Wildlife managers are trying to remove the nonnative pigs from this park, but it’s a difficult undertaking.)
The sloping hills of Austin Creek State Recreation Area guarantee an aerobic workout.
Finally, your climb tops out; the wide fire road runs along the ridgetop, where you get the best views of the day. Follow it all the way to the paved campground road and then turn right and walk 0.6 mile downhill back to your car.
You can easily extend this hike at the major creek crossing at 2 miles. Instead of crossing, just continue straight on Gilliam Creek Trail, which heads westward for another 1.3 miles to Gilliam Creek Trail Camp. You can loop back from the Trail Camp by connecting to East Austin Creek Fire Road. You will rejoin the shorter loop in 3.5 miles, near the crossing of Gilliam Creek, for a 9.2-mile day.
From Santa Rosa, drive 4 miles north on U.S. 101 and exit at River Road. Drive west for 16 miles to Guerneville and then turn right (north) on Armstrong Woods Road. Drive 2.3 miles to the entrance kiosk for Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and then continue along the park road for 2.4 steep, narrow, and winding miles to the small parking area on the left for Gilliam Creek Trail, 0.6 mile before Bullfrog Pond Campground.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°55597’ W 123°01181’
Sonoma Coast State Park, between Bodega Bay and Jenner
Best: Wildflower Displays
Distance: 7 miles round-trip
Duration: 3.5 hours
Elevation Change: 1,000 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers
Season: April, May, and early June
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: A trail map ($1) is available at park headquarters at Salmon Creek, the Sonoma Coast Visitors Center in Jenner (707/865-9757), or at the kiosk at Wright’s Beach. It is also available as a free download at www.parks.ca.gov.
Contact: Sonoma Coast State Park, 3095 Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay, 707/875-3483 or 707/865-2391, www.parks.sonoma.net or www.parks.ca.gov
A relatively easy climb over wildflower-laden hills leads to sweeping views of the Russian River and Sonoma Coast.
If the wind is howling on the Sonoma Coast or the fog has smothered the beaches in a cool, white-gray blanket, you don’t have to pack up your car and head inland—a first-rate hike can be had on the Pomo Canyon Trail from Shell Beach.
Pomo Canyon Trail heads northeast from the coast, meanders over coastal grasslands covered with spring wildflowers, and then visits a secluded grove of second-growth redwoods in a wind-protected canyon. Although you can get great views of the ocean and the Russian River when the weather is clear, a hike to Pomo Canyon’s redwood grove in dense fog or light rain may be one of the most romantic walks you’ve ever taken.
Wildflower lovers take note: The coastal hills and grasslands along Pomo Canyon Trail are well known for erupting in blooms during late April, May, and early June. During the peak of the bloom, more than 100 different species may flower at one time. Although the grasslands don’t exhibit vast, showy carpets of individual species, the great diversity of blossoms draws flower worshippers every year.
Start your trip at the Shell Beach parking lot north of Bodega Bay. You have to walk across Highway 1 to access the Pomo Canyon Trailhead; do so with care. The trail begins on an old paved road that has eroded into part gravel, part pavement, and part grasses. It makes easy walking as you head uphill away from the coast. Although the noise of the highway stays with you for the first 0.5 mile, it soon disappears. Sadly, along with it go the expansive ocean views. While you still can, turn around occasionally to gaze at the wide blue Pacific.
At a junction at 0.7 mile, where the path reaches a grassy plateau punctuated by a few large rock formations, bear right, and then bear left shortly afterward. Leave the worn pavement behind and follow grassy double-track, which soon narrows to single-track. Bright blue and pale white Douglas iris dot the grasslands in early spring; blue gentian and tarweed follow later in summer.
The path rolls along the ridgetop, traveling generally downhill toward Willow Creek’s canyon. Heading north, you gain fine views of the Russian River’s graceful curves and Goat Rock Beach beyond. Watch for a short spur trail on the left, about 1 mile from the start, which leads to a grassy knoll topped with a picnic table. There you gain a wider view of the 110-mile-long river at its junction with the sea.
The trail continues past dense blackberry vines and coastal chaparral that is sometimes taller than you are. It crosses several seeps and springs that provide year-round water for the lichen-covered Douglas firs and Monterey pines, passes a signed turnoff for the Red Hill Trail (see Extend the Hike), and then enters the first grouping of redwoods at about 2 miles. These trees may surprise you: Their bark is not the usual reddish-brown color typical of redwoods. Instead, their trunks are completely covered with a gray-green lichen, making the trees appear almost ghostlike. You might expect a leprechaun to pop out of this mysterious forest at any moment.
Pomo Canyon Trail wanders along the edge of the grove and then opens out to more grasslands, with wide views of the deep green Willow Creek drainage and Russian River canyon. In another 0.5 mile, the trail enters a second stand of redwoods and begins a steep descent to the end. The narrow second- and third-growth trees have laid a soft carpet of needles under your feet. Ferns line the woodland floor.
The path ends anticlimactically at Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp (a walk-in/environmental camp, closed due to budget cuts), where you might choose a picnic table for a rest stop. Otherwise, just turn around and head back over the ridge. The beauty of this trail is worth seeing all over again.
Alternatively, hiking Pomo Canyon Trail also works well in reverse, starting from the Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp and hiking to Shell Beach and back. However, in the winter months, the road into the campground is gated. If you park at the gate and walk in to the campground and trailhead, it will add 0.5 mile each way to your hike.
Pomo Canyon Trail harbors dense redwood groves in addition to grasslands and wildflowers.
Make a semi-loop out of this trail by connecting to the Red Hill Trail at Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp and then following it for 1.25 miles until it reconnects with Pomo Canyon Trail. Finish out the trip by heading back to the Shell Beach parking lot on Pomo Canyon Trail. Red Hill Trail is more open and exposed than much of the Pomo Canyon Trail; it offers views up the Russian River Valley as far east as Geyser Peak. The summit of Red Hill can be climbed via a short spur trail; the top is marked by a circle of rocks on the ground.
From Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, drive north for 7 miles to the Shell Beach parking lot on the west side of the road. Park in the lot and then walk across Highway 1 to access the trail on its east side, signed as Dr. David Joseph Memorial Pomo Canyon Trail.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°41762’ W 123°10461’
Sonoma Coast State Park, between Bodega Bay and Jenner
Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 2 hours
Elevation Change: 500 feet
Effort: Easy/moderate
Users: Hikers
Season: Spring
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: A trail map is available for $1 at park headquarters at Salmon Creek, the Sonoma Coast Visitors Center in Jenner (707/865-9757), or at the kiosk at Wright’s Beach. It is also available as a free download at www.parks.ca.gov.
Contact: Sonoma Coast State Park, 3095 Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay, 707/875-3483 or 707/865-2391, www.parks.sonoma.net or www.parks.ca.gov
A gentle hike over coastal bluffs travels to a landlocked sea stack, Blind Beach, and Goat Rock.
Sonoma Coast State Park encompasses 13 miles of shoreline stretching from Bodega Bay to the Russian River. Located north of Marin County’s coastline and west of the Sonoma County towns of Petaluma and Santa Rosa, the Sonoma Coast is on the road to few other places. This is one of many factors that make the shoreline here so appealing.
The best way to get to know this coast is to take a walk on the Kortum Trail, which skirts grassland bluffs from Blind Beach to Wright’s Beach over a distance of 3.8 miles one-way. By starting in the middle of the trail at Shell Beach, you can follow the scenic northern length of trail for a 4.6-mile, out-and-back round-trip.
The path is named for environmentalist and veterinarian Bill Kortum, who volunteered for 30 years to protect this stretch of coast. Numerous issues threatened the region, including the planned building of a nuclear power plant at Bodega Bay and the closure of public access to the coast at Sea Ranch. Thanks to the efforts of Kortum and others like him, thousands of acres of Sonoma coastline have remained unspoiled and open for enjoyment.
Heading north from the Shell Beach parking lot, you immediately notice two parallel trails: The wider, more obvious path is routed slightly inland and runs a straighter course, while a narrower spur trail meanders along the jagged edge of the bluffs. Take your pick; the paths soon converge.
Kortum Trail leads across classic California coastal bluff terrain, with open grasslands intersected by brushy drainages and ravines. Views of offshore outcrops and spring wildflowers are a feast for the eyes. Douglas iris, lupine, and Indian paintbrush gild the grasslands April-June. To the south are Bodega Head and the northern tip of Point Reyes, visible on clear days. To the west, the shimmering Pacific extends as far as your gaze can follow.
Pleistocene-era sea stacks are left high and dry on the coastal bluffs along the Kortum Trail.
A highlight of the trip is a massive rock outcrop rising from the grasslands at 1.3 miles, which invites a climb to its summit. Coastal views are superb from the top of the lichen-covered, fern-dotted Pleistocene sea stack, which was buried undersea eons ago, before this marine terrace was uncovered. Beyond the rock, Kortum Trail leads away from the ocean, ascends a coastal hill (take the short spur to its summit for more views), and then drops back down the other side, exposing views of the wave-pounded tunnel at Arched Rock. The path ends about 100 feet from Blind Beach’s parking lot; follow the short trail from the lot down to the beach. From there, it’s a 0.5-mile stroll north to Goat Rock Beach. Goat Rock, a massive offshore outcrop, is connected to the mainland by a paved road.
Bird-watchers will not want to forget their binoculars on this hike. Raptors are commonly seen hunting in the grasslands; watch for harriers, red-shouldered hawks, black-shouldered kites, and even great horned owls. Don’t be surprised if you see a human bird soar overhead as well: The coastal skies are the playground of local hang gliders.
To extend your hike, follow the southern length of Kortum Trail from Shell Beach to Wright’s Beach, adding 3 miles to your round-trip. The trail drops steeply into Furlong Gulch at 0.5 mile out and then switchbacks uphill on wooden steps. Thereafter, the route curves inland, parallels Highway 1, and reaches popular Wright’s Beach in 1.5 miles.
For even more Pacific Ocean eye candy, drive north through Jenner for about 7 miles to the Vista Trail and Overlook on the west side of the highway. This short, wheelchair-accessible pathway doesn’t offer much in the way of hiking distance, but its coastal views more than compensate.
