Hiking with Kids: Sonoma Overlook Trail

We love to visit the Sonoma Valley, especially during the fall. The weather's usually great, and it's a fun Wine Country destination for families, with family-friendly wineries, historic sites, and more. If you're up for an easy hike with the kids while you're there, check out the Sonoma Overlook Trail in the north end of town. With sweeping views of Sonoma Valley and interesting things to see along the way, it's well worth seeking out.

The trailhead is adjacent to the entrance to the Sonoma Mountain Cemetery at the end of 1st Street West, just north of the Sonoma Plaza. It's well marked, and there's a kiosk with trail maps and information. Make sure you pick up a brochure to take with you on your hike so you can learn about the plants and animals that live in the area.

The round trip is approximately three miles, although shorter hikes are possible. While the Sonoma Overlook trail winds uphill with a considerable change in elevation, there are plenty of gently sloped switchbacks which make the climb easy for anyone. In fact, you don't really realize how far you've climbed until you come into a clearing that offers a spectacular vista of the valley below.

On the trail you'll hike in woodlands containing oak, bay, manzanita, toyon, and buckeye, through grassy meadows, and alongside giant boulders. Keep your eyes open for wildlife: we saw deer, wild turkeys, red-tailed hawks, and western scrub jays on our most recent hike there. You'll find numerous memorial benches along the trail; they're a great excuse to take a break, have a drink of water and snack, and take in the surroundings.

The trail is an out-and-back affair with a short loop at the very top of hill. You can make this into a shorter loop hike by picking up the well-marked Toyon Trail just before the last switchback, and following it downhill. It will drop you down into the Sonoma Mountain Cemetery, and you can take the cemetery roads back to the trailhead. Dating from the mid-1800s, the old Mountain Cemetery is beautiful and atmospheric (and even a bit creepy), and a fascinating place to visit. Some kids might be too scared to visit, but if you're up for it, you can grab a walking tour brochure at the trailhead and seek out the gravesites of notables like General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo and Revolutionary War veteran Captain William Smith.

If You Go

The Sonoma Overlook Trail is located at the north end of the town of Sonoma, near the Mountain Cemetery. To get there from Marin, take Highway 101 to Highway 37 east, then turn off onto Highway 121 at Sears Point. Follow Highway 121 north and bear right at Schellville, following the signs to Sonoma and Napa. Turn left on Broadway/Highway 12 and follow it into Sonoma all the way to the Sonoma Plaza. At the stop sign, turn left onto West Napa Street and then right onto 1st Street West. Follow 1st Street West until you get to the trailhead and the entrance to the Mountain Cemetery.

While this trail is easy enough for a family to tackle, it's narrow and rocky in places and definitely not suitable for a stroller, so bring you backpack carriers for kids too little to walk. No dogs are allowed on the Sonoma Overlook Trail.

Sonoma can get really hot in the summer and early fall, so make sure you bring plenty of water and wear hats and sunblock. There's a drinking fountain at the trailhead where you can fill up your water bottles or get a cool drink after your hike.

For more information and free downloadable brochures and trail maps (including the walking tour of the cemetery), visit www.sonomaecologycenter.org/sonoma-overlook-trail.