Hillside Morning Glory (Calystegia collina). Photo courtesy of Jim Webb
Goodspeed Trail:
The Goodspeed Trail, when combined with the Nattkemper Trail, is one of the main trails leading to Gunsight Rock and the summit of Hood Mountain. The trail is well graded and in good condition, though currently overgrown with grasses and thistles in places. Flowering plants in bloom along the trail include Hillside Morning Glory (Calystegia collina, shown above), Western Morning glory (Calystegia occidentalis), Cardinal Catchfly (Silene laciniata), Dolores Campion (Silene verecunda), Whisker Brush (Leptosiphon ciliata), Bird’s Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor), Canyon Delphinium (Delphinium nudicaule), Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus), Ground Iris (Iris macrosiphon), Fernald’s Iris (Iris fernaldii), Globe Lily (Calochortus amabilis), Cotton Tops (Micropus californicus), Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), California Milkwort (Rhinotropis californica), Whitehead Mule’s Ears (Wyethia hellenoides), and White Hawkweed (Hieracium albiflorum).
White Head Mule’s Ears (Wyethia hellenoides). Photo courtesy of Jim Webb.
Nattkemper Trail:
The Nattkemper Trail is a steep challenging trail connecting from the Goodspeed Trail at the border of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to the summit of Hood Mountain and Gunsight Rock. The trail is narrow and requires some scrambles over rock formations but is in generally good condition. Flowering plants in bloom along the trail include White Head Mule’s Ears (Wyethia hellenoides, pictured above), Bird’s Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor), Canyon Delphinium (Delphinium nudicaule), Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus), Canyon Nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), Fernald’s Iris (ris fernaldii), Globe Lily (Calochortus amabilis), Cotton Tops (Micropus californicus), Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), Pipestem (Clematis lasiantha), Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californica), Orange Bush Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiaca), Imbricate Phacelia (Phacelia imbricata), Blue Witch (Solanum umbelliferum), Western Morning Glory (Calystegia occidentalis), Deerweed (Ceanothus integrrigmus), Blue Buttons (Adelinia grandis), Fremont’s Death Camas (Toxicoscordion fremontii), Yellow Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), and Common Tarweed (Centromadia pungens).