Join Sonoma Ecology Center and Team Sugarloaf and embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of Sonoma County’s most pristine and breathtaking landscapes with our exclusive fundraising hike. This event will be a grand tour of the Mayacamas Mountains in the northern half of Sonoma Valley, where we will pass close to the headwaters of Santa Rosa and Sonoma Creeks. This unique adventure offers participants a rare opportunity to traverse through areas usually closed to the public, such as the recent Perry Addition to Sonoma County parks. Whether you choose the 11-mile classic route or the 17-mile epic option, you’ll be treated to a day filled with stunning vistas, challenging trails, and the camaraderie of fellow nature enthusiasts. As you navigate through rolling hills, serene creeks, and towering oaks, you’ll push your limits and contribute to a noble cause. The hike culminates in a communal barbecue dinner, where stories of the day’s journey can be shared among new friends.

Sign up today to secure your spot in this remarkable experience and help us support the preservation of Sonoma County’s natural treasures. Sponsorship opportunities are available for those looking to make an even greater impact.

This year, we have two versions:

1. Classic Route  – from the Los Alamos parking lot in Hood Mountain Regional Park to Sugarloaf’s day-use picnic area via the McCormick Addition and Bald Mountain Trail. 11 miles; 3,200 ft of elevation (bus from Sugarloaf).
2. Epic Option – Sugarloaf’s main parking lot to Goodspeed Trail into Hood Mtn, down to the McCormick Addition and joining the rest of the group. 17 miles; 5,600 ascent. This is a rigorous hike for advanced hikers only (limited to 15 tickets).

WHY SUPPORT US?

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is operated by Sonoma Ecology Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. While Sugarloaf is a California State Park, we do not receive operational funding from the State. It is our visitors, donors, volunteers, and members who make it possible for us to keep Sugarloaf Ridge State Park open for the community to enjoy.

Since 2012, Sonoma Ecology Center has worked to make the park accessible and welcoming to a broader audience through community-focused programs.

Some of our programming highlights include:

• Our Senderos Program targets the Spanish-speaking community, bringing thousands of new visitors to the park for nature events and first-time camping experiences. Learn More.
• The Slow Journeys Program offers nature hikes and events on flat, smooth paths, ensuring accessibility for all visitors. Learn More.
• The ParkRx Program at Sugarloaf is the nation’s most active, providing over 1,000 participants annually free access to approximately 90 activities, including fitness hiking series, yoga hikes, Tai Chi classes, and forest therapy sessions, all prescribed by medical providers. Learn more.
• We have earned recognition as a role model in establishing impactful relationships with the local Native American tribe, the Mishewal-Wappo. Our relationship is grounded in respect, patience, and courage. Learn More.

What are the keys to our success in building vibrant and inclusive programing?

• Deep community ties: We continuously strengthen our connections across all community sectors, enhancing our understanding of community needs and fostering collaborations with other local organizations.
• Innovative marketing and outreach: Our multi-channel marketing strategy reaches every community member, featuring a large email list, a dynamic social media presence, collaborations with local newspapers and websites, online advertising, and partnerships with numerous local organizations and groups.
• A Committed Volunteer Program: Many of our programs, including ParkRx and Slow Journeys, rely on a dedicated and skilled volunteer force, allowing us to offer these events at a significantly lower cost than other organizations.
• Test-and-learn philosophy: We continuously evolve our programs through learning, modifying, and documenting, ensuring they become impactful and financially sustainable.

By supporting us, you contribute to a legacy of inclusivity, innovation, and community engagement at Sonoma Ecology Center’s management of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

Tickets: $95 each. Tickets include parking, shuttle transportation to Hood Mtn, snacks, drinks, and a BBQ dinner.
Underwriting Options: Help us defray the event’s costs and make it a true fundraiser. All of these options are tax deductible and include one ticket to the classic route of this hike.

• Epic Underwriter: $5,000
• Monumental Mover (and Shaker): $2,500
• Peak Provider: $750
• Sugar Sponsor: $500

ROUTE DETAILS

Classic Route:  Participants will arrive at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park by 8:45am, with shuttle buses departing at 9:00am for Hood Mountain Regional Park. The hike begins at the Los Alamos parking lot, taking the Santa Rosa Creek Trail to Homestead Meadow and entering Sugarloaf via the McCormick Addition. The route ascends Quercus Trail, passes the former site of the Grandmother Oak, and stops briefly at Red Hill before continuing up Maple Glen Trail. After lunch atop ‘Hill 2530,’ hikers return to Sugarloaf via ascending Bald Mountain, concluding with a barbecue dinner in the day-use area around 3:30pm. The journey spans roughly 11 miles and climbs 3,200 ft in elevation.

Epic Option (for advanced hikers only): Meet at Sugarloaf’s Visitor Center at 6:15am for a 6:30am departure via Pony Gate and Goodspeed Trails. Meet up with the group hiking from the Los Alamos parking lot at the Santa Rosa Creek crossing (in Hood Mtn Regional Park) at about 10:00am, before entering Sugarloaf’s McCormick Addition.

Pack a lunch for the stop at Hill 2530, at least half a gallon of water and electrolytes, sun protection, and additional socks. Be prepared to walk 11 or 17 miles (depending on the route you registered for) over steep and sometimes rough terrain, with a stream crossing of minimal depth. Dress appropriately for the weather and the ticks.

