With the California winter finally set to arrive and rain on the horizon for the foreseeable future, I had to take advantage of a beautifully sunny Saturday.  With the forecast calling for about 60 degrees and sunshine, my mind set to figuring out where to go, and I can assure you Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve wasn’t even on my radar.

Miles/Elevation:

~6 miles

~1400 feet vertical gain

Idea 1: Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve

My first thought was actually a park called Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.  With expansive views overlooking San Jose, and a trail perfectly suited to what I was looking for, I was really excited to hike here.  However, it was not to be. 

On my drive to Sierra Vista, I came across a sign about 3 miles from the parking area saying the parking area was already full.  I hadn’t exactly gotten up with the sunrise, but it wasn’t even 10 am yet. 

I figured I could find a spot (dumb considering the sign), or worst case scenario I could just keep driving and find another parking lot from which to access the trail.

Shocking to no one, the parking lot was full.  The thing that actually did shock me was that there was literally no other parking and no other hiking.  Shortly after the parking area, the road turned into a one lane road (for both directions of traffic). 

Figuring I would find something eventually, I continued on.

Eventually, I had gone miles and knew I wasn’t hiking anywhere near where I had planned, but the road had turned into a beautiful drive, so I figured why not keep going, I had no realy time limitations.

Winding through the rolling hills east of San Jose, the road I travelled was beautiful.  Rolling hills beginning to turn green with the winter rain, scattered ancient oak trees, and horse ranches everywhere.  It really was a nice drive.

Idea 2: Sunol Regional Wilderness Preserve

Eventually I ended up in the city of Milpitas, a suburb of San Jose, and pulled over to find somewhere else to hike.  Searching for anything that looked good close by on Alltrails, I found a place called Sunol Wilderness that looked cool, so off I went.

Again, the drive was spectacular.  I encountered 20 times more bikes than cars, and most of the 35 minute drive was along winding one lane roads.  Snaking through valleys and canyons, and climbing over the rolling hills, I eventually arrived at Sunol Wilderness, and pulled into the first parking lot.

Arguably, I made a mistake in not waking up early enough which led to my missing out on my planned hike, but I definitely made a mistake later.

When I found the trail I wanted to do on Alltrails, I didn’t save it and I didn’t screenshot any of the maps.  I kind of assumed I would have cell service, no idea why, but that was certainly not the case when I arrived.  

Having arrived at the preserve, and having no idea where I had actually planned on hiking, I basically made it up as I went!  I went to the trailhead, looked at the map, and plotted out a trail.  

I ended up creating a custom loop that looked like it would be cool, and would fit my timeline.  I haven’t been able to find any other links to the route I created, but what I did was start off by climbing Hayfield Road, then cutting over to Indian Joe Creek Trail, then turning right onto Cave Rocks Road, then returning via Cerro Este Road and the McCorkle Trail.

About the Park

Set in the rugged hills of the East Bay, Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve  is run by the East Bay Regional Park District.  Still used as grazing land today, much of the area of Sunol Preserve has been used as ranch land for the last 100 years.  At an area of 6,859 acres, Sunol Preserve hosts a number of outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and even backpacking.  

Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors.

Getting There

Located about 35 minutes from San Jose, and about 50 minutes from San Francisco International Airport, Sunol is a pretty accessible park.  If you are looking for a scenic drive, the route from Milpitas via Calaveras Road is an awesome option, but will add a significant amount of time to your drive.

Here are a detailed set of directions from the park’s website: 

“From Fremont, drive north on I-680 and exit at Calaveras Road (near the town of Sunol.) Turn right at the exit onto Calaveras Road and proceed about four miles to a left turn onto Geary Road, which leads directly into the park. (If you find yourself driving uphill on a narrow winding road you’ve missed the Geary Road turnoff.) To reach the Old Green Barn take the first left after the park entrance.

From the Oakland-Berkeley area, drive east on I-580 to the junction with I-680. Take I-680 south and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84 just south of the Sunol exit. At the bottom of the exit turn left onto Calaveras Road and proceed as noted above.

From the Walnut Creek – Danville area, drive south on I-680 and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84 just south of the Sunol exit. Proceed as noted above.

There is no public transit  to Sunol Regional Park.”

My Custom Loop

After parking and planning my route at the trailhead map, I quickly took a photo of the map for use on my phone and set off.  The trail immediately crosses Alameda Creek.  After crossing the creek, I turned a right and almost immediately took a left to start up Hayfield Road.

