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    Sonoma Overlook Trail

    4.3 (30 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Sonoma Overlook Trail Photos

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    walking back down with friends
    Jess L.

    If you're looking forward to a low-key but rewarding trail, this one should be on your list! There's plenty of parking at the base of the hill, and the trail starts at a cemetery, making it easy to find. The path is well marked, and there are a few different routes you can decide to take along the way. As other Yelpers have mentioned, there are some rocky parts, so I would recommend sneakers. But overall it's a very manageable trail. We saw kids as well as seniors walking the the trail. I even noticed a couple getting a solo wine tasting at the top. No dogs allowed on the trail. Lovely view of Sonoma at the top - and even along the way. I also appreciated the pretty, stone benches along the way if you want a break.

    Jonathan C.

    A nice hike for those looking to take a break from wine tasting. It's a 3 mile RT, with a gentle incline and suitable for most ages except those with mobility issues. You get a nice view of downtown Sonoma and can also see SF on a day with clear skies. We didn't see any wildlife aside from birds, but supposedly there are bobcats in the area. The parking lot is an adequate size and there is plenty of street parking just outside the entrance.

    Lisa P.

    This trail is great for a short walk that culminates with a nice view of Sonoma! We went early on a Friday morning and saw several gray deer before the trail got busy. The trail wasn't difficult, but it is rocky, so you have to watch where you are stepping in order not to slip or fall. There are signs for a few different trails and the few that we went on all were relatively short and easy. Overall, a great activity to get some exercise in for the day before visiting wineries!

    Gen vallejo grave
    Brian M.

    Highly highly recommend this hike. Amazing views easy slight incline to the top 600ft up and u can see the whole valley and sf skyline on a clear day. Come back thru the mountain cemetery and enjoy the clean air and deer

    View From Trail
    Ryan F.

    Hiked Sonoma Overlook Trail on Sunday morning. A nice, easy, and healthy way to start the morning before switching to brunch and wine. Quality: Sonoma Overlook Trail is a fairly easy hiking trail that provides views of the nearby Sonoma area, and on a clear day you can even spot San Francisco in the distance. There are several offshoot trails that take you to other nearby areas, but we just followed the zig-zag trail up the mountain to the main overlook. While not an especially exciting trail, the proximity to Sonoma Plaza makes it a convenient hike to do while exploring the nearby restaurants and tasting rooms. Value: No fee to hike the trail. Ambiance: Sonoma Overlook Trail is just north of Sonoma Plaza in Northern California. The hike we took starts near a small cemetery before winding up a small mountain. Never too steep, it is a steady climb that provides views of nearby Sonoma and the surrounding valley the entire way up. When you reach the top, be sure to check-out the picture, which can help you spot some of the skyscrapers way out in San Francisco, assuming it is clear enough. Crowd: We saw a few individuals while hiking, but the path we took was pretty empty. Service: It is a relatively short trail and not heavily trafficked, but it seemed well maintained. Several barriers and signs were put up to try and protect areas that were impacted by too many hikers going off-trail. Parking: Small parking lot near the trailhead, and plenty of free parking in nearby Sonoma Plaza.

    Jennifer L.

    Easy 3 mile trail close to sonoma square. We were able to leisurely complete the trail in under an hour. The trail was busy and we saw anywhere between 30 or 40 people. The view from the top was gorgeous. Definitely a nice way to start the day before heading out to the wineries.

    Avoid high noon if you're hiking in the summer!
    Laura B.

    This is not a "hike" hike - for an all-day, calf-tearing, dehydrating sweatfest, hit up a local state park in the area, or run up and down this trail a few times. To find this place, GPS yourself to the cemetery (surprisingly the least creepy one I've ever seen, if you're okay with tombs) - you'll immediately see the trailhead upon arriving, festively adorned with placards, fliers, and maps to prepare you for your quick up-and-back journey to the top of the hill. Gotta give the volunteers props for all the intel! What makes this a 5-star trail is the absolute serenity of the scene - low wind, sweeping vistas, and diverse terrain (with lots of memorial benches) - creating an ideal place to unwind, chill out, and meditate. Sign the logbook at the top and enjoy the stroll. You're close enough to downtown for a post-hike wine crawl to continue the fun. :-)

    Entrance to parking area

    If you're in the area and have about an hour or so then this is a must. Beautiful walk with little or no effort needed.

    David D.

