Detour for beauty at this scenic park with 25 miles of fantastic hiking and biking. On clear days, Bald Mountain views stretch to the Pacific, while Brushy Peaks Trail overlooks Napa Valley. Both trails are moderately strenuous; plan on three hours round-trip. For mellower nature experiences, check online for ecologist-guided forest-bathing walks and weekend stargazing at on-site Robert Ferguson Observatory. Temperatures can be blazingly hot in summer and fall, when wildfires are a concern – check conditions at the informative, volunteer-run visitors center.
From a distance, you may notice scars on Sugarloaf left by the 2017 fires, which burned 80% of this 3300-acre park. Restoring Sugarloaf was a mammoth effort, taken on by Sonoma community nonprofits and legions of tireless local volunteers. So if you appreciate these well-cleared woods, scenic hiking and biking trails, well-kept campsites, and volunteer-run programs, thank the volunteers at the visitors center and consider a donation to support the ongoing community efforts.
