If you can hike 10 miles with at least 3,000 ft of ascent, this hike may be right for you. This very challenging hike will be like climbing Bald Mountain TWICE!
From the main parking lot, we will head out on Pony Gate trail, cross into the upper Canyon trailhead down to the waterfall, and climb back up Pony Gate to Stern Rd and Bald Mountain Trail where we will continue to the summit of Bald Mountain for a fantastic 360° view. From the summit, we will continue on Gray Pine Trail in search of a less windy location for a lunch break. Then, we will take Brushy Peaks Trail to the lookout and continue along Brushy Peaks to Hillside Trail to Creekside Trail, ending at the main lot.
This event is free (donations are encouraged) but requires RSVP. Wear appropriate footwear for rocky or slippery trails and multiple layers (it will be cold when we start; you'll get warmed up as we climb, but it will be very windy on top of Bald Mountain). Bring your lunch, at least two quarts of water, and hiking poles if you use them. Heavy rains reschedule to Saturday, January 31. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access: The main parking lot has one van-designed parking spot and one accessible vault toilet. There is no water access or cell service in this area. There is short, paved walk from the main parking lot to the Pony Gate trailhead closest to the entrance kiosk. Pony Gate is a narrow foot path, often muddy during the rainy season, with a short uphill of 0.2 miles and a descent of 0.2 miles until it connects with the Canyon- Pony Gate parking area. Canyon Trail has two trailheads, with the upper trailhead across from the aforementioned parking area on Adobe Canyon Rd. Canyon is a steep and narrow foot trail with about 120 built-in steps and a descent of approximately 450ft to the detour of Sonoma Creek Falls. Skipping the detour, Canyon Trail continues as a fairly flat trail adjacent to Sonoma Creek with two narrow wooden bridges and about 13 steps uphill to the lower Canyon trailhead on Adobe Canyon Rd. A few yards uphill, across the road, the lower Pony Gate trailhead continues uphill for over a mile, including a water crossing with a board and approximately 450 ft elevation gain until it reaches the Stern Trail junction. Stern Trail is a fire road that merges with Bald Mountain Trail after 0.05 miles. Bald Mtn Trail is a paved fire road with a 1400+ft of elevation gain up to the summit. Gray Pine is an unpaved fire road with multiple steep and slippery sections of incline and descent. It merges with Brushy Peaks after 1.2 miles. Brushy Peaks is a remote dirt trail, quite rugged, along the ridgeline. The first 2.6 miles are single-track, while the last 0.5 mile is wider and shadier with a small, seasonal creek crossing; it is often muddy during the rainy season. Hillside trail is an unpaved 0.9-mile fire road with two hills for approximately 250ft of elevation gain. Creekside Nature Trail crosses Hillside and continues approximately 0.2 miles and 100 ft down to Sonoma Creek , where it crosses over a narrow cable bridge. The trail then splits, with the western side becoming an ADA-compliant 0.4 miles in length with a slope no more than 5° that returns to the main parking lot.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit sugarloafpark.org/events
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