After the October 2017 Nuns Fire and the October 2020 Glass Fire burned 70-85% of Sugarloaf, it took months of hard work to repair trails and facilities. Now, almost 5 years after the Glass Fire, signs of the fire are masked by a vibrant recovery and renewal. Join Naturalist John Lynch on this 3.5-mile, 3.5-hour hike along the Lower Bald Mountain hillside to the Observatory and back along the shady creekside to explore these remarkable changes and talk a little about how the original peoples of this area used fire. We will also search for late summer wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies.
Meet at the main parking lot. Tickets are $10 for general audiences, $5 for students, youth (12-17 year olds; must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian), Sugarlof members, volunteers, and free for children Bring at least a quart of water, layered clothing, hiking shoes/boots, snack, sun protection, and as an option, hiking poles and/or a camera. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access: The main parking lot has one van-accessible parking space and an accessible vault toilet. There is no running water in this area. Lower Bald Mtn Trail starts at the NE corner of the main parking lot. It is a single-track dirt and gravel trail with multiple narrow switchbacks and inclines with an elevation gain of approximately 150ft, where it splits at the junction to continue upwards to Bald Mountain, or down to the Robert Ferguson Observatory. From the Observatory, there is a paved, fairly flat road that leads to the White Barn and the Creekside Nature trailhead. The Creekside Nature Trail is a mostly-shaded 0.9-mile ADA-compliant trail that leads back to the main parking lot.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit sugarloafpark.org/events
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