    Sonoma Overlook Trail is a gem if you're looking for a nice little hike while in the area--and you should, since, if you're in Sonoma, you're likely stuffing your face with amazing food and wine. Came here on a drizzly day while in wine country for a weekend; it was a perfect day for a hike. There are a few paths you can take while meandering around the trail (see map) but watch out for poison ivy/oak. The trails are not strenuous at all but some parts are rocky so you need to be careful about tripping. Along the path I noticed a stone bench dedicated to Gypsy Boots (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_Boots and my pic), a guy I've never heard of but who had an awesome name. Directions to this trail are on the brochure I uploaded. The trail seems like it gets a lot of use so keep that in mind when you're looking for parking.

    View from the top!
    Brian S.

    Before we ate cheese and drank wine for two straight days, we thought it would be a good idea to get some exercise. Plus, I have my limits for wineries. So, what to do? Luckily for us, the Sonoma Overlook trail is right outside the main town. It's not the most strenuous hike, but it is nice, with some great views. The one thing I thought was neat about the trail was the fact that it exited out into an old cemetary. It's just really interesting seeing half submerged tombstones when you're leaving. We also met some cool locals. Overall, not a bad option for getting out and seeing a bit of nature...before boozing it up. ;-)

    Stephanie S.

    Almost gave up trying to find this place. Neither one of us could get our navigation to locate Sonoma Overlook Trail. If it wasn't for Mildred A's helpful review complete with detailed directions to... we would have never found it. Decent enough 3 mile hike. Perfect for a leisurely Sunday outing. Pleasant views.

    Where the Sonoma Overlook Trail meets up with the Upper Meadow Loop Trail.
    Julie W.

    Nice hiking trail in Sonoma. I used the directions/instructions that the reviewer AR posted in order to find it. Easy to get to, plenty of parking, nice informative board at the entrance that introduced the trail (and connecting trails), things to look out for, etc. Easy uphill hike. Mostly shaded. Very nice scenic view at the top. There were some spots/benches to sit down and rest. Our two kids (7 & 10) enjoyed it. Even my 82yr old MIL made it halfway up with her walking stick. Go MIL! The first part of the trail had large rocks which made maneuvering a little difficult, but further up, became more gravelly and flat and this much easier. We were cautious of the poison oak and the potential snakes and luckily did not see any snakes.

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    11 years ago

    Nice easy trail. Easy to find and felt safe. Good for visitors. Just head north on First street. Behind veterans memorial park. Enjoy :)

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    Ask the Community - Sonoma Overlook Trail

    What is the best time weather wise to go on the trail?

    Year-round. The soil has quite a bit of clay, so rain just runs off and it doesn't get very muddy.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Sonoma Overlook Trail

    Great workout, picturesque views, clean air, and lots of entertainment just minutes below this trailhead.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Jack London State Historic  Park - Gorgeous trail with nice natural light

    Jack London State Historic Park

    4.7(191 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    Jack London's gravesite and ruins of Wolf House. We came for the abandoned house and were very…read moreimpressed by the scale and size, Jack London must have been very wealthy for the time to have a house like this. The sad thing is it burned down right before completion so they never got to live in the house. The use of stones and rock kept a lot of the walls despite the fire and it reminds me of of an oversized version of a Greene and Greene style Craftsman Bungalow I saw in Pasadena, CA. If you are a fan of abandoned places you will like coming here. It's fenced off for safety so you can't go running around the structures but you can do a full 360 walk around and there is a platform you can walk on that's about in the middle of the house and you get a good view of the pool and different floors from here. The hike from the parking lot to the museum and to the grave sites and house are easy, my senior parents and young kids were able to do it easily. I would stop by the museum on the way back, there are some nice artifacts from Jack London as well as a scale model of what the hosue was supposed to look like.

    Can def spend all day here. Interesting to learn about Jack London. Loved that he lived such a full…read morelife even when cut short. Thankful that his wife Chairman left everything for us to learn and explore. There a $10 fee per vehicle to enter. Def worth it as there are numerous sites to see. I started with the museum as it opens at 9 am. Short hike to his once dream house unfortunately got burned down. His resting place all can be done in a short hikes on the other side the cottage open at noon. Meanwhile I did a few hikes in area. Def worth to visit

    Photos
    Jack London State Historic  Park - Museum is worth stopping at

    Museum is worth stopping at

    Jack London State Historic  Park - This is the cottage they lived in, Jack, London, and his wife Charmaine before they built wolf House

    This is the cottage they lived in, Jack, London, and his wife Charmaine before they built wolf House

    Jack London State Historic  Park - Easy trail for old and young people

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    Sugarloaf Ridge State Park - Morning coffee companions.

    Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

    4.3(151 reviews)
    10.7 mi

    An amazing network of trails of all levels can be found at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, as well as…read moreinformational trails that are great for kids. You can pick up a list of trails and rough map at the entrance. We meandered creekside, and looped Hillside Trail to meadow trail, all with amazing scenery. Very clean and well-maintained park, with plenty of rangers. Loads of great picnic areas as well. Can't wait to return and try more hikes.

    This state park was relatively easy to get to despite the long drive and heavy traffic from…read morePeninsula. However the road leading up to the park was relatively straightforward. We are getting into camping this year and this was our trial run with all the new gears we bought. We rented camper site #1 which is labeled as "premium". Maybe it was a bit bigger than the regular sites but other than that it didn't feel particularly premium. Since #1 and 48 are the first and last sites in the campground loop and closest to the visitor center, they had the best WiFi reception. The downside is we were the farthest to the bathrooms and showers which were located on the opposite site of the loop. This made trekking over at night a bit inconvenient. The bathrooms were somewhat clean and the showers are coin-operated at the cost of 25c per minute. Shampoo and body wash were provided which is nice. All in all this was a nice introductory experience for us. If we were to come back to camp at this park we will opt for site #3 which is nicely tucked into the shaded corner and is fairly close to the bathrooms.

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    Sugarloaf Ridge State Park - Poppies on the Quest hike

    Poppies on the Quest hike

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    North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park - A large vulture- not sure what kind

    North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park

    4.9(9 reviews)
    9.1 mi

    The North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve is an amazing park with incredible…read moreviews! There's a parking fee or it's free if you have a Regional Park Pass. They have a bathroom near the parking lot that they keep clean. There are several different trails that you can take and some that connect to Jack London Park. We hiked the Bennett Valley Overlook Trail, which is a 3.7 mile out and back trail. Dogs are not allowed on this particular trail so you will have to leave your four legged friends home if you decide to hike this trail. The overlook has stunning views. There are two picnic tables if you want to pack a lunch/picnic and enjoy the views for longer. Most of the trail is not shaded so something to consider and bringing a hat may come in handy for this reason and wearing sunscreen on sunny days. Also wear hiking shoes and bring water to stay hydrated along the way. We enjoyed our hike and the views and look forward to hiking some of the other hiking trails soon!

    Went here recently with friends for a day hike. We went to discover scenic vistas. We enjoyed a…read morenice picnic on picnic tables overlooking scenic vistas and also enjoyed some chess as I am an avid chess player. Giant redwood trees and the setting sun. There is also the umbrella tree which is a unique tree to climb and enjoy shade underneath it on a sunny day. Recommended hiking here. There are many options and the views can't be beat!

    Photos
    North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park
    North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park - The views...

    The views...

    North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park

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    Land Trust of Napa County - Linda Falls from the bottom

    Land Trust of Napa County

    5.0(1 review)
    9.4 mi

    I've hiked with Napa Land Trust a bunch of times & continue to hike with them when I can. My last…read morehike was Linda Falls on Sunday 1/9/11. It's a short moderate hike of about 3 miles roundtrip. To hike with them you need to plan ahead and make reservations. I booked my group of 4 about 3 weeks beforehand, but I've done it with only a few days notice. Meet the leader Chris, then we carpooled to a location she told us in Angwin. There wasn't much climbing, & only 2 rushing creeks that we had to cross - nobody fell in & I didn't even get my feet wet. That was nice. I was at the lower more dramatic falls to Linda Falls & was able to go down by following the pipe, then heading down. It was not too scary. The middle cascade up higher was nice, very top cascade wasn't much. Best to go to the bottom & look up. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/KjQcSZOtbG-Ev2PQaLb8TQ?select=59AxVR2wCFTnKP6ixCM0PA It's a 31 foot waterfall. Hike back was really short only about 10 minutes & we were done. Hike took 3hrs to finish from 10am-1pm. Next schedule Linda Falls hike with the Napa Land Trust is Sunday 2/13/11. Website here: http://napalandtrust.org/

    From the owner: Land Trust of Napa County is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving the character of…read moreNapa by permanently protecting land. In our 44-year history, we've completed 225 projects, protecting 81,000 acres of land - 15% of Napa County.

    Photos
    Land Trust of Napa County - Side view of Linda Falls

    Side view of Linda Falls

    Land Trust of Napa County - Top of Linda Falls

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    Sonoma Overlook Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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