Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Photos

Return to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Stairs
Looking back on just one set of the many stairs we had to ascend. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Climbing
Coppertone works her way uphill on the first half of the hike. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Headed back
It's all downhill from here, or mostly. Headed down Gray Pine Trail back towards our trailhead. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Napa Valley
Along the upper reaches of the Brushy Peaks Trail there are several views into the adjoining Napa Valley. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Brushy Peak Spur sign
The spur trail leading to Brushy Peaks suffered from the 2017 fire as well. But it's still serviceable. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Brushy Peaks View
Canyon view as seen from Brushy Peaks. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Fire scars
Though the park has partially healed from the 2017 fire, some damage is still evident. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Picnic view
A great spot for a picnic features this view. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Looking back
Looking down the canyon back towards the trailhead in the distance. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Vineyard
A look at the vineyard on the opposite side of the canyon. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Brushy Peaks Trails
The trail followed a dry creek at the start with plenty of tree cover. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Meadow Trail
The Meadow Trail rolls over gentle hills and is typically open to the Sun. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Sugarloaf Ridge
The unnamed trail off of Pony Gate leads more directly back to the park entrance and provided some of the first open sky views of our hike. Here, Coppertone descends down a meadow with the peaks of Sugarloaf Ridge in the distance. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Pony Gate Trail
Pony Gate consisted of near constant ascents, crossing several streams. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Bridge
Volunteers have done a wonderful job of maintaining the trails, here repairing a bridge to make the journey easier. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Cairn
An elaborate cairn erected in the creek bed. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Seasonal Waterfall
The main feature of this hikes is the waterfall that merely goes by the name "Seasonal Waterfall" on official maps. Note the visitor above the falls for a sense of scale. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Trail View
Most of the Canyon Trail is heavily forested with steep descents or ascents. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Smaller falls
Even some of the smaller water falls on the hike were a nice feature to find along the trail. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
More verdant
As we got nearer to our trailhead even Lower Bald Mountain Trail got greener and left us with high hopes for a full recovery of the park from the fire. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Lower Bald Mountain Trail
Lower Bald Mountain Trail was heavily hit by the fire, particularly near the junction with Bald Mountain Trail. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Lupine
The blue lupine remind us of Texas Bluebonnets, which also bloom at this time of year. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Wildflowers
The wildflowers were out in force and might have been even more impressive in a week or so. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Napa Valley
Napa Valley as seen from the top of Bald Mountain. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
BackNext