The seafaring hamlet of Jenner is a fine place to spend a few days. Book a cozy bed at Timber Cove Inn (21780 Highway 1, Jenner, 707/847-3231) or the Jenner Inn (10400 Highway 1, Jenner, 707/865-2377), then wander the local beaches. At the mouth of the Jenner River, follow steep paths downhill from Highway 1 to Jenner Beach. Scan the seas for gray whales or snap photos of postcard-perfect offshore sea stacks. Drive out to the headlands at Goat Rock Beach to watch the harbor seals’ antics, then stroll along the brayed tan sand.
From Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, drive north for 7 miles to the Shell Beach parking lot on the west side of the road. The trail begins on the northwest side of the parking lot (a separate trail section begins on the southwest side).
GPS Coordinates: N 38°41762’ W 123°10461’
Sonoma Coast State Park, between Bodega Bay and Jenner
Distance: 2 miles round-trip
Duration: 1 hour
Elevation Change: 400 feet
Effort: Easy
Users: Hikers
Season: Year-round
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: A trail map is available for $1 at park headquarters at Salmon Creek, the Sonoma Coast Visitors Center in Jenner (707/865-9757), or at the kiosk at Wright’s Beach. It is also available as a free download at www.parks.ca.gov.
Contact: Sonoma Coast State Park, 3095 Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay, 707/875-3483 or 707/865-2391, www.parks.sonoma.net or www.parks.ca.gov
Crashing surf, offshore outcrops, secluded coves, and a sheltered harbor are revealed from the tip-top of Bodega Head.
Say “Bodega Bay,” and most people’s thoughts turn to Alfred Hitchcock movies and birds gone crazy. Better they should think of hiking, wildflowers, whale-watching, and coastal vistas.
Bodega Head is the tip of the curving peninsula of land that juts out from the coast west of Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. The headlands of the Head extend toward the ocean and then curve back in toward the mainland, like the fingers of a hand bending inward. From a high point on Bodega Head, you can wave to a wide audience that includes the expansive Pacific, the sheltered harbor at Bodega Bay, the northern tip of Point Reyes, and the rolling hills and farms of western Sonoma. On a clear day, the view is unparalleled.
The clear day is the tricky part. Bodega Bay is almost as famous for its fog as it is for the Hitchcock thriller The Birds. When the fog finally clears from Bodega Bay, the coastal wind is often daunting. But there’s a way to beat the system: Plan your trip for autumn or winter and arrive in the morning, not in the afternoon. This gives you the best chance for a sunny, windless hike.
Start your trip at Bodega Head’s west parking lot (bear right at the fork as you drive in). The view from this lot is mesmerizing enough. The sea crashes against dark sandy beaches, rugged bluffs, and rock outcrops. Tenacious sea palms grip the offshore rocks, holding on for dear life as each passing breaker explodes into spray. The moment the wave dissipates, the plants spring back to an upright position, as if they were made of rubber.
Take the signed Bodega Head Trail from the right (north) side of the lot. It climbs uphill on grassy bluffs to the highest point on Bodega Head, where a 360-degree vista is yours to view. An optional left fork at the start of the trail leads a short distance to the sandstone bluffs’ eroded edges. These colorful miniature badlands look like something straight out of Death Valley.
Small pocket beaches can be found below the bluffs on Bodega Head.
Follow the main path uphill to a signed junction. Take the left trail for Horseshoe Cove Overlook; the right fork continues to Salmon Creek Beach and Bodega Dunes Campground. The overlook trail dead-ends at a high, rock-covered point, which looks down at rightfully named Horseshoe Cove and the University of California Marine Laboratory alongside it. To the east are the town of Bodega Bay and a cavalcade of RVs lined up along Doran Park, on the sand spit protecting Bodega Harbor. It’s fascinating to watch the fishing boats slowly putter through the harbor, squeeze through the narrow channel between Doran Park and Bodega Head, and then motor out to freedom in Bodega Bay.
When you’ve soaked in the view, retrace your steps to the parking lot. Follow the trail that begins on the other side of the parking lot, to the left of the restrooms. This footpath circles around the “closed fist” shape that is Bodega Head. It climbs initially to a memorial site for Bodega Bay’s commercial fishermen and then hugs the bluff edges as it curves around the Head’s south side. On windy days, hikers can take refuge in a stand of cypress trees.
At the southern tip of the Head, what looks like an island rises from the sea. This is Tomales Point, the northern tip of the Point Reyes peninsula. On the clearest days, tiny Bird Rock island is also visible, just off Tomales Point’s coast. Geographically speaking, Point Reyes is directly south of Bodega Head. The two peninsulas are separated by only five miles of sea, although Point Reyes’s peninsula is immense in comparison to tiny Bodega Head. If you have visited the tule elk preserve at the northern tip of Point Reyes or hiked the Tomales Point Trail, you were standing just opposite here looking north at Bodega Head.
As your trail turns away from the sea, you have a choice: Continue on a loop past the east parking lot and head back to your car, or simply turn around and retrace your steps. The latter option is more scenic, allowing you to enjoy Bodega Head’s crashing surf, offshore outcrops, and secluded coves all over again.
After visiting Horseshoe Cove Overlook, follow the fork in the trail that is signed for Salmon Creek Beach and Bodega Dunes Campground. After crossing the access road to the U.C. Marine Laboratory, drop down to the start of a loop trail that traverses the dunes of South Salmon Creek Beach. Take the right fork, Upper Dunes Trail, and head northward. Several cutoff trails allow you to turn left and join the Lower Dunes Trail at different points, so just hike as far as you wish and then return on Lower Dunes. You can add on up to 4 miles on the Dunes loop. The loop can also be accessed from West Side Trail off Westshore Road or from Bodega Dunes Campground.
No trip to Bodega Bay is complete without a seafood dinner—or lunch, if you prefer. Almost every restaurant in town serves Dungeness crab in season, and fish-and-chips and clam chowder the rest of the year, but a few crowd-pleasing mainstays are Spud Point Crab Company (1860 Westshore Rd., 707/875-9472, www.spudpointcrab.com), Fishetarian Fish Market (599 Hwy. 1 S., 707/875-9092, www.fishetarianfishmarket.com), and Fisherman’s Cove (1850 Bay Flat Rd., 707/377-4238, www.fishermanscovebodegabay.com).
From Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, turn west on Eastshore Road. (The turnoff is signed for Bodega Head.) Drive 0.5 mile, then turn right on Bay Flat Road, which becomes Westshore Road. Drive 3.5 miles to Bodega Head; take the right fork in the road and head to the west parking lot. The trailhead is on the right (north) side of the lot.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°30346’ W 123°06453’
Trione-Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa
Best: Bird-Watching
Distance: 5.3 miles round-trip
Duration: 3 hours
Elevation Change: 500 feet
Effort: Easy/moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists (all trails except Steve’s S and Rhyolite Trails)
Season: April and May
Passes/Fees: $7 day-use per vehicle
Maps: A park map is available at the ranger station or at www.parks.ca.gov.
Contact: Trione-Annadel State Park, 6201 Channel Dr., Santa Rosa, 707/539-3911, www.parks.sonoma.net or www.parks.ca.gov
A casual meander through Santa Rosa’s beloved state park is the ideal outing for wildflower admirers and hikers who like to fish.
Note: Most of Trione-Annadel State Park was burned by the wildfires that devastated Sonoma County in October 2017. Some trails are still closed as of early 2018; check the park’s Facebook page for updates before visiting.
Trione-Annadel is a horsy kind of place. If you count the horse trailers in the parking lot, the hoofprints all over the place, and the horse droppings along the trail, you might think more horses visit here than people.
Then again, Trione-Annadel is also a mountain biker’s kind of place. Almost all of its trails are open to bikes, and not just the usual wide fire roads. Mountain bikers and equestrians share the trails with great equanimity, and trail conflicts are rare to nonexistent.
Considering all this, it’s surprising that Trione-Annadel is also a hiker’s kind of place, but it is. The park’s 5,000 acres are filled with woodlands, meadows, seasonal creeks, wildflowers, and even a 26-acre lake, all of which are worth seeing on foot. One particularly pleasant trail, Steve’s S, is designated for hikers only. If you are a flower aficionado, don’t miss a visit to Trione-Annadel in April or May. Among many other species, lupine, poppies, mule’s ears, redwood orchids, sticky monkeyflower, checkerbloom, and scarlet fritillary make an appearance here.
There are also a lot of turkeys. On one trip, we got out of our car and heard a loud ruckus. Two dozen male turkeys, divided into two groups, were battling over a flock of hens alongside the parking lot. It was like West Side Story with feathers. Park biologists are considering relocating some of Trione-Annadel’s turkeys; there are simply too many of them in this relatively small area.
With dozens of trail junctions in this large park, a good map is essential. Pick one up at the ranger station when you drive in or download a map from the park website before you visit.
Start your hike at the Warren Richardson Trailhead at the end of Channel Drive. Take the hikers-only Warren Richardson Trail from the far end of the parking lot or the wide fire road from its center; both meet up in a few hundred feet. At that junction, head uphill on narrow Steve’s S Trail, leaving the road to the cyclists and horses. The trail makes a good climb over nearly a mile, with just enough of a pitch to get your heart rate up. It weaves through a dense and shady Douglas fir forest interspersed with occasional bay laurel and coast redwood trees. The woodland floor is lined with sword ferns. In early spring, look for rare redwood orchids among them.
If you are wondering what the “S” in Steve’s S Trail stands for, it’s a secret—literally. This was one of the “secret” trails built by Steve Hutchison, the grandson of the family who once owned this land.
After gaining a ridge, Steve’s S Trail meets back up with Warren Richardson Trail. Go right (south) and then in 0.4 mile, go right again on North Burma Trail. In 0.3 mile, turn left on Louis Trail and walk through an open meadow peppered with bright yellow mule’s ears, goldfields, and golden fairy lanterns in the spring. Bordering the meadow is a mixed variety of oaks—coast live, black, and Oregon—which attract a wide variety of birds, especially woodpeckers. Many birders come to Trione-Annadel specifically to spot the pileated woodpecker, a resident of this park. Continue on Louis Trail for 0.7 mile to the northern edge of Lake Ilsanjo. You head back into the forest again, but this time into an oak and madrone woodland. The black oaks turn bright colors in the fall.
