Sisyrinchium bellum. Photo courtesy of Maria Mauricio, our Sugarloaf Volunteer Coordinator.

Hillside Trail:

The Hillside Trail is a graded natural surface road running along the base of Sugarloaf Ridge on the eastern side of the Sonoma Creek headwaters bowl. It is a relatively easy walk, though there are a couple of steep grades on the road. Flowering plants currently in bloom along the trail include few flowered Collinsia (Collinsia sparsifolia, shown above), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor), California (common) Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus), Ground iris (Iris macrosiphon), Common Woodland Star (Lithophragma affine), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia), Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Canyon Delphinium (Delphinium nudicaule), Pacific Sanicle (Sanicula crassicaulis), Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), Canyon Nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii), Rusty Haired Popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus), and Caraway Leaved Lomatium (Lomatium caruifolium).

Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus). Photo courtesy of Jim Webb.

Gray Pine Trail:

The Gray Pine Trail is a steep natural surface road running from the bottom of the Sonoma Creek headwaters bowl to Bald Mountain.  I walked only the segment from the Brushy Peaks Trail junction to the Meadow Trail junction. Flowering plants currently in bloom along the trail include Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus, shown above), Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), California (common) Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus),  Ground Iris (Iris macrosiphon), Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides), Orange Bush Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiaca),  Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon caputatus), Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), Fremont’s Death Camas (Toxicoscordion fremontii), Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus), Calistoga Ceanothus (Ceanothus divergens), Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea), Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Globe Lily (Calochortus amabilis), and Short Podded Lotus (Acmispon brachycarpus).

Meadow Trail:

The Meadow Trail is a well graded natural surface road running from the Observatory to the junction of the Gray Pine and Brushy Peaks Trails.  The road is nearly level, an easy walk for most users and though not ADA compliant, may be navigated by many users needing assistance. This is often a great place to see meadow and grassland flowers, but the show is not going full force yet this year.  Flowering plants currently in bloom along the trail include Broadleaf Lupine (Lupinus lattifolia, shown above), Bird’s Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor), Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), California (common) Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus),  California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), True Babystars (Leptosiphon bicolor), False Babystars (Leptosiphon androsaceus), Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchum bellum), Blue Witch (Solanum umbelliferum), Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and Canyon Nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla).

Brushy Peaks Trail:

The Brushy Peaks Trail provides a look at the diversity of native wildflowers in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, starting as a wide, natural surface road running along the headwaters of Sonoma Creek, then becoming a narrow, forested trail to the ridge of the Maycamas Moutnains that can vary from well-graded switchbacks to steep rocky sections along the ridgetop. The ridge is covered with chaparral (brush) that gives it its name.  Flowering plants currently in bloom along the trail include Globe lily (Calochortus amabilis, shown above), Mosquito Bills (Primula hendersonii), Creek Trillium (Trillium albidem), California (common) Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus),  Ground Iris (Iris macrosiphon), Common Woodland Star (Lithophragma affine), Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatum), Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Canyon Delphinium (Delphinium nudicaule), Pacific Sanicle (Sanicula crassicaulis), Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), Canyon Nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), Checker Lily (Fritillaria affinis), Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Blue Buttons (Adelinia grande), American bird’s foot Trefoil (Acmispon americanus), Short Podded Lotus (Acmispon brachycarpus), Fremont death Camas (Toxicscordion fremontii), Orange Bush Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus), Blue Witch (Solanum umbelliferum), Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus), Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorum), Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Warrior’s Plume (Pedicularis densiflora), Texas Paintbrush (Castilleja foliosa), Narrow Leaved Owl’s Clover (Castilleja attenuata), California Manroot (Marah fabacea), Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), Lace Parsnip (Lomatium dasycarpum),and Caraway Leaved Lomatium (Lomatium caruifolium).