Napa & Sonoma:
About an hour north of San Francisco are the two valleys of Napa and Sonoma. World-famous for their wine, fine dining, natural beauty, arts and events, Napa and Sonoma Valleys offer visitors a lot to do. Wine enthusiasts can tour vineyards and wineries as well as take in the natural surroundings on foot, by bike, train, van or limousine. Tourists can easily rent bikes at many spots along the popular trails and main streets in both valleys. It is common to see groups of bicyclists pedaling along the Silverado Trail in Napa, for example, or stopped for lunch along Highway 29, a relatively peaceful two-lane highway that takes visitors north through the fabulous towns of Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga. Another popular way to view the lush scenery and rolling hills is by hot air balloon, which visitors can see taking off most mornings.
"The Crush":
While grapes are grown year-round in the valleys, the growing process culminates in "the crush," when the grapes are literally crushed and turned into wine. Crush season is a busy and exciting time in Napa, Sonoma and any grape-growing region, when the smell of freshly-picked grapes blankets the valleys. The fall crush is the big event in Napa and Sonoma and usually takes place between late August and October, when the sugar level in the grapes reaches an optimal point. Of note, this point is different for every grape varietal. For example, Champagne requires the lowest sugar level, and is therefore picked first. Chardonnay is second, and the famous California reds come in last with the highest sugar levels. Wineries often celebrate the crush by involving visitors and guests, sometimes by having them go barefoot in the giant oak barrels to crush the grapes with their feet, as people used to do before modern machinery automated the process (and as Lucy did famously on the 1950's sitcome "I Love Lucy").
About an hour north of San Francisco are the two valleys of Napa and Sonoma. World-famous for their wine, fine dining, natural beauty, arts and events, Napa and Sonoma Valleys offer visitors a lot to do. Wine enthusiasts can tour vineyards and wineries as well as take in the natural surroundings on foot, by bike, train, van or limousine. Tourists can easily rent bikes at many spots along the popular trails and main streets in both valleys. It is common to see groups of bicyclists pedaling along the Silverado Trail in Napa, for example, or stopped for lunch along Highway 29, a relatively peaceful two-lane highway that takes visitors north through the fabulous towns of Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga. Another popular way to view the lush scenery and rolling hills is by hot air balloon, which visitors can see taking off most mornings.
"The Crush":
While grapes are grown year-round in the valleys, the growing process culminates in "the crush," when the grapes are literally crushed and turned into wine. Crush season is a busy and exciting time in Napa, Sonoma and any grape-growing region, when the smell of freshly-picked grapes blankets the valleys. The fall crush is the big event in Napa and Sonoma and usually takes place between late August and October, when the sugar level in the grapes reaches an optimal point. Of note, this point is different for every grape varietal. For example, Champagne requires the lowest sugar level, and is therefore picked first. Chardonnay is second, and the famous California reds come in last with the highest sugar levels. Wineries often celebrate the crush by involving visitors and guests, sometimes by having them go barefoot in the giant oak barrels to crush the grapes with their feet, as people used to do before modern machinery automated the process (and as Lucy did famously on the 1950's sitcome "I Love Lucy").
Trails
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail, Napa
Wine country also makes excellent hiking country, as illustrated by this great Napa hillside route.
Wine country also makes excellent hiking country, as illustrated by this great Napa hillside route.
Moderate
7.4 mi/
11.9 km
11.9 km
Mount St. Helena Trail
Take in awesome views on a hike to the summit of the highest peak in the California Wine Country
Take in awesome views on a hike to the summit of the highest peak in the California Wine Country
Difficult
10.0 mi/
16.1 km
16.1 km
Jack London State Historic Park
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Lower Park Overview, Lack London State Historic Park
Loop Walk on the Lower Trails: Happy Walls House and Museum, Jack and Charmian’s Grave Site, Wolf House Ruins, Vineyards
Loop Walk on the Lower Trails: Happy Walls House and Museum, Jack and Charmian’s Grave Site, Wolf House Ruins, Vineyards
Easy
1.6 mi/
2.6 km
2.6 km
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Napa Valley Woodlands, Pioneer Cemetery, and Grist Mill
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Out and back hike to the Historic Bale Grist Mill.