Go left to circle the lake clockwise. You gain the best views of blue water, tules, and paddling waterbirds as you walk across Lake Ilsanjo’s earthen dam. The natural-looking reservoir is a refreshing contrast to the xeric chaparral surrounding it. The origin of the lake’s name, Ilsanjo, is a combination of Ilsa and Joe, the first names of the land’s former owners, who built the lake’s dam.
Ilsanjo’s tule-lined shores are popular with bikers, hikers, picnickers, swimmers, and anglers. More than a few visitors make this a combination hiking/fishing trip, stalking Ilsanjo’s shoreline to cast for large black bass and plentiful bluegill.
About two-thirds of the way around the lake is a left fork for Rough Go Trail. Follow it away from the lake for 0.5 mile and then bear right on Live Oak Trail. Continue north for almost a mile until you reconnect with North Burma Trail. Turn left on North Burma; it leads you in 0.7 mile to Channel Trail, where you turn right to finish your loop back at the parking lot.
To add on a few more miles to this hike, take Spring Creek Trail from the west end of Lake Ilsanjo’s dam. The trail follows Spring Creek for 1.7 miles to Rough Go Trail and eventually rejoins the loop described. This option adds just under 3 miles to your loop.
Or, if you’ve visited Lake Ilsanjo before, you might want to try one of Trione-Annadel’s other special trails. Bring your binoculars and bird identification book for a hike to Ledson Marsh, accessed via Warren Richardson Trail, Two Quarry Trail, and Marsh Trail (3.5 miles one-way). Make your trip early in the year, as Ledson Marsh often dries up by August. For a bit of history, don’t miss the 0.5-mile Rhyolite Trail spur off Marsh Trail, which leads to the site of the Gordenker Quarry.
the tule-lined shores of Lake Ilsanjo
From U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa, take the Fairgrounds/Highway 12 exit. Highway 12 becomes Farmers Lane. Turn right on Montgomery Drive, follow it for 2.7 miles (veering to the right), and then turn right on Channel Drive. Follow Channel Drive into the park, stop at the ranger station for information and maps, and then drive to the end of the road and park in the lot (it’s a total of 2.2 miles on Channel Drive).
GPS Coordinates: N 38°44837’ W 122°62623’
Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, Santa Rosa
Distance: 4 miles round-trip
Duration: 2 hours
Elevation Change: 1,000 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists (summer only), horseback riders (summer only), leashed dogs
Season: Year-round
Passes/Fees: $7 parking fee
Maps: A trail map is available at www.parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov.
Contact: Sonoma County Regional Parks, 2300 County Circle Dr., Ste. 120A, Santa Rosa, 707/565-2041, www.parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov. The park ranger can be reached at 707/539-8092.
Close to the urban edge of downtown Santa Rosa, this dog-friendly park offers an exercise hike with a rewarding view.
Sonoma County acquired new parkland in 2013, and Santa Rosa hikers have easy access to a summit climb that is perfect for an after-work hike or an early morning meander with the birds and the butterflies. An agricultural land trust transferred to the county 1,100 acres that now comprise Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, and what was previously off-limits private land is now a popular county park.
Taylor Mountain rises 1,400 feet above the surrounding landscape and boasts a wide variety of ecosystems: grasslands, oak woodlands, meadows filled with wildflowers, and seasonal streams. Surrounding the peak are miles and miles of suburbs, which makes this undeveloped land seem all the more special. Although the mountain’s slopes have been grazed for decades, and even today cows still stand around and chew their cud, some native grasses have survived the bovine onslaught. Early spring wildflowers, such as soap plant, star lilies, and brodiaea, can be spotted among the grasses.
The park has two trailheads and 5.5 miles of trails, but more are in the works. The park’s master plan calls for the eventual development of 17 miles of trails, hike-in campsites, and a visitors center. For now, start your exploration from the north entrance at the Kawana Terrace Trailhead and follow a semi-looping path to the mountain’s summit.
From the parking lot, take the wide, gated trail on the left (alongside the cattle corral and portable restroom). A small sign on the gate marks this path as Western Trail. The dirt road leads moderately uphill, passing two huge water tanks. The grade is steep enough to get your lungs huffing and puffing, but not so steep that you can’t hold a conversation. As you climb through the grasslands, you gain quickly expanding views of Bennett Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains. A few side trails branch off the main dirt road and then rejoin it later; these are gentler, more meandering paths created by maintenance personnel using grass mowers. Take any of these less-steep mowed paths or steer a straight course on the main dirt road; as long as you are heading uphill, you are going in the right direction.
At just over 1 mile you will reach a junction with the park’s Eastern Trail, and both trails join as one to the summit. Your vista keeps widening until you reach the wide and nearly flat top of Taylor Mountain, which is marked by two-foot-high, handmade rock walls that date back more than 150 years. Taylor Mountain is named for John Shackleford Taylor, an 1850s pioneer who had a ranch and a vineyard on this mountain.
On Taylor Mountain’s broad summit, you are treated to a big view of the Santa Rosa Plain and the perpetually growing city of Santa Rosa. On clear days, it’s easy to pick out the tall buildings of downtown. On severely clear days, which occur most often in winter, the Sonoma Coast and Pacific Ocean are obvious to the west.
Oaks cover the lower slopes of Taylor Mountain, but near the peak’s summit the views open wide.
For your trip back down, you can retrace your steps on Eastern and then Western Trail, or just stay on Eastern Trail all the way for a slightly different trip back. Eastern Trail curves around to the far side of the water tanks near the parking lot, then deposits you on the short park access road that leads back to your car.
You’ll notice that many hikers bring their dogs to Taylor Mountain. Since dog-friendly hiking trails are a rarity in Sonoma County, this new park is a huge boon for Fido and friends; just make sure you keep him or her on a leash. And bird-watchers, don’t forget your binoculars—more than 40 species have been spotted here.
Sonoma County acquired another new parkland in Healdsburg in 2013. A 1.1-mile loop at 155-acre Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve (www.sonomaopenspace.org) offers views of the Russian River, Fitch Mountain, and the Mayacamas Mountains. Eight different types of oak trees grace the preserve. To reach the reserve from U.S. 101, take the Dry Creek exit and head east. Turn left on Healdsburg Avenue, drive 1 mile, then turn right on Parkland Farms Boulevard. Drive 0.75 mile and turn right on Bridle Path. Park alongside the road; the trailhead is at the east end of Arabian Way.
From U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa, take the Yolanda Avenue/Hearn Avenue exit east and drive 0.7 mile on Yolanda Avenue to a T-junction with Petaluma Hill Road. Turn left, drive 0.2 mile, and then turn right on Kawana Springs Road. In about 150 yards, turn right on Franz Kafka Avenue, which becomes Kawana Terrace, and drive 0.8 mile to the trailhead. (Another trailhead is located at 3820 Petaluma Hill Road in Santa Rosa.)
GPS Coordinates: N 38°41540’ W 122°69283’
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Kenwood
Best: Peak Vistas
Distance: 6.8 miles round-trip
Duration: 4 hours
Elevation Change: 1,500 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists (fire roads only)
Season: Spring
Passes/Fees: $8 day-use per vehicle
Maps: A trail map is available at the entrance kiosk ($1) or at www.parks.ca.gov or www.sugarloafpark.org.
Contact: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, 2605 Adobe Canyon Rd., Kenwood, 707/833-5712, www.sugarloafpark.org or www.parks.ca.gov
A climb along serpentine-dotted slopes leads to the grass-covered summit of Bald Mountain, Sonoma County’s answer to Marin’s Mount Tamalpais.
Note: Most of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park was burned by the wildfires that devastated Sonoma County in October 2017. Some trails are still closed as of early 2018; check the park’s Facebook page for updates before visiting.
Although the grassy summit of Bald Mountain is the crowning glory of this loop trip in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, each leg of the route bestows its own rewards. Take the most direct path to the summit and then loop back downhill on a series of trails for a roundabout tour of the park’s varied terrain.
Start your trip on Lower Bald Mountain Trail from the parking lot just past the entrance kiosk. At its start, the well-graded path climbs a grassy slope. Deer frequently graze in the open meadow, which is covered with wildflowers in the spring, especially Douglas iris, California poppies, brodiaea, and blue-eyed grass.
Tunneling through a hardwood forest, the path meets up with Bald Mountain Trail, a paved service road. The pavement makes for less pleasant hiking, but this 1.4-mile stretch ascends quickly through slopes covered with ceanothus, manzanita, chemise, and toyon. The blooming, scented chaparral distracts you from the asphalt.
At 2.3 miles from the start, you reach the pavement’s end at a saddle and trail junction. The left fork leads to microwave tower-covered Red Mountain at 2,548 feet. Go right for Bald Mountain, now following a dirt fire road. The final 0.5 mile ascends grassy slopes with occasional outcrops of green serpentine. The dirt road curves around the north side of the peak to a junction with Gray Pine Trail. Take the short spur on the right to reach the 2,729-foot summit of Bald Mountain. It’s bald indeed; not a single tree obstructs the sweeping panoramic view.
Two signs at the top identify all the neighboring landmarks, including Mount St. Helena, Mount Diablo, Bodega Bay, Mount Wittenberg in Point Reyes, Snow Mountain, Mount Tamalpais, the Golden Gate Bridge towers, Angel Island, and the Bay Bridge. Most impressive is a rarely seen glimpse of the Sierra Nevada, 130 miles away. A quotation from author Robert Louis Stevenson sums up the scene: “There are days in a life when thus to climb out of the lowlands seems like scaling heaven.”
From Bald Mountain’s summit, take wide Gray Pine Trail east, descending along a ridge. In 0.8 mile, turn right on single-track Red Mountain Trail. The trail dips and climbs through chaparral for nearly a mile. Watch for the left turnoff for Headwaters Trail; take it and enjoy a nice downhill stretch along the headwaters of Sonoma Creek. After 0.5 mile, bear right on Vista Trail. The path skirts lovely meadows with fine views of the Sonoma Creek canyon and Sugarloaf Ridge and then ends at paved Bald Mountain Trail. Follow the pavement downhill for only 0.25 mile to the left turnoff for Lower Bald Mountain Trail. The final mile is an easy descent back to your car.
