Help Sugarloaf with trail restoration work. Work includes bridge and step construction, installing signs, clearing, lifting, carrying and hiking. Bring gloves, hat, and water that you can carry hands-free (i.e. bring a backpack). Wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Poison oak is present, so long sleeves are suggested. 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 in to Better Impact to sign up. Otherwise, start here to become a volunteer.
Choose your own adventure! Part of our Hiking for Fitness program, these free, moderate-to-strenuous group hikes are geared to keep you motivated through the cold season. Parking fees apply. Hikes are (usually) every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
route B: Crazy 8 Waterfall Loop + Vista Trail circuit: 6.5mi, 1400ft elevation, meets @ main lot
route B: Goodspeed to Gunsight Rock: 6.5 mi, 2080 ft elevation, meets @ Goodspeed lot
route B: Vista to Bald Mountain Loop: 6 mi, 1520 ft elevation, meets @ White Barn lot
Help Sugarloaf with trail restoration work. Work includes bridge and step construction, installing signs, clearing, lifting, carrying and hiking. Bring gloves, hat, and water that you can carry hands-free (i.e. bring a backpack). Wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Poison oak is present, so long sleeves are suggested. 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 in to Better Impact to sign up. Otherwise, start here to become a volunteer.
Choose your own adventure! Part of our Hiking for Fitness program, these free, moderate-to-strenuous group hikes are geared to keep you motivated through the cold season. Parking fees apply. Hikes are (usually) every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
route B: Crazy 8 Waterfall Loop + Vista Trail circuit: 6.5mi, 1400ft elevation, meets @ main lot
route B: Goodspeed to Gunsight Rock: 6.5 mi, 2080 ft elevation, meets @ Goodspeed lot
route B: Vista to Bald Mountain Loop: 6 mi, 1520 ft elevation, meets @ White Barn lot
Winter in Sugarloaf offers many different colors, shapes, textures, and lighting: great for practicing nature photography.
California Naturalist John Lynch leads this easy, slow, 3.5 mile hike from creekside to hillside and back through the meadow using our cameras as tools to engage in the aesthetic appreciation of nature and natural landscapes while also documenting flora and fauna through iNaturalist.
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 and have your battery fully charged. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Bring at least a quart of water, a snack, sun protection, and if preferred, a digital camera/tripod.
We will meet at the main parking lot. Heavy rain cancels, parking fees apply.
Ease of access: the Creekside Nature Trail is short, flat, composite trail. The connection from Creekside to Hillside trail is a single-track, slopped uphill. Hillside Trail is a gravel fire road with two prominent hills of around 250 ft of elevation. Hillside Trail turns into Meadow Trail after the Brushy Peaks junction. Meadow, although not ADA-compliant, is a mostly flat fire road passable by wheelchair and stroller.
Join Sugarloaf docent Jim Sickles in a geology hike to learn about more about the geological formations that give Sugarloaf Ridge State Park its namesake, how soil composition influences native flora to thrive, and take a lightning-fast journey (in geological terms) through the history of the area, from the time California was underwater to today’s volcanic caldera remains.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth (12-17 year olds), students, Sugarloaf members and Sugarloaf volunteers, and free for children under 12. Meet at the Visitor Center. Wear layers, appropriate footwear for muddy and/or slippery trails, bring at least a quart of water and if desired, a snack. Heavy rains cancel. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access: the trails we’ll hike during this event are not accessible by wheelchair, bicycle, or stroller. While the Creekside Nature Hike is an ADA-compliant trail, Hillside and Pony Gate are single-track trails with an excess of 8.3% slope elevation.
Enjoy some fungi fun with local expert, George Riner. Fungi are masters of opportunity. Even after a fire, the spores are in the air and find an environment where the local fungal species – i.e. competition – have been greatly reduced. These may show themselves in ways you may not imagine.
Be prepared for two miles of leisurely walking and chatting over moderate and possibly muddy terrain. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for youth (12-17 year olds), students, Sugarloaf members and Sugarloaf volunteers and free for children under 12. Meet outside the Visitor Center ten minutes prior to the event start time. Please wear appropriate clothing and bring a reusable drink container so your little ones can enjoy hot cocoa after the walk, if desired. Heavy rains cancel; parking fees apply.
Ease of access: we’re unable to determine ease of access as the route will be decided the day-of by the hike leader and other logistics (mud, small water crossings, slippery trails, etc).
Come to the park for a peaceful hike through the woods! Join our Docents on this fun family hike that is good for all ages. During this 2-mile hike with 400-ft elevation gain, you will learn about Sugarloaf Park, its plants, animals, and history.
Free event. Registration is not required. Meet outside the Visitor Center.
Parking fees apply, heavy rains cancel.
We invite you to bring a reusable drink container for your little one to enjoy free hot cocoa post-hike, if desired.
Sábado 31 de diciembre
10-11:30am
Venga a caminar Sugarloaf en el último día del 2022. Este paseo guiado de aproximadamente 2.1 millas es igualmente para excursionistas principiantes o avanzados. Nos reuniremos en el estacionamiento principal. La caminata y el estacionamiento son gratuitos y no requiere registración. Cruzaremos un pequeño arroyo en nuestra ruta, así que por favor vista calzado adecuado, ropa cómoda, y traiga al menos un litro de agua. También le invitamos traer una taza para que sus pequeños disfruten de chocolate caliente después de la caminata.
Las lluvias fuertes cancelan el evento. Si tiene preguntas o busca más información, por favor comuníquese con Alma o Arsel por correo electrónico (senderos@sonomaecologycenter.org) o llame a Alma al 707-247-5767.
Senderos: Last Day’s Hike
Sat, 12/31, 10am-11:30am
Come hike Sugarloaf on the last day of 2022. This guided 2.1-mile hike will take us from the main parking lot to the waterfall and back. Meet at the main parking lot. There will be a small wet crossing, so wear appropriate footwear. Please bring a reusable drink container so your little ones can enjoy hot cocoa after the walk. This is a bilingual, free event planned around a primarily Spanish-speaking audience. Families from underrepresented groups are particularly welcome. Registration is not required.
Heavy rain cancels. For questions, contact Alma or Arsel at senderos@sonomaecologycenter.org.
Celebrate the New Year with Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and California State Parks in this annual nationally-held hike! We’ll have two different routes to chose from: a Naturalist-guided 2-mile family-friendly hike, or a 5.25 to 6.5-mile trek to Bald Mountain, which includes a climb of 1,500 feet and features fantastic 360-degree views of Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and San Francisco. The final routes will be determined the day-of by trail conditions.
The Bald Mountain hike begins promptly at 9am from the White Barn, whereas the Family Hike begins at 10am outside the Visitor Center. Wear appropriate footwear for muddy or slippery trails and warm layers (it could be cold or windy up here!). Bring water, snacks, sun protection, and if heading to the summit, pack a lunch. Bring a reusable drink container for your little one to enjoy free hot cocoa post-hike. Free event; RSVP required. Be prepared for inclement weather but heavy rains cancel. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access: we’re unable to determine ease of access due to the final route being determined the day of the event.