Part of our Hiking for Fitness program, these free, moderate-to-strenuous group hikes are geared to keep you motivated through the cold season. Registration is required. Parking fees apply. Hikes are (usually) every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
12/9 – Vista to Bald Mountain Loop: 6 mi, 1520 ft elevation, meets @ White Barn lot
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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. bring a backpack). Wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Long sleeves are suggested 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.
Part of our Hiking for Fitness program, these free, moderate-to-strenuous group hikes are geared to keep you motivated through the cold season. Registration is required. Parking fees apply. Hikes are (usually) every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
12/9 – Vista to Bald Mountain Loop: 6 mi, 1520 ft elevation, meets @ White Barn lot
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
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.
Tickets are $15 for the general public and half price for students, youth (12-17 year-olds), Sugarloaf members, or Sugarloaf volunteers. Children under 12 can attend for free. Meet at the main parking lot. Bring at least a quart of water, sun protection, wear appropriate clothing and footwear for slippery and rocky trails, and if desired, a snack. 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.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
Explore the hidden world beneath our feet on this mushroom hike led by local mycologist George Riner. We’ll observe their growth, learn to identify different species by key traits, be mesmerized by the display of colors, shapes, textures, and discuss these remarkable organisms’ ecological roles, culinary delights, and even a touch of folklore.
Be prepared for two miles of leisurely walking and chatting over moderate and possibly muddy terrain. Please be aware this is not a foray; collection is permitted for this activity through a CA State Parks Scientific Research and Collecting permit. Tickets are $10-$15 sliding scale for the general public, $5 for students, youth, Sugarloaf members, 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 footwear, bring water, and if you have them, mushroom identifying guides. We invite you to 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 the ease of access for this hike as the route will be chosen day-of by the leader dependent on weather conditions and other logistics.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
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, RSVP required. Meet outside the Visitor Center.
Parking fees apply, heavy rains cancel.
Ease of access: we’re unable to determine the ease of access at this time, as the route will be decided the day-of by the hike leader and logistical challenges.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
Explore the hidden world beneath our feet on this mushroom hike led by local mycologist George Riner. We’ll observe their growth, learn to identify different species by key traits, be mesmerized by the display of colors, shapes, textures, and discuss these remarkable organisms’ ecological roles, culinary delights, and even a touch of folklore.
Be prepared for two miles of leisurely walking and chatting over moderate and possibly muddy terrain. Please be aware this is not a foray; collection is permitted for this activity through a CA State Parks Scientific Research and Collecting permit. Tickets are $10-$15 sliding scale for the general public, $5 for students, youth, Sugarloaf members, 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 footwear, bring water, and if you have them, mushroom identifying guides. We invite you to 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 the ease of access for this hike as the route will be chosen day-of by the leader dependent on weather conditions and other logistics.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
The Hiking for Fitness Series is back for 2024! Join us for the Beginner Hiking for Fitness program, where the leaders will guide you on a series of 8 weekly hikes with the challenge increasing each week. Before the first hike, the leader will discuss proper shoes, hydration, incorporating hiking poles, proper pacing, etc. The group’s final hike aims for the route up Brushy Peaks Trail, where hikers can enjoy the beautiful vistas.
The following is a list of possible routes specifically selected for this hiking series:
1) Sat 1/6 – White Barn to Uranus, 2.1 miles, 180 ft elev [meet @ white barn]
2) Sat 1/13 – Hillside-Meadow loop, 3 miles, 490 ft elev [meet @ white barn]
3) Sat 1/20 – Lake Ralphine & Spring Lake loop, 4.3 miles, 420 ft elev [meet @ Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park boathouse]
4) Sat 1/27 – Jack London State Historic Park, May’s Clearing (map link), 3.5 miles, 820 ft elev [meet @ upper parking lot, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442]
5) Sat 2/3 – Vista Trail loop, 3.5 miles, 830 ft elev [meet @ white barn]
6) Sat 2/10 – Stern + Waterfall loop, 2.7 miles, 750 ft elev [meet @ main lot]
7) Sat 2/17 – Sonoma Valley Regional Park & Lake Suttonfield loop, 4.3, miles, 770 ft elev [meet at Valley of the Moon Trailhead, Sonoma Valley Regional Park, on Arnold Dr.]
8) Sat 2/24 – Hillside to Neptune picnic table, 4.4 miles, 970 ft elev [meet @ white barn]
Please note these routes are subject to change. Wear appropriate footwear for muddy or slippery trails and layers, as the group hikes in light rains. Bring at least a quart of water, and if desired, a snack. The group will be limited to 35 participants.
The hiking series costs $80, or free-of-cost for participants with a December 2023 or newer Park Rx from a Sonoma County Medical Provider. Click here for Park Rx info. The number of available Park Rx tickets is limited; please have your Park Rx ready at the time of sign up.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar of events.
Bring a flashlight and your sense of wonder as you explore the park after dark. This hike begins at the White Barn and heads up to the viewpoint on Vista Trail or to the top of Bald Mountain, where we will see the moon rise over the Mayacamas and the sun set over Sonoma Valley.
The Bald Mountain route is a strenuous 6.5 miles with 1500+ of vertical and some steep sections (not recommended for children under 12). It leaves the White Barn parking lot at 5:00pm.
The Vista Trail route is a moderate-to-strenuous, 4-mile hike with 700ft of elevation and begins at 6:00pm. Not recommended for children under 7.
Tickets are $10 general, and $5 for students, youth (12-17 year olds), Sugarloaf members, Sugarloaf volunteers, and free for children 7-12 years old. All minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. You must have a ticket to attend. Be at the meeting location at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the hike for a prompt departure. Bring your flashlight, at least a quart of water, snacks, and extra layers for the evening. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access:
For Vista route: The White Barn parking lot has one van-designated parking spot and an accessible porta-potty. There is a 1/4-mile paved road from the Observatory to the Meadow trailhead. Meadow Trail is an unpaved fire road that is mostly flat although not ADA-compliant. In the dry season, it is passable by stroller or wheelchair with off-road capability tires up to the bridge, about a mile in. Grey Pine Trail is a fire road with a year-round creek crossing passable by board. Vista Trail is a single-track dirt trail with at least 700ft of elevation. It has at least two small seasonal water crossings, at least two sections with steps, and multiple steep, slippery sections. Bald Mtn Trail is a paved fire road that connects Vista Trail to Lower Bald Mtn Trail. Lower Bald Mtn Trail is a single-track dirt and gravel trail with multiple narrow switchbacks and inclines with an elevation gain of approximately 500ft. It has two trailheads; one at the main parking lot, and one that leads back to the Observatory.
For Bald Mtn route: The White Barn parking lot has one van-designated parking spot and an accessible porta-potty. There is a 1/4-mile paved road from the Observatory to the Lower Bald Mtn trailhead. Lowr Bald Mtn Trail is a single-track dirt and gravel trail with multiple narrow switchbacks and inclines for an elevation gain of approximately 500ft. It merges with Bald Mtn Trail, a paved fire road with elevation of 1,000+ ft of elevation gain. The route backtracks on these same trails.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.