Ticket sales end on 4/16 to give us an estimate of how many buses we will need for shuttling and how much food to prepare.

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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.

UPDATE 2/28, 4:30 pm: The 3/2, 3/23, & 4/6 hikes are sold out.

Join Certified California Naturalist John Lynch on his  wondrous wildflower walks.

On 3/2, we’ll follow Pony Gate Trail’s grassy slope, into the Oak woodland and through a mixed evergreen forest, along Canyon Trail’s shady riparian corridor lined with redwoods, to the 25-foot dramatic plunge of Sonoma Creek and back to the our starting point at the Visitor Center.

Departing from the Visitor Center, the 3/23 route takes us on the Creekside and Hillside trails returning via Meadow.

On 4/6, from the White Barn, we’ll scout Hillside to Brushy Peaks turning around at the Neptune picnic table and back on Meadow Trail.

We’ll celebrate Earth Day on 4/21 on Vista Trail via Lower Bald Mtn (from the White Barn) and returning on Meadow Trail.

Wear hiking shoes, layers appropriate for weather, bring at least a quart of water, a camera, and wildflower guides if you have one. Tickets are $10-$15 sliding scale for general audiences, $5 for students, youth (12-17 year olds; must be accompanied by an adult), Sugarloaf members and volunteers, and free for children under 12. Parking fees apply. Heavy rain or wind cancels and will be announced by 9:00am the day of the hike.

Ease of access: The Pony Gate-Canyon loop is approximately 2 miles with an elevation of 595 ft. Both trails are single-track dirt trails with steps that descend into a canyon. There is a seasonal water crossing (creek bed) on Pony Gate without a bridge.

The Creekside-Hillside-Meadow loop is ADA-compliant for approximately 0.35mi. From there, Hillside is a single-track dirt trail for 0.1mi that widens into a 2-mile fire road loop with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing with a wooden plank for a bridge. Meadow is passable by strollers or wheelchair up to the bridge, about a mile in, but is not officially an ADA-compliant trail.

Hillside Trail is a single-track dirt trail for 0.1mi that widens into a 2-mile fire road loop with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing with a wooden plank for a bridge. Brushy Peaks Trail is a rugged single-track dirt trail with 650 feet of elevation and a short section of steps.

Lower Bald Mtn Trail is a single-track gravel and dirt trail with at times, rough terrain and steps. It connects to Bald Mtn Trail, a steep, paved fire road. Vista Trail is a single-track dirt trail with at least three stretches of steep steps and at least two small seasonal water crossings without a bridge. Gray Pine, the connecting trail between Vista and Meadow Trails, has a year-round stream crossing with a board for a bridge.

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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.

Volunteers play a crucial role at keeping Sugarloaf Ridge State Park open and accessible to all! Help Sugarloaf with trail restoration work by coming to our every-other-Thursday Volunteer Trail Crew. Activities include bridge and step construction, installing signs, clearing, lifting, carrying, and hiking.

Bring gloves, hat, and water that you can carry hands-free (i.e. a backpack). Wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Long sleeves are recommended as poison oak is present. We have tools and trained crew leaders with tasks for all. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. We will provide tools, and if allowed, lunch.

If you are a current Sugarloaf volunteer, log onto Better Impact to sign up.
Not a Sugarloaf volunteer yet? RSVP to sugarloafvolunteer@sonomaecologycenter.org no later than the Sunday prior to the work day to ensure we have lunch for you.
First-time volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to formally join our volunteer program if they’d like to support us more frequently. Start here to become a volunteer.

CA Naturalist Carolyn Greene leads this wildflower hike along Lower Bald Mountain Trail through mixed evergreen forest and chaparral. Enjoy the warming spring sun, the variety of colors, shapes, scents, and arrangements peeking through the vegetation, as well as the added bonus of whatever birds cross our path.

Tickets are $5-$10 sliding scale for adults and free for children under 18. Meet at the White Barn. Wear hiking shoes, layers appropriate for weather, bring at least a quart of water, sun protection, a camera, and a wildflower guide if you have it. Parking fees apply. Heavy rain cancels.

The 2024 City Nature Challenge runs from April 26 to 29. It’s a bioblitz-style friendly competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people. Learn more about City Nature Challenge or view the Sugarloaf Project here!

Participants of any level of experience can help find, photograph, record, and/or identify life in the park. Smartphones with the iNaturalist app will be our main tool, but those lacking phones are also welcome to participate. If you haven’t used iNaturalist, or haven’t made an observation for a while, this is your chance – just make sure to load the iNaturalist app on your phone before you arrive. This event is part of the Challenge along with other events scheduled from April 26-29.

Ease of access: The main parking lot has one van-accessible parking space and an accessible vault toilet. There is no running water in this area. The Lower Bald Mountain trailhead beginning from the main parking lot is a single-track dirt and gravel trail of approximately one mile in length and 500 ft of elevation gain. It has narrow sections with steps and switchbacks, as well as some wider sections in full sun exposure. Stern Trail is a roughly-paved fireroad with a few steep areas of loose gravel. It is about a mile in length, with the second half of the mile being flatter and sunny.

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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar of events.

Community scientists John Hibbard and Alex Weishaar set up a butterfly display in the greenhouse at the White Barn parking lot for you to you to enjoy during the 2024 City Nature Challenge. Free event; no RSVP required. Stay until noon on Saturday, April 27 or Sunday, April 28 for a guided butterfly walk.