Need a fun activity that gets you, your dad and grandfather outside for Father’s Day? Here are a list of Sonoma Valley hiking trails and activities to mark this special day with family.
Armed with sturdy boots, water bottles and daypacks, hikers head out for miles of rugged trails in the foothills above Sonoma Valley.
Far below on the flat footpaths of the valley floor, along with their baby strollers, picnic baskets, Frisbees, walking poles and sometimes wheelchairs, fair-weather walkers on Father’s Day are out for relaxing summertime rambles.
In Sonoma
A popular route for all ages, running 1.5 miles a block from the Plaza, the paved Sonoma City Trail passes baseball and soccer fields, vineyards, historic sites, a winery, a cheese factory and grassy spots for picnicking.
Alongside the trail near the Vallejo Home on weekends, Sonoma State Historic Park Interpretive Specialist Dave Duplantier is often seen setting up buckets of water and wildlife from the adjacent boggy marsh. Seeing and touching frogs, newts, tadpoles and the occasional salamander are of high excitement for kids and any passersby.
Dads and grandfathers who are fit hikers can then head to the nearby Sonoma Overlook Trail, a 3-mile, hard-packed path winding up into wooded foothills. The lookout point, hikers will see views of the entire Sonoma Valley, the low coastal range to the west, and sometimes the misty Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay in the distance.
Before, after or instead of the hike, families can meet up in the Plaza for a picnic, wine tasting and a weekly free outdoor concerts. On June 16, Sonoma Sundays on the Plaza will feature the bluesy sounds of virtuoso trombonist Mike Rinta and the Leftcoast Syncopators from 2-5 p.m.
On the south side of Sonoma, following a half-mile paved route, the Nathanson Creek Preserve is anchored by a native plant garden, benches, small playground and picnic tables. During the school year, walkers can find the Sonoma High School baseball and soccer teams on the adjacent athletic fields.
A few blocks away, Fryer Creek Trail is a 1-mile, paved, tree-shaded route running along a slow-moving stream, ending on the south end at picnic tables and a pickleball court. Tucked away between two subdivisions behind high fences, a jumble of redwoods and oaks border this popular, shady footpath, which is connected to the four-mile Sonoma City Bike Trail.
In Glen Ellen
Just off Highway 12 in Glen Ellen, is Sonoma Valley Regional Park. This 162-acre park offers a nice getaway from city life, and a cool respite on a sunny dad’s day. The meandering, shady 1.2-mile walking trail is wide, smoothly paved and nearly flat. Plus, it’s ADA-accessible.
A little creek shows up here and there in a lush oak woodland draped in silvery lichen and Spanish moss, with blankets of poppies, lupine and other wildflowers cascading down from the hillsides above.
Energetic types can wander up onto the unpaved hillside and ridgetop trails on the way to a loop around a reservoir lake.
At the nearby Glen Ellen Village Market, trail enthusiasts can pick up deli sandwiches to enjoy at picnic tables along the trail. There are also tables and barbecues beneath the oaks above the main parking lot, which also has porta-potties and a water fountain.
Above Sonoma Valley
About 16 miles north of Sonoma, off Highway 12, on Adobe Canyon Road, overlooking the valley on more than 5,000 acres of stunning, mountainous open space is Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. There is a flat ADA trail (the longest in Northern California) and another hard-packed trail that is navigable for every ability, including those who are wheelchair-bound.
Verdant with bay laurels, firs and oaks, the ADA section of the Creekside Nature Trail winds a half-mile along Sonoma Creek, with parking at both ends.
A brochure from the visitor’s center describes sights along the way, from riparian wildlife along the creek to native plants, wildflowers and geologic features. Connect from here to the Meadow Trail, which is passable by most wheelchairs. The 3/4-mile path leads to a rocky, fern-bordered stream where cooling off and searching for frogs is the order of the day.
On these two trails, there are a few naturalist-led events scheduled for Sunday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., called Slow Journeys Walks.
The summer gatherings will appeal to visitors with walkers, canes or wheelchairs. Little kids and those who just prefer slow rambles are, of course, more than welcome to join. The July 7 walk, from 4-6 p.m., will focus on eight main animals in the park. There will be plenty of breaks for conversation, photography, journaling and resting. Tickets are $5-$10, on a sliding scale. The walk is free for children under 18.