An alternative and slightly shorter route downhill from Bald Mountain’s summit stays on Gray Pine Trail for a rollicking descent along the ridgeline. Gray Pine Trail rolls along and then descends for 2.5 miles to Meadow Trail, where you turn right for a mile-long stretch along Sonoma Creek to the site of the park’s Robert Ferguson Observatory (707/833-6979, www.rfo.org), which is open to the public for stargazing on many weekends throughout the year. Beyond it lies the last 0.25 mile of Lower Bald Mountain Trail, which leads back to your car.
On your drive up to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, you’ll pass by Landmark Vineyards (101 Adobe Canyon Rd., Kenwood, 707/833-0053, www.landmarkwine.com) and La Rochelle Winery (233 Adobe Canyon Rd., Kenwood, 707/302-8000, www.lrwine.com). Both are worth visiting for aprés-hike wine tasting, especially if you’re a chardonnay or pinot noir fan. Landmark also has a bocce ball court and other lawn games and is surprisingly kid-friendly.
There are plenty of ups and downs on the trails of Sugarloaf Ridge.
From U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa, take the Fairgrounds/Highway 12 exit. Highway 12 becomes Farmers Lane as it heads through downtown Santa Rosa. Continue on Highway 12 for 11 miles to Adobe Canyon Road in Kenwood and turn left. (Or, from Highway 12 in Sonoma, drive 11 miles north to Adobe Canyon Road and then turn right.) Drive 3.5 miles to the park entrance kiosk. Park in the lot about 100 yards past the kiosk, on the left. Take the trail signed as Lower Bald Mountain Trail.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°43797’ W 122°51440’
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park, Kenwood
Best: Wildflower Displays
Distance: 7 miles round-trip
Duration: 4 hours
Elevation Change: 1,900 feet
Effort: Strenuous
Users: Hikers
Season: Spring
Passes/Fees: $8 day-use per vehicle
Maps: A trail map of Hood Mountain Regional Park is available at www.parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov.
Contact: Sonoma County Regional Parks, 2300 County Circle Dr., Ste. 120A, Santa Rosa, 707/565-2041, www.parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov. The park ranger can be reached at 707/539-8092.
A half-day hike leads to a precipitous perch with an unforgettable view of Sonoma, Napa, and Marin County landmarks.
Note: Hood Mountain Regional Park was affected by the wildfires that devastated Sonoma County in October 2017. Some trails are still closed as of early 2018; check the park’s website for updates before visiting.
Hood Mountain is a 2,730-foot peak in Sonoma County located just outside the border of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Despite its respectable size, Hood Mountain has one drawback—its summit view is a big disappointment. Manzanita and pine trees cover its wide, rounded top, so you can’t see a darn thing from up there.
Fortunately, Hood Mountain has Gunsight Rock, a distinct promontory located 0.25 mile and 300 feet below its summit. From lofty Gunsight Rock, just about everything in Sonoma County comes into view, as do the big mountains of Napa and Marin. Not only that, but Gunsight Rock’s boulder-lined outcrop is perched so dramatically on the steep slope of Hood Mountain that its precarious drop-off makes the vista even more impressive.
Getting to Gunsight Rock is as enjoyable as being there. The route to the rock on Goodspeed Trail is a study in diversity. It passes by redwoods, bay laurel, manzanita, oaks, grasslands, wildflowers, serpentine, and wildlife. You get a sampling of much of the North Bay’s natural history on the 7-mile round-trip. For the best experience, pick a clear, cool day, preferably in spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.
Goodspeed Trail’s trailhead and first 2 miles are located in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. The trail’s final 1.5 miles are located in Hood Mountain Regional Park, managed by Sonoma County.
From the trailhead at the bridge on Adobe Canyon Road, enter a shady redwood forest and take a mellow stroll through the big trees. Two footbridges carry you across Sonoma Creek and Bear Creek. The first 0.25 mile of redwood forest is so captivating that you may be tempted not to press onward, but do so to quickly exit the shady stream canyon and enter drier, rockier terrain. The trail begins its moderate but steady ascent on sunny slopes. Blue and white Douglas iris line the path in April.
At nearly 1 mile out, you cross a dirt road and then pick up the single-track trail on the far side. The trail drops down to a stream crossing that is dry in summer but has a wide, coursing flow in winter and spring. Huge boulders line the stream.
Goodspeed Trail climbs out of the canyon and then continues through an alternating progression of sunshine and shade, grasslands and forest. The exposed areas are dotted with serpentine and wildflowers, including red paintbrush, California poppies, brodiaea, blue-eyed grass, and red thistles. The forested slopes are covered by a mix of bay laurel, oak, manzanita, and pine, plus woodland flowers, such as hound’s tongue and shooting stars.
Goodspeed Trail begins in a streamside redwood grove, then opens up to grasscovered hillsides.
The trail gets progressively steeper as you go, and without any fanfare it suddenly changes its name to Nattkemper Trail. Two conical-shaped peaks come into view at 2 miles: One looks very green and grassy, and the other is covered with chaparral and woodland, but neither is Hood Mountain. Goodspeed/Nattkemper Trail ascends along the southwest shoulder of the unnamed grassy summit, elevation 2,350 feet, and then makes a series of short, steep switchbacks to rise above it. Look for plentiful poppies and lupine in these grasslands in springtime.
You have a brief respite at a small saddle, and then—surprise!—the trail drops downhill on the northeast side of the forested summit. Soon it soon climbs again, but fortunately this final ascent is shaded. You come out to a broad saddle between the two small summits and Hood Mountain itself. Very shortly thereafter is the left turnoff for Gunsight Rock, where you leave the main trail and walk 200 yards to your destination.
A cluster of boulders with a wide notch in the middle, aptly named Gunsight Rock presents sweeping views to the south, west, and north. Mount St. Helena in Napa, Mount Tamalpais in Marin, and the Golden Gate Bridge are easy landmarks. The whole of Sonoma Valley can be seen in one glance. The rapidly growing metropolis of Santa Rosa lies to the west. The drop-off is extreme from this rocky promontory, so exercise caution as you clamber around for the best view. Be on the lookout for peregrine falcons, which nest in these cliffs in spring and summer.
Should you choose to hike the final 0.25 mile to the summit of Hood Mountain, just follow the main trail uphill. Its grade steepens as it enters a dry, brittle forest of manzanita and knobcone pines. The summit consists of a wide dirt clearing, most likely a turnaround for fire engines, encircled by tall chaparral. A visit to this disappointing spot will probably inspire you to head back down to the drama of Gunsight Rock.
Hikers coming from the Santa Rosa area may prefer to access Gunsight Rock and Hood Mountain from the Sonoma County Parks trailhead at the end of Los Alamos Road, just southeast of Santa Rosa. Hood Mountain Trail, a wide fire road, leads to the summit, but most hikers opt to branch off on the narrower Summit Trail, which passes through a pygmy Sargent cypress forest. Leashed dogs are permitted if you start your hike at Los Alamos Road.
While in Kenwood, consider the “Mountaintop” wine-tasting excursion at Kunde Vineyards (9825 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, 707/833-5501, www.kunde.com), which begins with a private guided tour of its wine caves. Then a luxury van whisks you to the top of the Kunde property, where you’ll stand on a wine-tasting deck next to vines planted in 1882. Drink in the views of the Sonoma Valley from this high spot as you learn about five generations of Kunde wine-making history and taste special-edition wines. Kunde also has its own hiking program, including group excursions in which participants walk the 1,850-acre property and learn about sustainable wine making.
From U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa, take the Fairgrounds/Highway 12 exit. Highway 12 becomes Farmers Lane as it heads through downtown Santa Rosa. Continue on Highway 12 for 11 miles to Adobe Canyon Road in Kenwood and turn left. (Or, from Highway 12 in Sonoma, drive 11 miles north to Adobe Canyon Road and then turn right.) Drive 2.2 miles to the small parking area on the left at a bridge over Sonoma Creek (it’s 1.3 miles before the entrance kiosk for Sugarloaf Ridge State Park).
GPS Coordinates: N 38°44260’ W 122°53085’
Jack London State Historic Park, Glen Ellen
Distance: 4.2 miles round-trip
Duration: 2 hours
Elevation Change: 600 feet
Effort: Easy/moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists (fire roads only), dogs (on the short trails around Beauty Ranch and Wolf House only)
Season: Spring and fall
Passes/Fees: $10 entry per vehicle, $5 for walk-ins or bicycles
Maps: A park map is available at the visitors center or at www.jacklondonpark.com.
Hours: The park is open daily 9:30am-5pm except Christmas Day.
Contact: Jack London State Historic Park, 2400 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen, 707/938-5216, www.jacklondonpark.com
Tour novelist Jack London’s beloved ranch, vineyard, and swimming lake in the scenic Valley of the Moon.
Author Jack London wanted beauty, and so he “bought beauty, and was content with beauty for awhile.” Those were his words to describe his love affair with his Sonoma ranch and its surrounding hills, which are now part of Jack London State Historic Park.
London, famous for his novels The Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf, which made him one of the most popular and highest-paid fiction writers of the early 1900s, wanted to build his home in Glen Ellen to escape city life. After two years of construction, his ranch dream house caught fire and burned to the ground just days before he and his wife were to move in. It was a devastating loss, both personally and financially, for the Londons. The couple lived on the ranch in a small wood-frame house until Jack London’s death in 1916.
London’s vision of beauty is the setting for this easy loop hike that begins at the ranch vineyards and then leads through a scenic woodland to a small lake and high vistas.
Take the paved trail from the parking lot to the picnic area and then pick up the dirt fire road signed as Lake Trail. Head right, past the barns and winery buildings. Turn right at the sign for Pig Palace, the extravagant pigsty enjoyed by London’s beloved pigs. Check out this elaborate stone structure and then return to the Lake Trail. Skirting past carefully tended vineyards, the road forks at a gate; hikers take the right turnoff on single-track Lake Trail. Climb for 0.5 mile through mixed hardwoods and Douglas firs to the edge of Bathhouse Lake. (Several paths join with Lake Trail; all lead to the lake.)
London’s prized lake is more of a pond nowadays. With sediment continually encroaching upon it, it has shrunk to half its original size. A redwood log cabin that was used as a bathhouse still stands. The Londons swam, fished, and entertained guests at the lake.
Beyond the lake lie the park’s “real” hiking trails, which consist of two separate loops. From the ranch road on the southeast edge of the lake, take single-track Quarry Trail east. A 0.25-mile walk leads you to a bench and a vista point that overlooks the bucolic Valley of the Moon and green ridges behind it. Enjoy this spot, then continue on Quarry Trail, turn left, and loop back on Vineyard Trail and Vineyard Road.
