Calendar of Events

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

On 3/4, 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 Visitor Center. This hike meets at the Visitor Center.

Departing from the Visitor Center, the 3/25 route takes us on the Creekside and Hillside trails returning via Meadow.

On 4/9, from the White Barn, we’ll scout Hillside to Brushy Peaks turning around at the Neptune picnic table and back on Meadow.

We’ll celebrate Earth Day (4/22) 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 $15 for general audiences, $7.5 for students or 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 9AM 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 approximately a 2-mile fire road loop with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing with a rudimentary 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 fire road with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing. Brushy Peaks Trail is a single-track dirt trail with 650 feet of elevation and 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 a couple of small, seasonal water crossings. Gray Pine, the connecting trail between Vista and Meadow Trails, has a year-round stream crossing with a board for a bridge.

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

On 3/4, 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 Visitor Center. This hike meets at the Visitor Center.

Departing from the Visitor Center, the 3/25 route takes us on the Creekside and Hillside trails returning via Meadow.

On 4/9, from the White Barn, we’ll scout Hillside to Brushy Peaks turning around at the Neptune picnic table and back on Meadow.

We’ll celebrate Earth Day (4/22) 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 $15 for general audiences, $7.5 for students or 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 9AM 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 approximately a 2-mile fire road loop with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing with a rudimentary 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 fire road with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing. Brushy Peaks Trail is a single-track dirt trail with 650 feet of elevation and 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 a couple of small, seasonal water crossings. Gray Pine, the connecting trail between Vista and Meadow Trails, has a year-round stream crossing with a board for a bridge.

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

On 3/4, 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 Visitor Center. This hike meets at the Visitor Center.

Departing from the Visitor Center, the 3/25 route takes us on the Creekside and Hillside trails returning via Meadow.

On 4/9, from the White Barn, we’ll scout Hillside to Brushy Peaks turning around at the Neptune picnic table and back on Meadow.

We’ll celebrate Earth Day (4/22) 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 $15 for general audiences, $7.5 for students or 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 9AM 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 approximately a 2-mile fire road loop with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing with a rudimentary 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 fire road with two 100-foot hills and a small stream crossing. Brushy Peaks Trail is a single-track dirt trail with 650 feet of elevation and 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 a couple of small, seasonal water crossings. Gray Pine, the connecting trail between Vista and Meadow Trails, has a year-round stream crossing with a board for a bridge.

Join us for a limited-mobility wildflower outing as part of 2023’s City Nature Challenge.

Participants of any level of experience can help find, photograph, 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. Alternatively, you can join our iNaturalist Introduction & BioBlitz with Dr. Dan prior to attending this event.

Meet at the White Barn. Bring water, sun protection, a full battery on your mobile device (or alternatively, a camera), and wildflower-identifying guides, if you have them. Tickets are $5. Parking fees apply; rain cancels.

City Nature Challenge runs from April 28th to May 1st, 2023. It’s a bioblitz-style 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!

This event is part of the Challenge along with other events scheduled from 4/28-5/1.

Ease of Access: The White Barn parking area has one van-designated parking spot and multiple regular parking spots that can easily be used by accessible vans. There is an accessible porta-potty a few feet from the van-designated parking spot. The Creekside Nature Trail is our ADA-compliant trail. It is a flat trail with smooth, compacted decomposed stone surface, toe rails on flat bridges, and two benches along the way for resting. A volunteer rakes the trail of debris every Friday. While dogs and emotional support animals are not allowed on park trails or the backcountry, service animals are welcomed.