See all Sonoma County has to offer on this fantastic hike through two of its most stunning parks. Hear the call of the wild as start your journey in Jack London State Historic Park. Explore the author’s beloved Beauty Ranch estate, then continue your journey west towards North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and take in the breathtaking vistas of Sonoma Valley along the way. Use Sonoma County Parks’ ‘Sugar Shuttle’ for an easy point-to-point adventure.
Jack London State Historic Park & North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
County: Sonoma
Distance: 7.4 miles one-way/14.8 miles out-and-back (see below for shuttle info)
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,695 feet/1,345 feet one-way
Difficulty: Difficult
Directions: Starting from Jack London State Historic Park, begin on the Lake Trail from the middle of the westernmost parking lot. After 0.5 miles on the service road, hikers can cut right onto a narrow trail through a redwood and fir forest, returning back to the service road near London Lake after 0.4 miles. Beyond the lake, all users turn right to continue on the Mountain Trail. Follow the Mountain Trail 5.3 miles to the North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park trailhead and return back the way you came.
Shuttle Assisted Point-to-Point:
The ‘Sugar Shuttle’ is a rideshare van which allows experienced hikers to hike one-way between one of Sonoma County’s State Parks and one of its Regional Parks—and avoid making time-consuming transportation arrangements with friends and family. The Sugar Shuttle typically operates only on the 2nd weekend each month. However, May 2019 and September 2019 are Shuttle Months—with service each weekend day all month long.
The Sugar Shuttle service includes rides between North Sonoma Mountain and Jack London State Park, in both directions. See the Sugar Shuttle schedule and reserve your seats online.
Jack London State Park to North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park Map
More info on Jack London State Historic Park
More info on North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve
Looking for more curated adventures? Check out the Official Guide Book to the Bay Area Ridge Trail – it’s packed full of useful information for planning hikes, backpacking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trips with maps, detailed trail descriptions, curated trips and more.
*Do you have a favorite spot we missed? Let us know! Email us at info@ridgetrail.org