Back near the lake again, follow the wide ranch road uphill through a few switchbacks. (The road is now called Mountain Trail.) At a large clearing and second vista point, you gain another wide view of Sonoma Valley. This is also the intersection with Fallen Bridge Trail, where you head south to make a 1.3-mile loop. Take the left fork first, crunching through the leaves lining the path. The route tunnels through madrones and oaks and then meets up with Asbury Creek and parallels it. Bear right to loop back on Upper Fallen Bridge Trail, now climbing steeply through the redwood-lined creek canyon. At a junction with Mountain Trail, turn right, follow the dirt road back to the clearing, and then continue downhill through the switchbacks to the lake.
If you’re feeling more ambitious, the Sonoma Ridge Trail allows for an 11-mile round-trip hike to a ridgetop overlook just below the summit of 2,463-foot Sonoma Mountain (the summit itself is on private property). To access the trail, instead of following the meandering route around the ranch property described in this listing, head straight uphill on Lake Trail and Mountain Trail. Watch for Sonoma Ridge Trail, a hard left turn off Mountain Trail, 2.2 miles from the parking lot. The single-track path climbs moderately but steadily for 3.3 miles through a lovely mixed forest until it finally tops out at a wide overlook of the Valley of the Moon, Napa River, San Pablo Bay, and far-off Mount Diablo.
Alternatively, if you prefer a shorter, steeper path to the high ridge of Sonoma Mountain, simply stay on Mountain Trail, a wide fire road, and follow it all the way to the park border (a 6.6-mile round-trip). A short spur trail at its end leads to an overlook on an eastern ridge of Sonoma Mountain, about 100 feet lower than the summit. This vantage point provides broad views of Mount St. Helena, San Pablo Bay, and Mount Tamalpais.
Be sure to begin or end your trip with a visit to the Jack London House of Happy Walls Museum (2400 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen, 707/938-5216, 10am-5am daily, free), which features interesting displays and photographs from the author’s life, including a set of first-edition London books and souvenirs from London’s travels around the world. London’s wife, Charmian, lived in this beautiful stone building for 20 years after Jack London’s death. On weekends, volunteers from a local piano club often tickle the ivories on her 1901 Steinway piano.
Crumbling buildings and thriving grapevines can be seen near Jack London’s home.
And if you plan far enough in advance, you can time your visit to Jack London State Historic Park to take advantage of its June-September outdoor theater performances, Broadway Under the Stars. The events include pre-show picnicking, food trucks, and local Sonoma County wineries pouring wine each evening. Check the schedule and purchase tickets at www.jacklondonpark.com.
From Sonoma on Highway 12, drive north for 4.5 miles to Madrone Road and turn left. At the end of Madrone Road, turn right on Arnold Drive, follow it for 3 miles into Glen Ellen, and then turn left on London Ranch Road. Follow London Ranch Road for 1 mile to the park entrance kiosk. Park in the day-use area on the right (not in the visitors center lot on the left). The trail leads from the parking area.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°35644’ W 122°54255’
Sonoma
Distance: 2.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 1 hour
Elevation Change: 400 feet
Effort: Easy
Users: Hikers
Season: Spring
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: A trail map is available at the trailhead or at www.sonomaecologycenter.org.
Contact: Sonoma Ecology Center, P.O. Box 1486, Eldridge, 707/933-8128, www.sonomaecologycenter.org
An easy walk to a high ridge rewards Sonoma hikers with views, exercise, and wildflowers in spring.
Even the most dedicated gourmands must occasionally take a break from sipping cappuccinos, nibbling on croissants, and noshing exotic cheeses in Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. When your practical sense of “all-things-in-moderation” kicks in, drag yourself away from Sonoma Plaza’s indulgent food and tempting shopping opportunities and walk off some of that self-induced guilt on the Sonoma Overlook Trail.
A joint project of the City of Sonoma and the Sonoma Ecology Center, this 1.3-mile walking path starts at the entrance to Mountain Cemetery, just four blocks north of the plaza (off 1st Street West). Being so close to town, this is not a wilderness trail by any means, but it offers lovely views of the town of Sonoma and surrounding Valley of the Moon. Docent-led hikes are free to the public on many weekends, or you can walk this trail any time by yourself.
As you enjoy this lovely trail, consider that in 2002, the city planned to lease this land to a resort. Sonoma Valley citizens worked with the Sonoma Overlook Trail Task Force to save the land for public use. One of the most persistent rabble-rousers was Ditty Vella, who formerly ran the Cheesemaker’s Daughter in downtown Sonoma.
The route meanders gently uphill, traveling north mostly through a woodland of bay laurel and coast live oak. Along the way you also pass buckeyes, madrone, toyon, and a variety of manzanitas. The trail skirts two meadows and then switchbacks left to depart the tree canopy once and for all as it nears the ridgetop. Spring wildflower season brings a colorful mix of angiosperms, including yellow mariposa lilies, clarkia, soaproot, and blue-eyed grass. As the trail gradually climbs, you pass occasional hand-built stone benches with plaques commemorating Sonoma nature lovers.
After an ascent that’s so mellow you will hardly notice that you are climbing, Sonoma Overlook Trail tops out below the summit of 658-foot Schocken Hill. The hill was named for Solomon Schocken, who operated a quarry here in the 1890s. Schocken’s stones were used for cobblestones on streets throughout the Bay Area. Long before its use as a quarry, this hillside was used as hunting grounds by the Native Americans living and working at the Sonoma Mission.
A short path loops around the meadow, leading to a memorial bench and views of the city of Sonoma and Sonoma Mountain, and stretching as far as San Pablo Bay. On the clearest day, you can easily pick out the tall buildings of San Francisco.
Alternatively, once you’ve topped the ascent, take the Toyon Trail for your return trip downhill. This trail leads to the upper trailhead in the cemetery and then travels through the cemetery and back to the starting point of your hike for a fascinating look at some of Sonoma’s historical, moss-covered grave sites.
With so much to do around Sonoma Plaza, it’s nearly impossible to fit everything into one day—but you might as well try. A few musts: Visit the historic buildings, including the home of General Vallejo and the site of the Bear Flag Revolt. Wander the replanted 19th-century garden filled with cactus and olive trees at San Francisco de Solano Mission (114 East Spain Street, Sonoma, 707/938-9560), the last mission built in California. Have lunch in the back garden at the girl & the fig (110 West Spain Street, Sonoma, 707/938-3634, www.thegirlandthefig.com). Take home gourmet goodies from the Sonoma Cheese Factory (2 Spain Street, Sonoma, 707/996-1931, www.sonomacheesefactory.com). And if shopping and gallery-hopping is your bag, check out the array of options at www.sonomaplaza.com.
A bench at Sonoma Overlook Trail’s high point offers an inspiring view of the valley below.
From Highway 12 at Sonoma Plaza, head north on 1st Street West for four blocks. The trailhead is on the right, just past Mountain Cemetery. There is also an upper trailhead off Toyon Road within the cemetery.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°29963’ W 122°45724’
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Calistoga
Best: Peak Vistas
Distance: 10.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation Change: 2,100 feet
Effort: Strenuous
Users: Hikers, cyclists (fire roads only)
Season: Late fall, winter, or spring
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: Trail maps are available at www.napavalleystateparks.org.
Contact: Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, 3801 St. Helena Hwy. N., Calistoga, 707/942-4575, www.napavalleystateparks.org or www.napaoutdoors.org
Pick a crystal-clear day for this epic trek to the highest summit in the Wine Country, where the vista can expand to more than 100 miles.
Normally a trail that is 80 percent fire road would not interest me in the slightest. But the spectacular view from the top of Mount St. Helena makes the climb on its wide, exposed road completely worthwhile. And, unlike other Bay Area peaks bearing world-class vistas, such as Mount Diablo and Mount Tamalpais, Mount St. Helena has no public automobile access to its summit—although an occasional service vehicle may pass by on the trail/road. This is one summit view that must be earned with some effort.
For the best possible trip, pick a cool, clear day in late autumn, winter, or spring—forget the hot days of summer. Then pack along the finest picnic lunch you can put together, drive to the trailhead, and start climbing.
At its start, the trail is called the Stevenson Memorial Trail, named for author Robert Louis Stevenson. He and his wife, Fanny Osbourne, honeymooned at an abandoned mine site along this trail in the summer of 1880. The first mile consists of well-graded single-track through a densely wooded canyon. Except for some road noise from the highway below, this stretch is a delightful stroll past giant madrones, bay laurels, Douglas firs, and black oaks. The switchbacks are plentiful, making the ascent easy. Enjoy the good trail and the shade, because both come to an end in short order.
Three-quarters of a mile from the start is a stone monument shaped like an open book that marks the spot where the Stevensons honeymooned. Lacking the finances for a fancier vacation, the couple camped here for a month in an old cabin, using hay for bedding. During their rustic holiday, Stevenson took extensive notes on both the mountain landscape and the couple’s camping experience. These scribblings later became the basis for his book The Silverado Squatters. Mount St. Helena was the model for Spyglass Hill in Treasure Island.
At the monument site, hikers say farewell to the shade and single-track. Shortly beyond it, the trail joins Mount St. Helena Fire Road. Turn left on the dirt road (one of only two junctions on the entire route). Take a look around and note the terrain change. You’re surrounded by big knobcone pines and manzanita now, on a wide, exposed track with views of the Napa Valley
Keep climbing. At a major switchback at 1.6 miles, you reach Bubble Rock, where rock climbers strut their stuff on igneous rock pockmarked with round holes. The grade is surprisingly moderate, and the miles go by quickly (provided you aren’t hiking on a hot day). Visual rewards are doled out long before you reach the summit; you gain open vistas of Napa Valley, the Vaca Mountains, Lake Berryessa, and the volcanic rock of the Palisades at several points along the road.
The route’s second major junction shows up at 3.1 miles, along the ridgeline of Mount St. Helena. The road to the left leads to South Peak, a lesser summit at 4,003 feet. Continue straight for the mountain’s higher summit, but not without first oohing and aahing over the vista from this saddle. This is your most expansive view so far.
