Coyote Peak (Napa County, California)

For my second hike of the day, I chose to visit the Bothe-Napa State Park, just south of Calistoga. The light rain has persisted, but I really want to get some miles in today and so I've decided to hike up Coyote Peak within the Park. The peak rises 1,170 feet above sea level and is said to offer outstanding views of the vineyard-covered hills of Napa Valley. Unfortunately, the dense fog will probably keep those views hidden today.

Parking the jeep, I head up the trail, which follows Ritchey Creek through the lush woods. The sound of running water in a creek and over small falls is always soothing to me, and placed here in this sea of green moss-covered trees and rocks, it is just a reminder of how amazing life can be.

The trails here are in much better condition than those at Skyline Adventure Park, which I visited immediately before coming here. Perhaps the state park budget allows better maintenance. Either way, it is a pleasant hike. As I continue up the shallow canyon, I eventually reach a signed fork indicating Coyote Peak to the left and make the turn.

More rich greens and damp earth conditions greet me as the trail climbs gently up the hillside. It is only just before the peak that it gets steep at all. As I reach the final section leading to the summit, a formation of rock must be navigated and in these slippery conditions, it will require some care. A family is making their way down and apologize for delaying me, but as I tell them, I would much rather they make it down safely, which they do. I quickly scramble up the rock and arrive at the top of Coyote Peak. The views are . . . well, the views of of nothing more than fog-covered hillsides in the distance. I do suspect the view from here would be outstanding on a less wet day, but California badly needs the water and so, I won't complain.

I head back down the way I came and rejoin the trail. Heading further up the canyon, but down the hillside, I confirm with a passing couple that this trail rejoins the main trail below. The rain is getting heavier now and I throw my poncho on to try and preserve some sort of dryness. It helps a bit.

After a couple of easy creek crossings, I arrive at another fork and decide to extend the hike just a bit, but returning on the Vineyard Trail, which as I will soon discover passes by a couple of small vineyards as it winds through the woods and back to the trail head. This trail was about 4.8 miles, raising my daily total to just over 7 miles for the day. I think that will suffice, as I have a lot of running to do tomorrow and a couple of wineries to visit this afternoon. I would like to return here on a day where the fog opens up to those wonderful views I read about.