Sonoma Coast State Park

DATE: Friday, February 14, 2020
DISTANCE: 4.01 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 898 ft.
TIME TAKEN: 2 hours
SUMMIT: Red Hill 1062 ft.
SONOMA COAST STATE PARK
SONOMA COUNTY, CA

PHOTO ALBUM
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Went for a Valentine's day trip with the sweetie. Left late at night and slept in the van at Wright's Beach campground. Woke up in the morning to this view! After an egg and bean tortilla breakfast on the picnic table, we went for a stroll down the beach, and saw a formation called Hogsback. It was a stunning clear day, the kind of February you get in California sometimes. Or this particular year, all the time. 

A coastal crag

After the beach it was time for a hike, so we drove up Highway 1 a little bit, parked in the Shell Beach parking lot, crossed the road and started up the Dr. David C. Joseph Memorial Trail, also known as the Pomo Canyon Trail. It was basically a dirt road for the first section, and went steadily uphill, views almost immediately opening up of the surrounding coastal area. Soon enough, the Red Hill Trail branched off to the right, and curved south around a fine looking rocky crag. I actually resisted the urge to climb it. By now, we had gained enough elevation to look down into the Russian River Valley, where the river meanders it's final stretch before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Happy cows grazed on perfectly green fields along it's banks. Red Hill, not looking red in any way, loomed ahead. We followed the proper trail, which went past the hill on it's north side, and then curved back around and came up the east side of it. On it's way, the trail led through sudden patches of forest, where the light, smell and mood suddenly changed. There were some quite majestic redwoods in there.  And then the mini forest was over and you were back in the sun. Coming up the back side of the mountain, there was a good view to the east, down into Pomo Canyon and all the way to Mount Saint Helena.

Reaching the top of the hill, the sun shimmered on the sea to west, and a picnic table crowned the flat grassy summit. We enjoyed some snacks and drinks there, spending a leisurely time. To the northwest, the picturesque mouth of the Russian River was in clear view, and in this direction we descended, on an unofficial trail that the led down the coast side of the hill, and rejoined the main trail at the bottom, completing a loop. We had a little time to kill before our dinner reservation, we also also visited Bodega Head, which upon it's coastal bluff headlands, had fine views Bodega Bay, Tomales Point and even Point Reyes in the distance. After that, we went for an Italian dinner which turned out to be mediocre, and then saw The Melvins at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma with Fern and Greg from Deathgrave, which turned out to be one hell of a good time. A very enjoyable, satisfying and complete day.

FURTHER READING
•Bob Burd goes up Red Hill
•Hiking Project: Red Hill

Map by Google