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. View the rest of our City Nature Challenge activities here!
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.