Save some space on your camera, because now it’s less than 2 miles to Mount St. Helena’s summit at 4,342 feet. When you reach the top, pay no attention to the buildings and all-too-numerous cell phone towers. Instead, stroll around and take in the amazing 360-degree scenery. There’s Lake Berryessa and the Sierra Nevada to the east. To the southeast lies Mount Diablo, 60 miles away. Most impressive of all—and this is the part that gives the whole trip an A-plus grade—is the clear-day view of Mount Shasta to the north, nearly 200 miles distant. Often Mount Lassen is visible as well, with 7,056-foot Snow Mountain in the northern foreground. Pull out a map of Northern California, a pair of binoculars, and your picnic lunch.
Columnar basalt covers the summit of Mount St. Helena.
You may notice some oddly shaped rocks under your feet on the northwest side of the wide summit. If you have visited Devils Postpile National Monument in the Eastern Sierra, you should recognize them—they’re the five-sided tops of lava columns. Although Mount St. Helena is composed of volcanic rock, it’s not a volcano. It’s part of a large, ancient lava flow. The volcanic rocks on Mount St. Helena have been dated as 2.4 million years old. While you ponder its geology, you might also consider that this mountain was named by Russian fur traders in the 18th century after a Russian princess.
One more tip on climbing Mount St. Helena: Every winter, usually during the coldest days in December or January, the peak receives a thorough dusting of snow. If you can keep your eye on the winter weather and take off on a moment’s notice, you could have the exhilarating experience of climbing mighty Mount St. Helena when its peak is covered in snow.
One of Napa County’s most historical hikes leads 10 miles one-way from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park to the Oat Hill Mine Trailhead located on Silverado Trail near its junction with Highway 29. The route utilizes the geologically fascinating Table Rock Trail (see listing in this chapter) to access the Oat Hill Mine Trail, a road built to service the mercury (quicksilver) mines that sprang up in this area during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hand-laid stone walls, ruts carved by wagon wheels, and the remains of an 1893 homestead are visible along the way. You need to leave a car at each trailhead, and you can make the trip in either direction—up or down, whichever you prefer. To begin at the top, follow the Table Rock Trail (located directly across Highway 29 from the Mount St. Helena Trail) for 5 miles to the Palisades and then continue eastward for 0.5 mile, descending to an intersection with Oat Hill Mine Trail. Turn right, and the 4.5-mile Oat Hill Mine Trail deposits you at your shuttle car on Silverado Trail.
Calistoga offers laid-back fun in a variety of formats. After your hike, stroll the downtown blocks and shop for food-safe glazed dinnerware at Calistoga Pottery (1001 Foothill Blvd., Calistoga, 707/942-0216, https://calistogapottery.com), well-curated fiction at Copperfield’s Books (1330 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707/942-1616, www.copperfieldsbooks.com), and coffee and scones at Bella Bakery (1353 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707/942-1443, www.bellabakerycalistoga.com). Or do what Calistogans have been doing for decades: Head over to Indian Springs Resort (1712 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 844/378-3635, www.indianspringscalistoga.com) and float in their Olympic-sized mineral pool filled with 92-100°F water. While you’re there, be sure to grab a meal at the resort’s uber-hip Sam’s Social Club Restaurant.
From Highway 29/128 in Calistoga, turn north on Highway 29 and drive 8.2 miles (through the town of Calistoga) to the signed trailhead at the highway summit (if you start to descend, you’ve missed it). Park in the pullouts on either side of the road. The trail begins on the left side of the road.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°6442’ W 122°39268’
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Calistoga
Best: Peak Vistas
Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 2.5 hours
Elevation Change: 1,000 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers
Season: Year-round
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: Trail maps are available at www.napavalleystateparks.org.
Contact: Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, 3801 St. Helena Hwy. N., Calistoga, 707/942-4575, www.napavalleystateparks.org or www.napaoutdoors.org
Take a walk on the “other side” of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, where a single-track trail leads to a rock outcrop with a superlative view.
If you’re not feeling ambitious enough to tackle the 10-mile round-trip to mighty Mount St. Helena, there’s another worthwhile reason to drive the winding 8 miles on Highway 29 from Calistoga to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. It’s the Table Rock Trail, a much easier hike that offers some of the Wine Country’s best views. A mere 4.6 miles round-trip, with only a moderate amount of up and down, leads you to the craggy summit of Table Rock, a large block of igneous rock with sheer drop-offs on three sides. This moonscape-like rock outcrop with its crags, gullies, and pockmarks is fascinating enough from a geological perspective, but it’s the view from the top—a postcard panorama of the Napa Valley—that you will long remember.
The trailhead lies on Highway 29 directly across from the trailhead for Mount St. Helena. If possible, park on the southeast, or right, side of the road rather than on the Mount St. Helena side, so you don’t have to cross Highway 29 on foot. Drivers tend to speed up this mountain road as if it were the Autobahn, so be extra cautious.
The hike begins with a climb up a small hill through a canopy of tan oaks, madrones, and Douglas firs, topping out at a boulder-studded vista point 0.7 mile from the trailhead. From here and other points along the trail, Mount St. Helena is visible to the west, looming 2,000 feet above you, while green hills and vineyards line the valley below. Snow Mountain to the north is usually snow-covered in winter and easy to spot.
This brief climb is followed by a rocky descent down to a small valley, where someone has gone to the effort to build a small labyrinth of stones suitable for a short walking meditation. After a few minutes of easy strolling, you reach a signpost for Table Rock Overlook; bear right and you arrive at the overlook in less than 100 yards. The rock, perched at 2,465 feet elevation, offers outstanding views of Calistoga and its environs, plus Mount St. Helena and Snow Mountain.
Along the path to Table Rock, a labyrinth made of volcanic rocks entices hikers to walk and meditate.
Table Rock’s sheer cliffs attract a nesting pair of peregrine falcons; you can often hear them squawking and might even be lucky enough to see one in flight. Peregrines, with their blue-gray backs and white undersides, are famous for reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour.
A short distance east of Table Rock are the magnificent Palisades. Most people recognize them as a looming band of volcanic rock visible when driving Highway 29 or while visiting Calistoga-area wineries. To see this rock formation close-up, continue east on the obvious trail from Table Rock. You’re now following the Palisades Trail. Descend about 300 feet to Garrett Creek, cross over it, and then continue onward to Lasky Point, named for Moses Lasky, a lifelong rock climber who helped create this trail. Soon the trail rounds a shoulder, and you get your first view of the sheer volcanic cliffs of the Palisades. Continuing onward, the trail passes right along the base of the Palisades cliffs. In the wet season, numerous small waterfalls pour down the cliffs, adding even more drama to the scenery. The round-trip tally from the Table Rock Trailhead to the Palisades is 5 miles, or 10 miles out and back from the trailhead on Highway 29.
Head into Calistoga and sample wines at Tank Garage Winery (1020 Foothill Blvd., Calistoga, 707/942-8265, www.tankgaragewinery.com), situated in a renovated 1930s gas station and garage with a sound system that blasts classic rock. Or visit the Sharpsteen Museum (1311 Washington St., Calistoga, 707/341-2443, www.sharpsteenmuseum.org) to see collections of Disney animations, typewriters, and all manner of flotsam from Calistoga’s past. And don’t leave town without seeing the local geothermal wonder, an eruption of Old Faithful Geyser (www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com). While you wait for water to spring from the earth, you can visit the adjacent farm’s sheep, goats, and llamas.
From Highway 29/128 in Calistoga, turn north on Highway 29 and drive 8.2 miles (through the town of Calistoga) to the signed trailhead at the highway summit (if you start to descend, you’ve missed it). Park in the pullouts on either side of the road. The trail begins on the right side of the road.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°6442’ W 122°39268’
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, Calistoga
Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 3 hours
Elevation Change: 850 feet
Effort: Easy/moderate
Users: Hikers
Season: Spring
Passes/Fees: $8 day-use per vehicle
Maps: Trail maps are available at the park visitors center or at www.sonomavalleyhikingtrails.com.
Contact: Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, 3801 St. Helena Hwy. N., Calistoga, 707/942-4575, www.napavalleystateparks.org or www.napaoutdoors.org
This trail follows a perennial stream and visits one of the easternmost groves of coastal redwoods in California.
Even the most devoted and enthusiastic Napa Valley wine tasters eventually tire of their task. If it’s a hot summer day, perhaps they start to daydream of a shady redwood forest where they could walk for a while or sit by a stream. Such musing might seem preposterous: Where in the midst of the sunbaked vineyards could a redwood tree possibly grow?
At Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, that’s where. Ritchey Canyon and Redwood Trails take you through a delightful stand of them, one of the easternmost groves of coastal redwoods in the state. Paired with a visit to the summit of Coyote Peak, this loop trip leaves you even more intoxicated with Napa Valley’s wine country.
Joining the redwoods are plenty of Douglas firs, buckeyes, and big-leaf maples, plus ferns galore. Look carefully among the branches of the trees: Five different kinds of woodpeckers dwell within the park’s borders. I spotted the largest of these, the pileated woodpecker, on a tree right by the picnic area. It was working its way up and down a big Douglas fir like a telephone lineman on triple overtime.
Spring is the best season to hike at Bothe-Napa. In April and May, the buckeyes are in fragrant bloom, and the creek is running strong. Wildflowers, including Solomon’s seal and redwood orchids, bloom in the cool shade in February and March. Park volunteers manage a small Native American plant garden near the visitors center, with signs that interpret local native flora and how it was used by the people who once lived here.
Start your hike by heading up Ritchey Canyon Trail from the horse trailer parking lot. (You can also start by the small bridge near the visitors center or access the trail from the park campground if you are camping there.) The first 0.5 mile is somewhat noisy due to the proximity of the highway and campground, but soon you leave those distractions behind. Ferns, wild grape, and spice bush line the path. Second-growth redwoods are mixed in with Douglas firs. Black oaks and big-leaf maples form a canopy over the trail as well as Ritchey Creek, which runs dependably year-round. (The oaks and maples wear bright yellow coats in autumn.) Keep the creek on your right; the trail narrows and meets up with Redwood Trail, which you then follow. Ritchey Canyon Trail crosses to the north side of the stream.
Redwoods and bay trees thrive in the cool shade of Ritchey Canyon.
