First time hiking at open house event

Coppertone and I did our first hike at this park.  Since it is still under active development, it is not open to the general public just yet.  Sonoma County Parks opens the park several times a year to give us all a sneak peek at what's to come.  Numerous park employees and volunteers were scattered about to provide help if needed to answer any questions one might have.

One of the more endearing aspects of the park are the numerous meadows dotting the landscape.  You'll be well covered by thick tree cover and then pop out onto the edge of a pocket prairie.  The first, Cresta Meadow had a large cluster of yellow flowers in the morning when we started our hike.  The color was largely gone as we finished up.  They had decided the temperature was a bit too much for them so they curled up for some relief from the heat.

The park is home to at least 2 different species of newt, including one that is poisonous.  But we saw no sign of them on this day, not even on the eponymously named Newt Trail.

Because of a fallen tree, the back half of the Middle Ridge Trail was closed on this particular day.  So we could not manage to map out all of the trails of the park.  But that will just give us a reason to come back again at a future date.