After using a weekend to witness the super bloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, we resumed our Nifty Ninety hikes with a vengeance this past weekend in Napa. We completed four hikes – three in Robert Louis Steven State Park on Saturday and one in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park the next day – and it was only possible because we managed to snag a campsite in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.
When I did my preliminary research on how best to tackle the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety, I knew the only way to complete all of them in a year meant we would have to squeeze multiple hikes into a weekend. In some cases this was easy, with one park containing multiple peaks within reasonable proximity to each other. Other times, as was the case for our Napa weekend, a little more planning was required.
Coyote Peak is located in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, which happens to be less than 15 miles from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, the home of three other peaks. When I learned that Bothe allowed camping, the plan was hatched to spend the weekend up in Napa and do all four.
Having just done the camping trip to Carrizo made it easy to prepare for our trip to Napa. Our gear was already in the Defender, all we had to do was buy more groceries. Friday mid-morning we drove up, making a stop at Dutch Door in Napa for lunch and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville for more fun provisions. By 2:00 P.M. we were checked-in to our campsite and had plenty of time to set things up.
I was really impressed with the amenities at Bothe-Napa Park. The site was level and roomy for two vehicles (our friend, who joined us, has a Class B van from Storyteller Overland, and there was plenty of room for it and our Defender), with a fire pit, picnic table and nearby garbage bins. It wasn’t far from the restrooms that had hot showers (yes, and what a treat after a hot, grimy day on the trail) and an outdoor utility sink. The only drawback were the mosquitoes. Luckily, with all the rain, campfires were allowed and we decided to start our fire early with the hope that the smoke would keep the mosquitoes at bay. We had fun that evening grilling burgers and hanging out by the fire.
Saturday morning we drove to Mount Saint Helena trailhead in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and spent all day (~8 hours) there tackling Mount Saint Helena’s North and South Peaks and Table Rock. After a refreshing shower, we had dinner on the deck at the Calistoga Inn, a 6-minute drive up the road.
The next morning, we had a more leisurely schedule since it was only a short, 2-hour hike to Coyote Peak. We made blueberry pancakes and sausage, our camping staple, packed up most of our things, and then hit the trail around 9:00 A.M. We were back by 11:00, with plenty of time to clean up and finish loading up the car. By 12:00, which was check-out time, we were on our way out.
This being Napa, no trip would be complete without indulging in more good food and wine. We stopped at Clif Family Winery and bought lunch from their food truck and paired it with a glass of wine purchased from the bar. It wasn’t until we overheard their wine educator talking to another couple that we realized the winery was founded by the owners of Clif Bar…one and the same! Not sure how we missed that connection, but once we saw the biking posters and bike-themed paraphernalia in the shop, it made a lot of sense.
We then stopped in St. Helena at Model Bakery to see if they had any more muffins left. These are the best muffins. Expensive, but worth it. They had run out but the guy at the counter rummaged up six that had already been pre-sliced which he was willing to sell to us at a discount; we took them.
It was around 2:00 by the time we got back on the road, headed for San Francisco. While we did hit some traffic, we got home with plenty of time to unload the car, unpack and still have a whole evening in front of us to relax and prepare for the work week.
Coda
It was such a fun weekend, being able to camp, hike and then drive into town to enjoy a good meal wrapped in the ambience of wine country. Bothe-Napa Valley Park, while probably well known to locals, was a hidden gem for me. In the heart of Napa, it’s surrounded by vineyards and wineries and only costs $43/night. What a deal! I would gladly stay here than in a hotel. What I save on the cost of lodging, I can spend on more food and wine experiences. Sounds like a winner to me!
Additional Information
- Campsites can be reserved using Reserve California’s website. Cost is $43/night for 1 vehicle. Second vehicle is $10/night. There are 9 walk-in sites that are first come, first served.
- The park has coin-operated showers. Bring lots of quarters. It’s worth it.