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Out and back hike to the Historic Bale Grist Mill.
Easy
3.1 mi/
5.0 km
5.0 km
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park Exploration
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park stands as a reminder of the natural flora and fauna of the area before the vineyards arose.
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park stands as a reminder of the natural flora and fauna of the area before the vineyards arose.
Difficult
4.0 mi/
6.4 km
6.4 km
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Bald Mountain Trail, Vista Trail, and Meadow Trail Loop
A great overview hike of Sugarloaf State Park
A great overview hike of Sugarloaf State Park
Easy
4.2 mi/
6.8 km
6.8 km
Guides
Wine country also makes excellent hiking country, as illustrated by this great Napa hillside route.
Cycle through California wine country.
3.0 mile trail near St. Helena, California
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park stands as a reminder of the natural flora and fauna of the area before the vineyards arose.
Take in awesome views on a hike to the summit of the highest peak in the California Wine Country
A great overview hike of Sugarloaf State Park
Beauty Ranch and London Lake at Jack London State Historic Park
Loop Walk on the Lower Trails: Happy Walls House and Museum, Jack and Charmian’s Grave Site, Wolf House Ruins, Vineyards
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Out and back hike to the Historic Bale Grist Mill.
a great 5.6 mile hike
2.2 mile trail near Petaluma, California
Community Trips
Barbara proposed to go hiking up to Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. This is a park I have never been to and that I was recently looking at, so despite the long drive, I was in. And so was Pavla.One of the trails leading to Bald Mountain is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail (B.A.R.T.) system so I thought it was also an opportunity to hike that segment.We decided...
Mapped out a route for a group ride, but I needed to test it out. So instead of going to work on a Friday, I went to Annadel. I think I made the right choice. It was a great ride. Good Technical Climbs and fun descents. Some of the trails might be fun to take the other way, but this is the way I will take the group.
Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)
4:41:18
10:47...
We drove from Sacramento, up through Napa Valley (stopping for some tasting along the way, of course) and then up just outside of Calistoga to Robert Louis Stevenson state park, where Mt St. Helena rests. We hiked about half way up the mountain and had a picnic lunch with a fabulous view!On the way back we stopped and explored the town of Calistoga.
One of the Steeper sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, I skipped the side trip to Merganser Pond as I was time limited from having to pick up the girls back in Santa Rosa so we could head over to Russian River BC for dinner. Wildlife seen: blue tailed skink, ring neck snake and maybe a fox, small coyote or small bobcat, didn't get a good picture of the latter.It's a...
Club bike ride from St. Helena down Silverado Trail road to Napa and then returning on the west side of the valley with a stop at the Sattui winery.
Bike Ride from Napa Valley College first heading north along the west edge of the valley, climbing Mt. Veeder, and continuing down the Oakville Grade. We stopped for lunch at the Sattui vineyards and returned to Napa on the Silverado Trail.
This ride covers the perimeter of Annadel State Park. Approximately 20 miles with about 3,400 ft in total elevation gain. Min grade -30.9%, Max Grade 23.7%
This route maximizes some of the roughest, most technical terrain at Annadel State Park on the descents (Rough Go, Cobblestone, N/S Burma). My absolute favorite ride in the greater Bay Area. If you're looking to add more single track, you can easily incorporate a loop around Ledson Marsh instead of continuing down to Buick Meadow directly.
Drove up from San Jose to hike some different scenery. We made good time getting up to the top and enjoyed the wonderful views. Saw a gray fox on the way up which was a treat for me as I haven't seen one that I can remember. After quite a while hanging around on the summit we made a quick descent and headed over to Russian River Brewing Co for some wonderful...
Reviews
