UPDATE 1/7/2025: This event is sold out.
Join Certified CA Naturalist John Lynch on one of his wondrous wildflower hikes. We’ll follow Pony Gate Trail’s grassy slope, into the Oak woodland and through a mixed evergreen forest, along Canyon Trail’s shady riparian corridor lined with redwoods, to the 25-foot dramatic plunge of Sonoma Creek and back to the our starting point at the Visitor Center. This outing is approximately 2 miles with 595-foot elevation gain.
Tickets are $10 for general audiences, $5 for youth (12-17 year olds; must be accompanied by a parent), students, Sugarloaf members, Sugarloaf volunteers, and free for children under 12. Meet at the Visitor Center. Wear hiking shoes, layers appropriate for the weather, bring at least a quart of water, and if you'd like, a snack, a camera, and wildflower identifying guides.
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for two miles of leisurely walking and chatting over moderate and possibly muddy terrain. Bring a quart of water, and if desired, a snack. We invite you to bring a reusable drink container for your little ones to enjoy hot cocoa after the walk. Heavy rains cancel; parking fees apply.
Ease of access: 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 a few 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 ½-mile away from the main parking lot.
