Early Spring is a great time to explore the East Bay, because the hills are green with new growth and the weather is often perfect for a semi-strenuous hike. On this Day’ve Trip, we went to the Sunol Wilderness and hiked a 6.5 mile loop up about 1300 feet and back down again (See trail map below). This is a classic East Bay hike because it takes you through shady oaks, along seasonal streams, to amazing rock outcroppings and along picture-worthy ridge tops, and down into a perfect stream bed known in a somewhat grandiose manner as “Little Yosemite”. When you’re done, you can stop in the little town of Sunol and check out “Bosco’s Bones and Brews” and learn about the Labrador – Rottweiler mix that served as the town’s mayor from 1981 to 1994.
The Road There: Start by heading to the Visitor Center of Sunol Regional Wilderness at 1895 Geary Rd in Sunol, CA. It’s about 30 minutes from us in Danville, about 30 minutes from San Jose, and about 55 minutes from San Francisco. Click here for a Park Map. If you are adventurous on the way, try driving down Palomares Rd from Castro Valley where it starts at I-580 and goes south to Sunol and Highway 84. You’ve probably never been on that road, and you’re missing something! It’s a great winding road that runs the ridge and through the forested area between Hayward and Pleasanton. The Road Less Travelled!
We started our hike just inside the Park gates ($5 entry fee, waived this time of year). We parked near the sign for Flag Hill trail and started our hike by crossing the stream bridge and turning right for Indian Joe Creek Trail. This is a great winding trail through the shade, about 1.4 miles up to Cave Rocks (don’t run left onto Hayfield Rd, but once you see it, you are almost to Cave Rocks).
Cave Rocks is a basalt formation popular with rock climbers and kids of all ages. You can climb around here and rest a bit. You’ve probably climbed about 900 feet at this point. The views start to get good… but they get better!
From there, you continue climbing up toward Cave Rock Road. You can’t miss it once you see it. You go from your “single track” style trail to a larger open service road. This takes you to the right (East) and toward Cerro Este Overlook and the junction with Cerro Este Rd, which will take you down a steep slope to the stream bottom and “Little Yosemite”. Don’t be in a hurry, the ridge top views are pretty epic up here during “green season” and wildflower season.
At the bottom of the Hill, you will see the signs for “Little Yosemite” I thought it was a pretty optimistic name, and was ready to pooh-pooh it, given that I love Yosemite. But while this place is small, it is a very peaceful spot with some very interesting rock formations and crystal clear water tumbling for your restful enjoyment. Sit awhile. Contemplate. You’re likely far deeper than me, so your musings will likely be more insightful than my own mindless wanderings. I sent these photos to a friend who is a world-class geologist, and suggested these babies must’ve had a tough life. He told me that these rocks are part of the Franciscan Complex, formed 150-160 million years ago: deep water sediments of thin bedded radiolarian cherts interbedded in a mud and shale matrix, subjected to low-grade metamorphism (high pressure). The formation ran the length of California before the San Andreas Fault formed and often were swept up along with oceanic floor basalts in the complex colliding of tectonic plates. Whew!… and I thought they were just really cool rocks.
After this, you head back up the hill to rejoin the Canyon View trail back toward the Visitor Center starting point. You can also follow the trail along the stream and/or Camp Ohlone Rd. This is also a good route to come directly to Little Yosemite for a short walk/hike without the hills. But you’d be missing the journey! Good for a hotter day when you want to stay near the creek. Our 6.5 mile hike too about 3.5 hours, but that’s with an hour or so of stop time.
Something to eat or Drink? On your way home, there are many great spots in Pleasanton, or Sunol. I love Bottle Taps in Pleasanton for great smoked BBQ and one of the best Reuben sandwiches you will get outside of a real NYC deli. Or stop at the aforementioned Bosco’s Bones and Brew and see if you really want a beer that is poured from a tap activated by lifting the leg of a full-sized dog replica on the bar. For us on this day, we just opted for a stop at the long-standing Meadowlark Dairy in Pleasanton for one of their amazing soft-serve cones, where they’ve been serving them drive-through style (or walk up) since 1969.
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