Three-quarters of a mile from the start, reach a junction with Coyote Peak Trail and bear left. The trail doles out a fair climb but remains shaded most of the way. Soon you leave the conifers and enter drier slopes and a bay and live oak forest. In short order, the oaks give way to low-growing chaparral and scattered rock outcrops. Wide views of conifer-covered Ritchey Canyon below open up on your right.
Near the top of the climb, you reach a junction; the right fork is your return. Bear left and make a short but steep ascent to a knoll just below Coyote Peak’s summit. You’re rewarded with a pastoral view of the vineyards and valley far below—the best view of the day. The summit is a short distance farther, but its vista is somewhat obstructed by trees. Peering through the branches, you can make out Mount St. Helena to the northwest.
Return to the junction with the western leg of Coyote Peak Trail and follow it steeply down the opposite side of the mountain. You soon leave toyon, chemise, and ceanothus in favor of shady redwoods. At a junction with South Fork Trail, turn right. Follow a concrete apron across Ritchey Creek and then turn right on Redwood Trail and cross the creek again. The next 0.5 mile on Redwood Trail is the loveliest of the trip, featuring the densest redwoods and ferns.
If Ritchey Creek isn’t running too full and wide, turn left to cross it at an obvious (but unbridged) spur and then follow Ritchey Canyon Trail east for part of your return. On the opposite bank of Ritchey Creek, Ritchey Canyon Trail passes the old Hitchcock homesite, where Lillie Hitchcock Coit and her parents spent their summers in the 1870s. Lillie Coit is best known for lending her name and money to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. Ritchey Canyon Trail eventually meets up again with Redwood Trail to return you to your starting point.
Another rewarding path at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is the History Trail, which leads from the picnic area beyond the group campground. This trail runs 1.2 miles to neighboring Bale Grist Mill State Park (10am-5am Sat.-Sun.), passing a pioneer cemetery along the way. At the trail’s end, you have an up-close look at the 36-foot waterwheel, still in operating condition, that ran Edward Bale’s flour mill in the 1840s and 1850s. Perennially flowing Mill Creek powered the wheel.
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park has a lovely campground in the redwood forest, but if you’re not fond of sleeping in a tent, rent one of the park’s 10 yurts or four restored historic cabins ($100-150 per night). All are fully equipped with beds, tables and chairs, lockable doors, an outdoor fire pit and picnic table, and nearby bathrooms and showers. Make reservations at www.reservecalifornia.com.
There’s plenty to do to fill your time besides hiking. Sparkling wine fans, be sure to pay a visit to nearby Schramsberg Vineyards (1400 Schramsberg Rd., Calistoga, 800/877-3623, www.schramsberg.com), known as the first to use Chardonnay commercially in American sparkling wine. Reserve in advance to visit its 125-year-old wine caves. Or tour a famous Napa Valley icon at the resplendent Castello di Amorosa (4045 St. Helena Highway, Calistoga, 707/967-6272, www.castellodiamorosa.com), a 136,000-square-foot castle built in grand medieval Tuscan style. Guided tours of the 13th-century-style castle are followed by tastings of Italian-style wines.
From Highway 29/128 in St. Helena, drive north on Highway 29/128 for 5 miles to the entrance to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park on the left side of the highway. (It’s 3.5 miles south of Calistoga.) Turn left, drive 0.25 mile to the entrance kiosk, and then continue past the visitors center to the trailhead parking lot on the right. The trail begins on the right side of the parking lot.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°55191’ W 122°52188’
Knoxville Wildlife Area, near Lake Berryessa
Best: Waterfalls
Distance: 7.4 miles round-trip
Duration: 3.5 hours
Elevation Change: 750 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists, dogs
Season: Winter and spring
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: Maps are available by contacting the Department of Fish and Game Bay-Delta Regional Office.
Contact: Department of Fish and Game Bay-Delta Regional Office, 7329 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707/944-5531, www.dfg.ca.gov
One of the Bay Area’s most spectacular and little-known waterfalls drops in a remote canyon north of Lake Berryessa.
For most people in the Bay Area, this waterfall is pretty far out there, and that’s why few Bay Area hikers have seen it. Unless you happen to live in or near the town of Napa, this trip is best for a “plan-ahead” day, when you’ve gotten out of bed early enough that you don’t mind making the trek to Knoxville Wildlife Area, 10 miles north of Lake Berryessa. The drive is long, slow, and somewhat tedious, but hikers who go to this extra effort during the rainy season are well rewarded.
Knoxville Wildlife Area is the home of Zim Zim Falls, quite possibly the tallest waterfall in the greater Bay Area—even taller than Murietta Falls, which is much harder to get to and flows on even fewer days of the year. Cascading just over 100 feet, Zim Zim Falls is an impressive sight to behold during the winter and early spring months. By the first of June, however, the show is usually over, or severely diminished, so plan your trip for the wet season, and then plan on getting wet feet—there is no way to avoid it unless you are willing to take off your shoes and wade.
The waterfall is just one of the highlights of this wildlife preserve managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Knoxville Wildlife Area is a land of rugged hills and canyons, with elevations ranging 1,000-2,000 feet. Think of Mount Diablo or the Ohlone Wilderness—right down to the blue oaks and the gray pines—and you get the picture. But this land is more special than it may appear at first glance. Knoxville is one of only a handful of sites in California that protects serpentine habitats, so it is home to several rare and endangered plants. It also provides important breeding grounds and feeding areas for black-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkeys, California quail, hawks, harriers, falcons, and owls.
The trail to Zim Zim Falls starts at an unsigned green gate (follow the driving directions exactly to make sure you are starting at the right spot). Hike along an old ranch road that runs through Eticurea Creek canyon. If you visit in early winter, you may spot some strange, yellow-orange fruit lying on the ground about 150 yards from the trailhead. Here, at an old ranch site, early settlers planted an Osage orange tree, which bears bumpy ball-shaped fruit. It’s inedible to humans, but some people put the fruit in closets and cupboards to keep away bugs (the Osage orange contains tetrahydroxystilbene, which deters insects). Early settlers usually planted the tree to make a thorny hedge.
Zim Zim Falls tumbles more than 100 feet.
The path is level for most of the entire route and fairly easy to follow, as long as you remember to stay close to the creek. (Ignore all the side trails that spur off the main road.) You cross the stream a total of nine times before you reach the falls. The first crossing occurs about 10 minutes from the trailhead, and the crossings continue at fairly regular intervals over the next 3 miles. Most of the crossings don’t have any rocks to hop, so your only choices are removing your shoes and socks and wading barefoot or getting wet boots.
For most of the hike, it’s hard to believe you are approaching a waterfall. There’s nothing about these rolling, oak-studded, chaparral-clad hills that says “sudden vertical drop of falling water.” Just have faith and keep walking; eventually you spot some rounded hills off in the distance and notice the canyon starting to narrow.
Shortly after the ninth stream crossing, about 3 miles from your car, you come to a trail fork near a prominent, pink-colored boulder that is about two feet high. It’s tempting to go left here and continue up the stream canyon, but it is nearly impossible to reach the falls this way, as the stream is choked with willows and boulders. However, you might want to follow this left fork for about 150 yards to see the remains of an old sulfur spring resort. There’s not much here except some old water tanks, cabinets, and scrap metal, but it’s fun to imagine visitors coming here to “take the waters” in the early 1900s.
To access the waterfall overlook, go right at the pink boulder, heading away from the creek and following the dirt road uphill. At a second junction, go left (the right fork works also, but the left fork is a shortcut). After less than a half mile of climbing, you can see Zim Zim Falls from about 150 yards away. Continue farther along the ranch road (it levels out on the ridge) until you see an obvious rock outcrop about 50 yards below the trail, which makes a great spot to view the falls. At this outcrop you are still about 75 yards from the falls, so if you aren’t satisfied with the long-distance view, it’s possible to scramble down the steep, chaparral-covered slopes to get closer, but use extreme caution.
If you’re wondering about this waterfall’s name, Zim Zim is actually a misspelling of Zem Zem, which was the name given to a sulfur spring and hotel located near here in the 1860s. The story goes that a visitor to the spring tasted the water and exclaimed, “This water tastes like it’s from the sacred well of Zem Zem!” He was referring to a term from the Islam religion. Zem Zem is a sacred stop along the way for pilgrims traveling to Mecca; a goal of all pilgrims is to drink the water of Zem Zem.
Unless you’ve brought a filter or purifier with you, you probably shouldn’t taste the water of Zim Zim, but you might want to hang out for a while and soak in its surprising beauty before you retrace your steps to the trailhead.
After viewing the falls from on high, continue on the trail up and behind the falls, ascending to the western ridge above Zim Zim Valley. From this ridge, you can look down onto both Eticurea and Nevada canyons, plus gain an impressive view of Lake Berryessa and Blue Ridge.
From Napa, take Highway 128 east through Rutherford to Berryessa-Knoxville Road, a distance of about 25 miles. Turn north on Berryessa Knoxville Road and drive 24.9 miles, past the north end of Lake Berryessa, to the trailhead at an unsigned green gate on the left, just before mileage marker 24.0 and a creek crossing (this is your fifth creek crossing). Park in the dirt pullout on the right side of the road.
Note: During the wet season, you have to drive across several concrete aprons flooded by shallow streams, so a high-clearance vehicle is a good idea.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°75197’ W 122°28337’
Skyline Wilderness Park, Napa
Distance: 7.4 miles round-trip
Duration: 4 hours
Elevation Change: 1,500 feet
Effort: Moderate
Users: Hikers, cyclists (designated roads and trails)
Season: Year-round
Passes/Fees: $5 day-use per vehicle
Maps: A park map is available at the entrance kiosk.
Contact: Skyline Wilderness Park, 2201 Imola Ave., Napa, 707/252-0481, www.skylinepark.org
This hike just a few miles from busy downtown Napa goes to a lesser-known peak, where oaks, buckeyes, and fern-covered rock walls line the path.
Note: Skyline Wilderness Park was affected by the wildfires that devastated Napa County in October 2017. Some trails are still closed as of early 2018; check the park’s website for updates before visiting.
Napa Valley hikers speak of Skyline Wilderness Park in hushed tones. Several Napa friends told me repeatedly that Skyline Park had the best hiking in the region. So imagine my surprise when I drove up and discovered that the trailhead for this “wilderness park” is located in an RV camp packed with trailers, lawn chairs, plastic flowers, and flamingos.
