Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

About Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park includes the headwaters of Sonoma Creek, and during the winter rainfall, a 25-foot waterfall overflows the banks. It runs along the eastern edge of the park, sometimes surrounded by redwoods and ferns, sometimes grasses and trees.

The park covers over 2300 hectares of oak forest and chaparral and is home to several species of sequoia and occasionally lynx. In spring, summer and autumn there are horse rides and a number of self-guided nature trails starting at the picnic area. The park is one of Sonoma County's most popular hiking and biking trails.

In spring, wildflowers form a colourful palette on the green hills, and in autumn and winter, trees and shrubs bloom with the first hints of spring bloom.

Sugar Loaf is part of a coastal chain called the Mayacamas Mountains that borders the Sonoma and Napa valleys. In Northern California, there is the noble sugar cane rock that towers over the wine country. Visitors can look down from the top of the mountain into the vineyards, vineyards and vineyards. There is even a statue in the park that is said to have been the inspiration for the Paramount Pictures logo.

The pronounced ridges of volcanic origin are impressive, quake impressive when covered by mist or orbited by turkey vultures.

The National Park is criss-crossed by 25 km of hiking trails that lead through three different ecosystems. Chaparral covers the high ridges of the park, which takes its name from the nearby Chihuahua National Forest in Mexico. The reward for climbing the mountains is a view of the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Baldy, the highest peak in California.

The meadows of the park are decorated with a variety of plants and animals such as elk, coyotes, foxes, wolves and coyotes. It also overlooks the San Gabriel Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Sonoma Creek swells with winter rain and forms a cascading parking lot on the west side of the park, overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the east. The gorge, which is irrigated by the Sonoma River and its tributaries, is home to a variety of plants and animals, including elk, coyotes, foxes, wolves and coyotes.

Depending on the time, energy and inclination, hikers can make their way from the parking lot to the hiking trail at the southern end of the park. Numbered signposts correspond to the nature descriptions in the parks and park brochures, and a short walk along the stream and its tributaries provides a good introduction to the native flora and access to a number of hiking trails and picnic areas.

Take Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, exit at Highway 12, turn left and cross the Adobe National Forest, turn right and follow the trail for four miles to the hiking trail.

At the eastern end of the parking lot you will find a path that leads to a meadow and soon splits off. Follow the lower Bald Mountain Trail, which crosses the meadows and then climbs through the oak and Madonna forest.

After a steep climb of one kilometer the path crosses the asphalt The Bald Mountain Trail and strategically placed benches allow you to breathe deeply and gaze out over the park.

For the intrepid, walk to the sign for the Vista Trail and turn right onto the road and follow the path for a short while until you turn left onto Vista Road and then right into the parking lot.

From the summit, we head for the Vista Trail, which runs through a few canyons irrigated by the seasonal tributaries of Sonoma Creek. The Vista Trail offers promising views of the Sierra Nevada and San Francisco Bay, and on a clear day you can see the high Sierra and San SF Bay.

The Gray Pine Trail joins the Vista Trail at the foot of the Sierra Nevada north of a small meadow. The meadows are lined with pine trees and crossed by a few small streams and a stream, and are accompanied by the Grey Pine Trail.

A less direct way back is the Hillside Trail, which leads to Sonoma Creek and offers a different perspective. At a marked fork in the road, you can choose a meadow path that crosses the meadows and leads back to the hiking trail. The nonprofit Valley of the Moon Observatory Association offers a free daily astronomy program for children and adults at Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park. It is free, with a daily parking fee, but program fees vary depending on location, time of day and other factors, such as weather conditions.

The Ferguson Observatory has one of the largest telescopes in the park, which will be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park is located in a park and has a large parking lot with garage and parking for cars and trucks.