Completed: December 23, 2023 | Elevation: 2,730′ | Trail: Lower Johnson > Panorama Ranch > Hood Mountain > Nattkemper > Summit | Distance: 7 miles
After hiking Bald Mountain and spending a restful night camping in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, we drove the short distance to Hood Mountain Regional Park and found parking in the Pythian Road Lot. Our original plan was to hike the loop but Upper Johnson Ridge Trail was closed so we set out to do another out & back hike.
The first section of the trail went around some houses before popping out onto a steep road that even had its own warning sign. Fortunately it was very short and soon we were back on a dirt trail tucked into the woods. It switchbacked several times before we reached the junction with the Panorama Trail.
Before we reached the orchard meadow we found a log to sit on and stopped to eat our sandwiches. As we continued left on the Panorama Ranch Trail, climbing up towards the low ridge line, it was possible to see the extent of the damage caused by the fires from 2020. All along this upper section of the trail, we were surrounded by charred oaks, just standing there bereft of life, a reminder of the what happens in the face of hotter and bigger fires. Three years later, the landscape was still pretty barren.
At the next intersection we stayed right onto Hood Mountain Trail and went up a steep incline. The exposed trail eventually entered the forest and I could feel the temperature drop several degrees.
We hiked in the shade before reaching a sheltered clearing—this was the top of Hood Mountain. A plaque marked the summit. There was a small rock outcropping that afforded really beautiful views to the south, otherwise the summit was enclosed by bushes and shrubs.
It was still early so we decided to hike to Gunsight Rock. Leaving the summit we stayed right to continue on the trail. At the intersection we turned onto Nattkemper Trail. Several downed trees on the trail made for an interesting obstacle course, forcing us to contort ourselves to crawl under or climb over branches. We started to lose elevation and came to a junction where one trail continued back to Sugarloaf Ridge SP. To reach the overlook, we made our way back up the hill in front of us. As we rounded the hill, we could see a large outcropping to our left. We approached the rocks and scrambled to the top. From the ledge we literally had a bird’s eye view of Sonoma—from Kenwood right below us, to the vineyards, mountains and ocean in the distance.
On our way back, we decided to take Summit Trail, to mix things up a little bit and avoid the steeper areas of Hood Mountain Trail. We were in the shade most of the way and eventually re-connected with Panorama Ranch Trail. The return trip went by quickly. It was around 4:30 P.M., a roughly 4.5-hour hike, when we returned to the car.
As we drove towards Glen Ellen on Highway 12, the light from the setting sun swathed Hood Mountain and Gunsight Rock in a fiery orange. It was really beautiful, a fitting end to our afternoon hike, and our last Nifty Ninety peak of 2023.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Additional Info
- The parking fee is $7, payable at the machine near the port-a-potty.