Don’t be discouraged by this first glimpse. To reach the park’s excellent trail system, you must walk by the RVs, past the park’s social hall and picnic areas, and through a 150-yard corridor of chain-link fencing. (The latter passes by neighboring state hospital property.) Finally, after about 10 minutes of this strange meandering, you leave it all behind and enter the quiet, steep-walled canyon of Marie Creek.
Trail choices are plentiful. The park isn’t large, so by connecting a series of paths, you can see a good portion of it. This 7.4-mile loop tours both high walls of Marie Creek canyon, visits the summit of Sugarloaf Peak, and then finishes out alongside babbling Marie Creek.
After passing through a maze of well-marked paths to reach the actual trailhead, make your first trail choice based on the day’s weather. If visibility is good, take Skyline Trail for the first leg of the loop. Skyline Trail, a part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that is open to horses and bikes as well as hikers, climbs to the top of the park’s southwest ridge and follows it for 4 miles. The trail features good views of Napa Valley and San Pablo Bay.
If it’s cloudy, take Buckeye Trail for the loop’s first leg. Buckeye Trail is a narrow single-track and open to hikers only. It climbs halfway up the southwest canyon wall and then contours along this steep slope for its entire 3-mile distance. The path wanders through a series of oak and buckeye groves, grasslands, and fern-covered rock walls. This area is beautiful after a period of rain, when all the tiny ferns come to life.
Buckeye Trail and Skyline Trail meet up just before Lake Marie, a long, narrow reservoir on Marie Creek. The lake is popular with bass anglers, most of whom access it by hiking on wide, level Lake Marie Road. If you wish, take the spur trail from Skyline Trail down to the lake’s edge. Then follow Skyline Trail as it curves around the lake and crosses Marie Creek. You hike a pleasant stretch along the stream before turning left on Thatcher Rim Rock Trail. Prepare for a heart-pumping climb up Sugarloaf Peak. A few more switchbacks would have been a good idea here.
Thatcher Rim Rock Trail traverses open, grassy slopes, an ideal environment for spring wildflowers. Lichen-covered outcrops of volcanic rock are scattered among the grasses. The trail makes a steep climb through oaks and manzanitas to the mountain summit. As you ascend, turn around occasionally to check out the gorgeous views of the canyon below you. Mount Diablo peeks out above the hills to the south.
Sugarloaf Peak has two summits—the west peak at 1,630 feet, which you’re hiking on, and the east peak at 1,686 feet, which is covered with microwave towers. Your summit is broad and dotted with coast live oaks, so you must wander around to locate the best views. (Head downhill to the west to reach an open clearing.) Although the peak’s perspective on the Napa Valley, Napa River, and the northern tip of San Pablo Bay is interesting, the long-distance vista south is the real draw. You can clearly make out the looming outline of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County as well as the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. Nowhere is it more obvious than from this perspective that Mount Tamalpais is a ridge, not a single peak. Looking west and northwest, you can see Mount Veeder and Mount St. Helena as well.
Graceful oak trees line the lower trails of Sugarloaf Peak.
Continue along Thatcher Rim Rock Trail, now descending the west side of Sugarloaf Peak. The trail makes a steep drop through several switchbacks to the canyon bottom. Cross Marie Creek on a footbridge and then continue straight to a junction with Lake Marie Road. A right turn leads you on a final level mile back to the edge of the RV park and eventually to your car.
Hikers looking for an easier stroll will enjoy an out-and-back walk on Lake Marie Road. The wide fire road leads uphill alongside Marie Creek for 2 miles to Lake Marie. The canyon walls on both sides of the road are marked by striking cliff formations and small caves set amid a dense forest of oaks, madrones, and bay laurel. Watch for a 100-year-old fig tree on the left at 1.3 miles, near the junction with Bayleaf Trail; the enormous old tree still produces edible fruit.
For a more strenuous hike that avoids most mountain bike traffic, take Manzanita Trail from the upper parking lot (to the left of the archery course), follow it uphill to Thatcher Rim Rock Trail, and then head up the west slope of Sugarloaf Peak. You can hike this out and back or loop back on Skyline Trail for a total of 7.9 miles.
After your hike, a well-brewed craft beer might hit the spot. Find one at one of downtown Napa’s local breweries: Fieldwork Brewing (610 1st St., Napa, 707/266-1582, https://fieldworkbrewing.com/napa/) inside the Oxbow Public Market (great for sours and IPAs) or Tannery Bend Beerworks (101 S. Coombs St., Napa, 707/681-5774, http://tannerybendbeerworks.com), an unpretentious spot that serves a tasty pale ale.
From Highway 29 in the city of Napa, take the Imola Avenue/Highway 121 North exit. Go east on Imola Avenue for 2.6 miles to where it dead-ends at 4th Avenue. Turn right into the park entrance.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°27974’ W 122°24883’
Rush Ranch, Solano Land Trust, Fairfield
Best: Bird-Watching, Wildlife-Watching
Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip
Duration: 2 hours
Elevation Change: Negligible
Effort: Easy
Users: Hikers, dogs (Suisun Hill Trail only)
Season: Year-round
Passes/Fees: None
Maps: A trail map is available at the visitors center.
Hours: Rush Ranch is open 8am-6pm daily.
Contact: Rush Ranch, c/o Solano Land Trust, 3521 Grizzly Island Rd., Suisun City, 707/432-0150, www.solanolandtrust.org
Ramble along the farthest northeast edge of San Francisco Bay, where marshes, wetlands, and a seasonal pond are a haven for birds and wildlife.
It takes more than an hour’s drive from the Golden Gate to reach the northeast edge of immense San Francisco Bay. Although in this region it bears a different name, the final stretch of bay water lies some 40 miles distant from the Golden Gate. Here it makes its fluid transition to the narrow waterways of the Sacramento Delta—the long and slender fingers of the hand that is San Francisco Bay.
Located at this meeting place is Suisun Marsh, an important and distinct component of the San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Unlike in most of the East Bay and South Bay, where diking and filling have destroyed the bay’s natural wetland edges, the North Bay’s Suisun Marsh remains relatively untouched. Such tidal wetland areas have become so rare in today’s world that Suisun is considered to be the largest contiguous estuarine marsh in the United States.
Although much of Suisun Marsh is run by the California Department of Fish and Game as a wildlife management area, one section is operated by the Solano Land Trust specifically as a nature preserve. That’s Rush Ranch, a former sheep and cattle ranch that is now a 2,070-acre open-space area, including more than 1,000 acres of wetlands. At least 12 rare or endangered species can be found at Rush Ranch, including the salt marsh harvest mouse, the Suisun shrew, the Suisun Marsh song sparrow, the black rail, and the clapper rail. Many rare marsh plants may also be seen.
Rush Ranch offers educational programs, a top-notch nature center, and three trails for hikers. Visiting the ranch feels like a trip to the country: Except for the spiffy nature center (built in 2007), most of the picturesque ranch buildings look much as they did when the Rush family lived here in the early 1900s. Despite the proximity of bustling Fairfield and Suisun City, the ranch feels remote and peaceful. A variety of farm animals—goats, horses, pigs, and sheep—stare curiously at visitors. The ranch’s acreage on Suisun Marsh is mostly flat as a pancake, punctuated by the rounded Potrero Hills and bordered by two distant mountains—Mount Diablo to the south at 3,849 feet, and Mount Vaca to the north at 2,819 feet.
Bring your binoculars along for this walk—wildlife sightings are nearly guaranteed. More than 230 species of birds reside in or pass through the 80-acre marsh.
By combining two trails that begin at the ranch buildings, you can make a figure-eight loop of 4.6 miles. Start your trip by picking up an interpretive brochure at the visitors center and then head out its back side on Marsh Trail. The path leads around a managed freshwater marsh and along Suisun Slough, an unaltered salt marsh. Be sure to climb to the top of the small hill near interpretive post number 3. Here you are high enough to gain some perspective on this wide, flat, marshy plain and its waterways. Small boats sometimes cruise up the slough.
A collection of antique farm equipment is on display at Rush Ranch.
Much of this walk follows levees just a few feet from the water’s edge. Although tall cattails and blackberry vines sometimes block the view, you can see the waterway through openings in the foliage. It’s not uncommon to glimpse a river otter swim by.
Amid all this nature, one sight may surprise you. Every now and then, a huge, gray military plane from nearby Travis Air Force Base cruises slowly and almost silently overhead. The strange, slow-motion maneuverability of these planes allows them to take off and land on short runways. A strange kind of wildlife also occasionally surprises hikers: wild pigs, which have been running rampant in the preserve for the last few years. Preserve managers are trying to figure out a way to get rid of these pesky varmints, which tear up the soil and cause erosion problems.
Marsh Trail’s final stretch crosses the grasslands to return you near the barn and parking area. Head to your right to set out on the second half of the figure eight on South Pasture Cut-Off Trail. The trail begins near the water tower and windmill on the south side of the ranch.
South Pasture Cut-Off Trail circles a restored seasonal pond and affords more views of Suisun Marsh. Don’t miss the Native American grinding rock site, where the Patwin Indians, also known as Southern Wintun Indians, ground acorns and nuts into meal. Bird-watching is very satisfying along this path. Red-tailed hawks are commonly seen flying over the grasslands and tidal marsh, searching for prey. Other common raptors are northern harriers, osprey, barn owls, American kestrels, and golden eagles. Butterfly-watching is rewarding, too, especially when the spring wildflowers bloom. South Pasture Cut-Off Trail connects to the main South Pasture Trail, which winds its way through a cattle pasture that offers a great view of Mount Diablo.
A good choice for hikers looking to add a few miles is the Suisun Hill Trail, which begins across the road from Rush Ranch’s main entrance. The trail climbs into the grassland-covered hills just east of Grizzly Island Road. The small elevation gain allows a much wider perspective on Suisun Marsh and the surrounding hills and mountains and provides an ideal spot for watching the sunset. Dogs are permitted on Suisun Hill Trail, but not on the preserve’s other trails.
From I-80 near Fairfield, take Highway 12 east. Drive 4 miles on Highway 12 to Grizzly Island Road. Turn right and drive 2.2 miles to the sign for Rush Ranch on the right. Turn right and drive to the parking area.
GPS Coordinates: N 38°20912’ W 122°02511’