UPDATE 1/7/2025: This event is sold out.
Join Certified CA Naturalist John Lynch as we walk through the sublime beauty of sage green lichen on burgundy manzanita bark and moss bedecked oaks down to the 25-foot dramatic plunge of Sonoma Creek. Beginning at the Visitor Center, we’ll follow Pony Gate Trail’s grassy slope, into mixed evergreen forest, along Canyon Trail’s shady riparian corridor (with the promise of newts and salamanders) to the waterfall. The return takes us back uphill to Adobe Canyon Rd and back to the Visitor Center. This stroll is approximately 2 miles with 595-feet of elevation gain.
Meet at the Visitor Center. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for youth (12-17 year olds), students, Sugarloaf members, Sugarloaf volunteers, and free for children under 12. Wear layers, appropriate footwear for muddy and/or slippery trails, bring at least a quart of water and if desired, a snack. Heavy rain cancels and will be announced early on the day of the hike. Parking fees apply.
Ease of access: The Visitor Center has one van-designated 15-minute accessible parking space and an accessible porta-potty. Pony Gate Trail is a narrow foot trail, steep in sections with a descent of 450 ft. A seasonal creek crossing without a bridge is unsafe for crossing immediately after storms. Pony Gate exits on the lower part of Adobe Canyon Rd. A few yards down, across the road, the Canyon Trail is a narrow foot trail with 10+ steps down into a fairly flat, narrow trail adjacent to Sonoma Creek. There are two very narrow wooden bridges until the detour to Sonoma Creek Falls. There are about 120 steps built into the steep trail between the waterfall detour and upper Canyon trailhead. The upper Canyon trailhead exits on the upper part of Adobe Canyon Rd, about ¼-mile away from the Visitor Center.