Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

 

Today, Sierra and I went to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood, CA.  We have been here many times, and we have camped here, and we always love it!   

Before I talk about our hike, I want to share that I've really been enjoying exploring the parks, and I discovered that part of the joy is the journey to/from the park.  Because Northern California is so beautiful, it is just such a joy to take in the stunning scenery on my way to my destination.  Today was no different.   The journey from Sebastopol to Sugarloaf is a beautiful journey into the heart of wine country in the Sonoma Valley.  Especially right after several days of rain!  The green has started overtaking the dry, brown landscape.  It really transforms the landscape here when our winter rains arrive.   The other observation was the bare ridge line to the North of highway 12.  This was the site of not 1 but 2 major fires in the last few years.  The latest fire, the Glass Fire, burned through again, and it was truly unbelievable to see how the fire came right up to the houses in the Oakmont retirement community.  I mean, the fences right behind the houses was burned out, but somehow, the incredible fire fighters were able to stop the fire from burning the houses.  Truly incredible to see.

As I turned onto Adobe Canyon Road, I drove into what was the combination of magical wonderland forest and burned out hell.  If I looked on the left side of the road, it was all burned.  If I looked on the right side, it was beautiful and lush.  The amazing thing, again, is in the area where the trees were burned, the houses remained standing.  Really unbelievable.  

Because we had a weekend of rain, Sierra and I wanted to check out the waterfall hike - because we love it.   We start at the upper canyon trail head, which is about 300 feet before the kiosk.  There is a $10 day use fee for the park, which you can pay at the kiosk or at machine next to the kiosk.  We paid at the machine and then drove back to the first parking area on the right.  The trail head is right across the street.   This trail is steep - the entire way -- you are hiking down into a canyon about 400 feet down.  There are stairs built into the trail, but its definitely a steep down hill, and of course, a steep uphill coming back.   It is so worth it though!  At the bottom of the canyon is a creek with a 25 foot waterfall.  It is just gorgeous.

Today, the hike down was so beautiful with bright green moss covering most rocks and tree trunks.  There was a mix of redwood, oaks, ferns and bay trees.   The air is fresh, cool, moist and clean.  

We didn't see much wildlife here today, but in the past I have seen a rattlesnake, lots of woodpeckers and other birds.   We had to be a bit more careful because everything was so wet and slippery, the wooden steps, the rocks and the leaves were all slippery.  I was glad I decided to wear my hiking boots!   They definitely helped with this.    As we got down to the bottom of the canyon, we found that there hadn't been quite enough rain to bring the waterfall to its full glory, but it was still very beautiful, and we could hear the water falling, it was just behind the big boulders.  Here are some photos and a video (a moment of zen) of the bottom of the canyon:

This is where the waterfall will rush over the rocks when we have more rain. We could hear the water behind the rocks.   Its pretty awesome!

The resilient redwoods - burned but still alive!

After spending a while down by the creek, relaxing, talking, listening to the water, we decided to head back up the steep trail.  We took our time and fully enjoyed everything around us.  I even gave a madrone a long hug.

It was a fantastic hike, and if you haven't done it -- try to make it out this winter, maybe after more rain, so you get to see the waterfall in its full glory!   It was also a weekday morning when we went, so we only saw 2 other families the whole time we were there.  There are lots of other trails at Sugarloaf for hiking and biking.  They also have an observatory there where they have star parties and educational events around astronomy.  It is super cool.  Sierra's class was supposed to camp here last May and have their own private star party, but alas, it was cancelled because of Covid.  I also just noticed that they have an annual pass for $49, so if you come here frequently, that would be worth it.

I plan on doing some bigger day trips in the next couple of weeks as the girls have winter break, and we have more time to explore!   As always, we are open to recommendations if you have a favorite spot that we haven't visited.