Sugarloaf State Park, Sonoma California
Teardrop Camping and Day Hiking
The weather has been nothing but rain, rain, rain and more rain! We were itching to get out for some much needed outdoor adventuring and happy to finally have a weekend window with a clear forecast. After checking weather forecasts for most of Northern California we found that Napa/Sonoma was going to have the warmest weather and least chance of rain.......so we packed some food, threw everything into Ruby (our teardrop) and hit the road.
On the way to camp we came across a great little roadside deli near Sonoma, Vineburg Deli. We could smell the wood fired smoker and grill before we even saw the Deli......so of course we had to stop for lunch.
Past all the wineries through Sonoma is Adobe Canyon Road, leading up to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
We're not usually one's for campground camping but this park is right in the middle of the small range separating Sonoma and Napa Valleys and has a multitude of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Sugarloaf Park
Park Center check in and store, in case you forgot s'mores.
Ruby Teardrop fits right in amongst all the behemoth camp trailers.
Located our camp, this will be home for the next few nights.
After the arduous task of camp set up was complete..............all ten minutes of it, we went for a walkabout and returned to start dinner.
Paleo Taco Salad.............trying to eat healthy for the weekend.
After dinner we enjoyed a sunset and of course......................the campfire.
Ruby Teardrop all aglow and beckoning us to bed.
Day 2
It's been four long months since we've had temperatures exceeding 70 degrees..........todays forecast high..........74!
We've pick a loop to hike that should be a little challenging and offer nice views. The start of the trail is right from the end of the campground loop and puts us onto the Hillside Trail.
Its essentially a service road with gradual climbs and offering some nice springtime views
A little over a mile in, we connect up the Brushy Peaks Trail.
Brushy Peaks turns more trail like and less road like.
We encountered this sign along our walk. This trail is part of the parks Planet Walk. It is a scale model of the solar system designed to fit within the boundaries of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
The back end of the Brushy Peaks Trail is the border line of Sonoma and Napa County. There is remnants of a burn scar from the 2017 fire that tore through the area but the bay leaf trees are making a comeback and things are starting to green up again.
Looking up the charred bark on one of the bigger trees........its hard to see, but this tree is still green at the top and seems to have survived the fire.
The manzanita is even starting to make a comeback.
After making the connection from Brushy Peaks to the Gray Pine trail you'll see some cattle grazing...... I guess this was left by one of the famous California happy cows.
This section of trail is full exposure, but offers some pretty views of the vineyards in Rutherford and St Helena.
It's about 1.2 miles of trail along a ridgeline that leads you to the top of Bald Mountain.
This vantage point, on a clear day like today, gave us views of Mt Diablo, San Francisco and Pyramid Peak in the Sierras.
We started down the Bald Mountain Trail. It is a service road and was one of the only times we saw others out hiking this beautiful day. It leads from the peak, all the way down to the park entrance and looked to be a pretty strenuous ride for the cyclist we saw riding up.
The California Conservation Corps was out in force and working on improvement projects all around the park.
Day 3
The following day , before leaving the area, we decided to recreate a little more leisurely and stopped for wine tasting at Chateau St Jean. This winery and many others is less than a few miles from the park.
Staring down the barrel of a loaded.......... Bordeaux
Of course after some wine tasting you have to take in some local eats...... and this BBQ place next door came highly recommended. Tips Roadside.
So much for a healthy eating weekend. Sampling their in house craft brews
and of course a sampling of sliders.
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