Completed: January 15, 2024 | Elevation: 1,630′ | Trail: Skyline Trail > Thatcher’s Rim Rock Trail > Lake Marie Road Loop | Distance: 7 miles
Hiking during the Bay Area’s rainy season is always a bit challenging, but after a deluge on Saturday, the weather cleared and we were able to hit the trail on Monday, hoping that one day was enough to help the ground dry out a bit.
We drove to Skyline Wilderness Park, located on the southeastern edge of downtown Napa, to complete our last easily accessible North Bay peak: Sugarloaf Mountain. (Not to be confused with Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which is home to Bald Mountain, another Nifty Ninety peak.) This was another new park for us, and neither of us had heard of it, despite the numerous times we’ve been to Napa.
After paying the $6.00 entrance fee, we found a spot near the path to the trailheads. We walked past the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden, an RV parking lot, and along a large retaining pond before coming to a sign marking the different trails. We were hiking the loop counterclockwise, so turned right to follow Skyline Trail.
The trail climbed quickly for about a half-mile up the flank of the hill. Looking back we could see the city of Napa and the surrounding countryside sprawled out in all directions. Once the terrain leveled off, we found a fallen log to sit on and have lunch. Several people walked by, always pausing to acknowledge us with a short wave or a hello. I found this friendliness striking.
Refueled, we continued on Skyline past stands of gnarled oak trees until we met up with the Buckeye Trail. According to AllTrails, we should have stayed on Skyline, but we missed the split and ended up following Buckeye until it eventually met up with Skyline again. We remained on Skyline as it continued parallel to Lake Marie.
The trail, beyond the first half mile of incline, had been fairly flat, but as we made one creek crossing and headed farther away from the lake, we could feel it starting to go up. A fifth of a mile from the creek, we turned onto Thatcher’s Rim Rock Trail and found ourselves ascending in earnest. Very quickly we encountered a steep, rocky section that switchbacked up the mountain. This was followed by a short stretch of narrow, craggy trail. Fortunately, none of it was slippery, and it made for a fun hike. There was one final steep part of the trail before we finally reached the summit.
The summit wasn’t remarkable, mostly covered in shrubs and trees that blocked any chance of a view. A ring of rock looked like it marked the peak itself. We didn’t linger long.
As we left the peak behind us, the trail exited the tree covering and opened up onto some really beautiful views. It was possible to see from San Francisco, across to Marin, and up through wine country. Soon the views disappeared as our elevation dropped. The rest of the way on Thatcher’s Rim Rock Trail was equally pretty. It was just us, the distant sound of the creek and lush, green hills.
About 1.5 miles from the peak, we crossed a bridge and reached the intersection with Lake Marie Road. From here it was just over a mile back to the car. In total it had taken us a little over 3.5 hours to complete the hike. It was definitely one of the more enjoyable hikes, with a good mix of terrain and elevation gain/loss.
With Sugarloaf Mountain checked off, we only have one remaining North Bay peak to tackle: Berryessa Mountain.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.