North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park

A truly enchanting forest that took my breath away! The trail and hike was not too strenuous for our 7 year old. The views are so breathtaking we sat for quite a while on a bench and listened to an audiobook about Sonoma Mountain while taking in the view. We saw a majestic rattlesnake very close up while driving out of the park making the day epic.

It's very pretty place to walk in the Spring time. Benches along the way can be quite steep so a nice place to stop and rest for a moment And to take some stunning pictures. after we did our hike we decided to go up to the umbrella trail to the umbrella tree and don't be fooled by the fire road, it is a pretty steep rough walk up but when you get to the top it is very worth it!!!! one of the best views in Sonoma County by far.

Today (November 2018) was my first North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park experience. Trails are well crafted, easy to negotiate for someone with Parkinson's. Beautiful vistas will yell at you if you don't bring a camera. Revisited (March 2021) the park recently. I would say late Winter, early Spring is preferred visiting season to view green pasture and wildflowers. Parking was ample. Bathroom facility was clean. However, the entrance is not well marked; missed it the first and second time.

Hiked here with friends. Great hike with a mix of sun and shade. Pretty view. I'm not giving it 5 stars because they don't allow dogs, but they allow horses. Clearly no horse riders clean up from the horses, and dog doo is miniscule compared to horse poo that we saw along the trail. We saw lots of pretty wildflowers along the hike, a wild turkey, and a couple of Jack rabbits. Our friends, who have hiked there before, have seen deer too.

Great place to hike and explore. Multiple trails, the the trail to Umbrella Tree is a steep trail but plenty of shade to rest and it is well worth it. Once you get towards the end your in the sun and almost to the top. Parking is avaliable and restroom avaliable.

Come here for the beautiful sunsets and amazing hikes! They have electric car chargers, lots of parking, and a not so clean bathroom.

Went here during a thick fog and really wasn’t expecting much, but were stunned when we got to the Umbrella Tree. We were within the fog, then above the fog as we watched it move through the hills. So beautiful. The redwood forest at the start of the trail was also magical.

Better than expected. Lived in sonoma county for over 20 years and never knew this park. It was quiet, not crowded, good work out going uphill and good amount of shades from redwood trees. It was about 25 minutes from Petaluma. 0.8 mile uphill hike was just good enough for me. Great view of sonoma county cities. Great local park.

The North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve is an amazing park with incredible views! There's a parking fee or it's free if you have a Regional Park Pass. They have a bathroom near the parking lot that they keep clean. There are several different trails that you can take and some that connect to Jack London Park. We hiked the Bennett Valley Overlook Trail, which is a 3.7 mile out and back trail. Dogs are not allowed on this particular trail so you will have to leave your four legged friends home if you decide to hike this trail. The overlook has stunning views. There are two picnic tables if you want to pack a lunch/picnic and enjoy the views for longer. Most of the trail is not shaded so something to consider and bringing a hat may come in handy for this reason and wearing sunscreen on sunny days. Also wear hiking shoes and bring water to stay hydrated along the way. We enjoyed our hike and the views and look forward to hiking some of the other hiking trails soon!

Beautiful mild to moderate hike depending on which trail you take. A short (uphill) walk through a mossy forest up to a vista overlooking the beautiful farmland, or the longer path up to an even more beautiful vista- Umbrella Tree. Took my 14 year old with me to the top and enjoyed every minute of it. Lots of hidden treasures from mushrooms to rock/stick formations. The prettiest view I've ever seen waited for us at the top- overlooking Sonoma County.

Went here recently with friends for a day hike. We went to discover scenic vistas. We enjoyed a nice picnic on picnic tables overlooking scenic vistas and also enjoyed some chess as I am an avid chess player. Giant redwood trees and the setting sun. There is also the umbrella tree which is a unique tree to climb and enjoy shade underneath it on a sunny day. Recommended hiking here. There are many options and the views can't be beat!

I love hiking in this beautiful park. For a short (and steep) hike you've got the 2 mile round trip to Umbrella Tree. If you have more time (and energy) you can hike to Jack London Park. The scenery and views are both quite lovely.

Went on a Sunday and was pleasantly surprised how few people we saw on the trails. There's several well-marked hiking trails. We did the North Slope Trail up until it split to go to the Bennet Valley Overlook and turned back. I'd like to go back to go the Umbrella Tree Trail.

If you want a long and somewhat challenging hike, North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park is the perfect choice. When you first arrive at the road into the park, you will notice that it is only wide enough for one vehicle meaning that if another vehicle is exiting, you may have to find a turnout or backup into one which I had to do. There are two parking lots giving with plenty of parking spaces. Most of the hike is uphill with switchbacks and shaded with trees. After hiking for around 45 minutes and a few miles, you will arrive at the Bennett Valley Overlook with has amazing views. This is definitely a photo opportunity (view the photos on this Yelp page). At this point, most people turn back and head down but since I personally enjoy a long hike, I continue following the Ridge Trail into Jack London Ranch State Park where I follow the Haysfield Trail to the park summit to enjoy another amazing view. To get to the Jack London summit, it is around an hour hike from the Bennett Valley Overlook and another two miles. Sure it is long but worth every minute. After enjoying the summit view, I head back to the parking lot. Overall, my entire hike to both parks takes around four hours with a total of ten miles. My only disappointment is that there is one main trail which can make coming back to the parking lot tedious. I hope in the future additional trails will be created giving us additional ways to get around the park. If you are looking for a challenging hike with amazing views, you do not want to pass up this park. Oh yeah, bring plenty of water - your body will need it!

Great location for a quick or long hike. They have a hike right off the bat that's less than a mile long, that takes you back to the parking lot. Or you can vere left and get a 5+mile hike in. Just a heads up, parking is $7.

The perfect hike...through dense forests, sweeping panoramas from open fields, river crossings, waterfalls and a great workout.

Sonoma Mountain Regional Park, previously known as the North Slope Mountain Trail, is a beautiful hiking destination in Santa Rosa. The entrance is off of Sonoma Mountain Rd. There is a $7 parking fee, if you do not have the regional parks pass. There is a couple of trails in this park, one going to the umbrella tree, which has very nice views, another one that connects to Jack London State Park. A fun 3 hour hike is to start at Sonoma Mtn and end at Jack London, or vice versa, and get someone to give you a ride back. The hiking is not too strenuous; easy to medium most of the way. There is a bathroom at the trail head, but no water or food, and the Safeway in Santa Rosa at Yulupa and Bethards is your closest grocery store to pick up food/water. If coming from Glen Ellen, Glen Ellen's market is your closest store. Bay nature magazine had a nice review of the trail: https://baynature.org/articles/lofty-ambitions-ridge-trail-opens-sonoma-mountain/