A Long Weekend Camping in Sonoma County

It’s Spring Break here but the meaning of that is so different this year. We’d planned to take our little trailer to the giant sequoias of Sequoia National Park this week, but instead we’re just feeling grateful that we’re safe at home with all we need. Even though we can’t travel now and we don’t know when we’ll be able to again, I will continue sharing travel tips in the hope that they help you plan what to do when you can leave home, or maybe just provide a little respite from the news lately.

After we got our GeoPro trailer in late 2018, our favorite way to spend time off was to take it to another part of Northern California and explore. This year, on Presidents’ Day weekend, we hooked up the trailer and spent three days in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma County. It was so lovely, and we’ve often reminisced about it since. Here’s why we loved it so:  

1. The location

We chose this state park because it’s an easy drive of less than two hours from Sacramento. It’s near Sonoma-area wineries and restaurants, which we plan to take advantage of when we stay here again, but once you’re in the park, it feels far away from civilization.

Its location in the Mayacamas Mountains between Sonoma and Napa counties means that the park was in the epicenter of the 2017 fires. Although there’s little evidence now, some parts of the park were devastated. If you hike the Hillside Trail, you can see trees that were burned in the fire.

2. Kid-friendly campground

The campground is one of the most kid-friendly ones we’ve been to. My kids especially enjoyed looking for toads, lizards, and big slugs, while others rode their bikes and scooters and played in the water. There’s a stream that runs through the campground, providing hours of entertainment, and the hiking trails, Visitor Center, and picnic areas are all very close by. The campground also discourages alcohol to keep a family-friendly atmosphere.

The park offers plenty of kid-friendly hikes and an observatory that’s open a couple weekends a month. Besides the usual stuff you’d expect, the Visitor Center sells ice cream (which we used to bribe our kids into hikes, of course), offers free hot chocolate to those who complete the Quest Hike, and has a small interactive display of animal items for kids to check out. 

3. The hikes

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has 25 miles of trails of varying difficulty for hiking and horseback riding. The Visitor Center offers a handy flyer of the hikes with lists of 6 family hikes and 11 extended hikes, plus hikes broken down by type (for example, hikes for wildflowers or for sun). We tackled a few of the easier ones during our stay but plan to return to do some of the longer trails. 

Creekside Nature Trail:

We loved this little hike that starts just behind the campground and follows the burbling Sonoma Creek. It’s an easy, 1-mile hike with a nature guide that you can pick up at the Visitor Center or in the small box at the trailhead. The guide explains all about the plants and habitats that you pass by on this trail. 

Meadow Trail:

This trail begins a short walk (10 minutes?) behind the campground and observatory. It’s a flat, 1-mile loop with views of the mountains, meadow and old oak trees. Instead of doing the whole loop, we hooked up with the Hillside Trail for a longer hike. Note that this trail is considered accessible because it’s a flat gravel trail, and it’s not shaded so be careful on warm, sunny days.

Hillside Trail:

We hiked this 1-mile trail as part of the Meadow-Hillside loop. This moderate trail takes you up 250 feet to a hillside overlook. There’s a lot of up and down, so this wasn’t our kids favorite hike, but they enjoyed crossing a couple of creeks, seeing fire damaged trees, and looking for animal footprints. In spring, this is a good one for wildflowers. I’d recommend packing a picnic to enjoy at one of the picnic tables, either at the overlook or just before the creek near where the Meadow and Hillside trails connect. 

Canyon Trail:

This was our favorite trail! Just down the road from the campground you can access the Canyon Trail and descend into the canyon for redwoods and a 25 foot waterfall. The waterfall is seasonal, so expect it to be flowing in winter and spring, possibly early summer. 

Due to the dampness of the canyon, the rocks and trees are covered in moss, quite a contrast to the often dry landscape in Northern California.

There’s quite a lot to do here, so plan plenty of time to descend about 400 feet into the canyon, explore the waterfall and redwoods, and then come back up or continue walking to hook up with the Pony Gate loop. Note that the water around the waterfall is clear and fairly shallow, so it makes for pretty kid-friendly exploring.

4. The nature

California never ceases to amaze me. In this case, it’s the diversity of the nature in this park that’s so close to Sonoma and Napa. The park is home to mountain lions, bobcats and black bears! At the Visitor Center, you can see proof of the animals that live here in photos taken by hidden cameras in the park.

On the trails, you can see a variety of plants in different microclimates, from old oaks and manzanitas near the campground to redwoods and lots of moss in the damp, cool canyon.  

Tips for camping at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park:

–the campground sits at an elevation of 1,200 feet

–there are 49 campsites that can accommodate trailers and campers up to 24 feet. Some campsites are fairly tight! (See below for the best campsites.)

–the Visitor Center folks were helpful and helped us find the best campsite available after we arrived

–most of the campsites are shaded, something to keep in mind as a bonus if you come in summer but also a possible problem if you need to charge solar panels.

–the campground has one bath house with private bathrooms and showers. The other toilets are vault toilets, so you may want to book a site near the bath house.

–each site has a table and a fire ring, with flush toilets and drinking water nearby.

–the water is kind of brownish but is safe to drink and tastes fine. We always bring a small filter pitcher and fill it up at the spigots.

–dogs are not allowed on trails!

–dogs must be in a tent, camper or enclosed vehicle during the night and must be on a leash under your control at all times.

See their brochure for more info about the campground.

The best campsites at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park:

26-28: the best sites with more privacy and they back up to the Hillside Trail. They fill up quickly, especially on weekends. 

1-3 and 50: nice sunny sites near the creek

6, 22, 23, and 42 are nice sites with more shade

If you’re looking for 2 sites next to each other, book 13 & 14, or try 4 & 5, 48 & 49 (close to the Visitor Center), 8 & 9 (next to the bath house), or 45 & 46 (these sites back up to a trail but completely shaded).

15 is a yurt site, which you can use with or without sleeping inside the yurt. It’s a beautiful site next to the creek in full sun (see the white yurt below).

I really miss the days of exploring the outdoors and running freely. What are your favorite parks for camping and hiking in California?