Hiking

Sonoma is situated amid some of the most striking mountains in America, and just about an hour’s drive from the Pacific coast. With 13,000 acres of state and regional parks you’ll find many opportunities to get outside to hike, bike, and run.

https://www.sonomacounty.com/activities/outdoor-activities/

Sonoma Overlook Trail offers a pleasant 3 mile hike with views of the Sonoma Valley. The trailhead is at the entrance to the Mountain Cemetery, just a few blocks north of the Sonoma Plaza. A diverse array of native plants and animals grace the gentle grade trail, and spectacular views of the town of Sonoma, the Sonoma Valley and the Bay Area can be found in the meadow at its top. Docent-led hikes are available for students and adults many weekends. The trail is open to the public for walking during daylight hours.

The upper trailhead takes off from Toyon Road within the Mountain Cemetery. Dogs, bikes and horses are not permitted on the trail. The lower portion of the Sonoma Overlook Trail is closed through winter.

Sonoma Overlook Trail Maps:
Overlook Trail Brochure (pdf)
Cemetery Walking Tour (pdf)

Bartholomew Park is owned and operated by the Frank H. Bartholomew Foundation, a private non-profit operating foundation. Situated on 375 acres of vineyards, gardens, and forest, the Park is a protected space where the public can enjoy the beauty and history of the land.

 The Park is the site of Count Agoston Haraszthy’s original residence and vineyards, considered the birthplace of California’s premium wine industry. With over 160 years of history since the Count purchased the property, the site has seen the rise and fall of its immigrant founder; the creation of the largest winery in America; phylloxera and bankruptcy; the Cat Lady’s Castle; wayward women; a hidden lake; and the Bartholomew resurrection – It all took place here!

 Address:
1695 Castle Road, Sonoma, CA 95476

 Park & Hiking Trail Hours:
Park pedestrian entry and trail gates open at 10 am and close at 4:30 pm. Park closes at 6 pm.

Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. 

Dog Friendly:
We welcome your dogs! They must be on leash at all times while on Park grounds and trails.

Parking:
The parking lot for the Park is located to the left of the Villa on Castle Road. Please use this lot to access lawns and trailheads. Please note that the Winery parking lot is reserved for winery guests with a reservation only. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate RVs, busses, or oversized vans within the park lots. 

Group Policy:
Advance reservations are required for groups more than eight people. The Park will typically not be able to accommodate groups over 8 during peak times. Please contact the General Manager to determine availability. The Foundation reserves the right to decline such requests.

Bordered by Jack London State Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park, the 900+ acre campus of the former Sonoma Developmental Center contains a wide variety of trails, from flat, paved paths, to steep hillside climbs. Take a stroll around the old campus, walk the loop around Suttonfield Lake, or take the Eldridge Trail up to Fern Lake for amazing vistas of the Sonoma Valley below. Slated to become parklands, these 750-acres of undeveloped wildlands are an integral part of the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor.

Eldridge Campus Walk – easy 1.8-mile loop. 2.7-mile double loop if you walk the east side
Suttonfield Lake Loop – easy 2.5-mile loop trail
Fern Lake Trail – moderate to hard 3.7-mile double loop
ADA accessible trail available.
Dogs on leash: Allowed

Bordered by Jack London State Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park, the 900+ acre campus of the former Sonoma Developmental Center contains a wide variety of trails, from flat, paved paths, to steep hillside climbs. Take a stroll around the old campus, walk the loop around Suttonfield Lake, or take the Eldridge Trail up to Fern Lake for amazing vistas of the Sonoma Valley below. Slated to become parklands, these 750-acres of undeveloped wildlands are an integral part of the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor.

Eldridge Campus Walk – easy 1.8-mile loop. 2.7-mile double loop if you walk the east side
Suttonfield Lake Loop – easy 2.5-mile loop trail
Fern Lake Trail – moderate to hard 3.7-mile double loop
ADA accessible trail available.
Dogs on leash: Allowed

Ledson’s California ‘Hood Mountain’ Gunsight, an exquisite red blend that is much greater than the sum of its parts, was named after the Gunsight Rock, sitting high atop Hood Mountain just behind the Ledson Castle, offering breathtaking views of Sonoma Valley and the San Francisco Bay area.

Steve Ledson was born at the base of the mountain. He has been hiking up to the Gunsight all his life long and if you are lucky, you will meet Steve along the trail.

This 7.9-mile out-and-back trail is generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 51 min to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking and running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

The best time of year is Spring, early summer of fall, bring a hat during hot days, layers during cooler months, lots of water, good hiking shoes.

https://www.sonomahikingtrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/annadel-state-park-trail-map.pdf

Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Steve Ledson’s grandfather, Barker B. Ledson, purchased a sixteen-hundred-acre ranch bordering Steve’s great grandfather’s one hundred- and five-acre ranch on the corner of Lawndale Road and Sonoma Highway, the land known today as Annadel State Park and Oakmont. During the week, Barker worked in San Francisco as the General Manager at the City Ice Company while his wife, Edna Cunningham, a sturdy and hard-working woman, managed the ranch. They raised cattle and harvested Eucalyptus on their ranch and raised their three boys: Noble (Steve’s father), Winslow and Whitby.

For years the two ranches prospered, until in 1937 Barker Ledson died at age 57 of a heart attack. Edna was left to manage the ranch, relying on her boys and the support of her brother-in-law Penn Rich and his sons, Clifford and Ken who had years earlier taken over the William and Hannah’s Cunningham ranch after their deaths. Clifford was still managing the ranch in 2009, personally discing, pruning, and spraying the 35-acre walnut orchard planted to the property until he died just four days shy of turning 98.

Eventually, Edna sold the family ranch to a steamship builder named Joe Coney who renamed the ranch Annadale and donated it later to the California Parks Department. To this day, markers in the Annadale Park–Ledson Marsh, Steve’s Trail–reflect the Ledson legacy.

3.6 miles loop trail, 603 ft elevation, 1 hr 40 min. average time

Try this 3.6-mile loop trail near Santa Rosa, California. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 40 min to complete. This trail is great for hiking, running, and walking, and it’s unlikely you’ll encounter many other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

This route starts off with an uphill climb, but then levels out. The loop starts and stops on Channel Loop which is a heavily trafficked trail. Parts of this loop include trails that are single-use and designated for hikers only, but other trails are shared by both hikers and mountain bikers. This route is mostly a shaded trail so bring a jacket during the foggy winter months.

Check out this 3.0-mile loop trail near Glen Ellen, California. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 25 min to complete. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and horseback riding, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

There is a $10 fee for parking. This loop walk will include portions of the Beauty Ranch, the London’s experimental farm, vineyard views, a redwood forest walk, and London Lake. The walk will also take one to start-offs for several additional trails covering the bulk of Jack London SHP. Jack London’s “Beauty Ranch” comprises about 1400 acres stretching from the floor of the “Valley of the Moon” onto the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain in the heart of Sonoma County’s wine country. The park includes the remains of a number of historic structures comprising the living and operating features of Jack’s beloved ranch. This park contains Lake London, London’s vineyard and orchard, wonderful mixed forest, oak woodlands and meadow-grasslands vistas typical of the region north of the San Francisco Bay with an added feel of early California. Jack London SHP has over 10 miles of trails and fire-roads traversing through the park. Trails are available for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. Depending on the trails chosen, elevation changes range from 600 to 2,300 feet. The Park suggests carrying lots of water on trails, watching for ticks, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and poison oak. Dress for the season.