In brief:
This hike starts at the edge of a sloping meadow and climbs steadily through
a mixture of grassland, chaparral, and mixed woodland for 2.5 miles to the
summit. The return route travels along a quiet ridge, drops steeply through
gray pines and chaparral to cross Sonoma Creek twice, then wanders through
a meadow on the way back to the trailhead.
Highlights:
Exceptional views, camping available, wildflowers.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
6.4 mile loop hike is moderate, with about 1770 feet of elevation change.
Exposure:
Mostly exposed.
Trail traffic:
Light-moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails and fire roads, and one paved segment.
Hiking time:
3 hours.
Season:
Nice any time, but best in early spring.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Sonoma County exit #488b onto CA 12. Drive east on CA 12
toward Sonoma for 1.5 miles, then turn left on Farmer's Lane. After about
1 mile, turn right onto Fourth Street/CA 12, drive southeast about 8 miles,
and turn left onto Adobe Canyon Road. Drive east 3 miles to the entrance
kiosk, pay the fee, and then continue a short distance to the parking lot
on the left.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
38°26'16.79"N
Longitude 122°30'51.08"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Available in and around Santa Rosa. Sugarloaf has a campground.
Trailhead details:
Pay $8 day use fee at the entrance kiosk. The park map is available at the
visitor center or entrance kiosk (when staffed). Vault toilet located
at the trailhead.
Rules:
Dogs are not permitted on park trails.
The Official Story:
CSP's Sugarloaf
page
Park office 707-833-5712
Team Sugarloaf page
Map Choices/More Info:
This hike is described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order this book from Amazon.com.
• Download
the park brochure (pdf)
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page