The Ascent

While it is called a road, it is at best an off road ATV route.  Likely used to herd cattle, it is well maintained and a very smooth surface.  The hike began in earnest as the road begins climbing almost immediately, and it is not an insignificant incline.

Having to stop a couple of times because I still wasn’t quite in shape, I made my way up the slope.  Stopping wasn’t the worst thing however because the views continued to get better and better the more I climbed.  The higher I got, the better the views overlooking the valley and distant Calaveras Reservoir Became.

After .81 miles of climbing up Hayfield Road, I turned off the main road and onto a small single track trail.  This is a small connector trail that leads to the Indian Joe Creek Trail.  Turn left onto the Indian Joe Creek Trail to continue climbing, and you will quickly pass the Cave Rocks.  They aren’t too remarkable, but I didn’t spend too much time looking around.

After a quick quarter mile up the Indian Joe Creek Trail, you will arrive at Cave Rocks Road.  Turn right here and continue climbing.  At this point, I figured I was at the days peak, but Cave Rocks Road continued to climb.  

After a set of switchbacks, finally I arrived at the summit of the days hike.  Emerging onto a broad plateau above the valley, the views were at their best.  The wind was blowing, and some clouds were rolling in, but in one direction I bet you could see San Francisco on a clear day, and in the other direction, the views were unobstructed up the valley past Calaveras Reservoir.  Behind me, I had my first clear view of the craggy peaks and hills to the east.

The Descent

Finally, the climb was over.  From this point, I began descending down Cerro Este Road, another gravel ranching road.  The descent was steep, but the open terrain allowed for yet more sweeping views.  

As I came to a trail junction, I paused to check my map to see which way to turn.  To the right was a single track trail which led directly to the parking lot.  To the left the road continued to something called Little Yosemite.  My interest piqued, I had to see this so-called Little Yosemite, even though it meant a longer hike back.

Continuing down Cerro Este Road, I descended toward Little Yosemite.  While I will admit the valley that heads east from this area is very scenic, it looks nothing like Yosemite, and I have no idea who decided to name it Little Yosemite!

From this point, I turned onto Canyon View Trail for a short jaunt, and finally onto McCorkle Trail which led me back to the main parking lot.  Turns out this wasn’t actually the lot I parked at, so I had a short 10 minute or so walk along the roadside trail back to the car.

Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10

With that, my adventure at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve was finished.  All in all, it was an excellent hike in a beautiful area.  It’s definitely a place I would come back to and recommend to others.  As an extra bonus, Sunol Wilderness actually has a backcountry campground, so it is a place I might come back to and backpack!

While my day didn’t go quite as planned, with some thinking on my feet it turned into an awesome day on the trail.  Even if you can’t hike your first choice, there are lots of awesome places just waiting to be discovered!

Don’t be rude; always following basic etiquette when on trail!

Pros:

• Amazing views throughout hike
• Smooth and well graded trail
• Easily accessible off I-680

Cons:

• Very steep trail, on both ascents and descents
• Much of hike is on wide ranch roads
• Large crowds in areas of park

Alternative Hikes:

Little Yosemite and Indian Joe Creek Loop

 Indian Joe Creek Trail to Canyon View Trail

Indian Joe Creek, Cave Rocks, Vista Grande, Eagle View, McCorkle, Canyon View

Little Yosemite via Canyon View Trail

When to Visit

Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve is a 4 season destination; however, each season will give you different conditions.  Winter will provide the coolest temperatures, but winter generally will have the most rain, and therefore the most mud. 

Expect winter days to be anywhere from the 50s to the 70s.  Spring is a bit warmer and a bit drier, and would be an awesome time to visit.  Summer is the hottest month, and conditions could easily reach into the 90s or 100s on extreme days.  Fall will yield cooler temperatures as the season progresses, but has the biggest fire risk.

When choosing a time to visit, one unique thing to consider is the condition of the vegetation.  The grass covered hills spend all of summer and fall looking burnt and brown as the summer and fall are the driest months. 

Winter and spring to me are the best months to visit Sunol as the hills turn a beautiful green as the rain comes.  Beware of mud after heavy rain days, but for me, winter and spring are the best times to visit.

Links for Further Reading:

East Bay Regional Park District: Sunol

Sunol Regional Wilderness: Bay Area Hiker

Best trails in Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve, California