Hike Napa's Skyline!

Hike Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa Valley

05.30.2019
North Bay
Hikes

Bottles of wine aren't the only things popping in Napa. Right now the wildflowers are popping, too! Get in a 4-mile (round-trip) hike packed with wildflowers and wonderful views. Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa Valley is nestled within a few minutes’ drive of bustling Oxbow Public Market.

The park’s 850 acres of wilderness area is managed by a nonprofit, and the frills come courtesy of nature’s seasonal gifts; in springtime that means wildflowers! Currently the trails are fringed with baby blue eyes, buttercups, and some popcorn blooms. This hike starts on Buckeye Trail, making a gradual ascent among oaks and manzanitas, with a few wide-open views to the Mayacamas Mountains. Continue on the trail until you reach the Skyline Trail intersection, which connects at a plateau festooned by poppies. Enjoy the expansive view to downtown Napa all the way to the bay before descending sharply on the Skyline Trail to finish.

BONUS FOOD & BEER: It’s about a 10-minute drive from Skyline Wilderness Park to bustling Oxbow Public Market. Oxbow’s got plenty of artisan food and drink options, from organic coffee and kombucha drinks to the comfort foods of fried chicken and shakes at Taylor’s Refresher. Grab a patio seat at Fieldwork Brewing Company, and try the Hazy Glue pale ale or the staff favorite In Bloom (back by popular demand).

No dogs at Skyline Wilderness Park. Patio seating at Oxbow Public Market is dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Chasing Dark Skies: Southern Oregon

    Hot springs, hiking, lodging, antelope, and one of the world’s best places for looking up at night.

    View
  2. Woman with her arms outstretched to the rolling hills scenery while on a rock outcrop at Barnabe Peak in Samuel P Taylor Sate Park in Marin

    Barnabe Bonanza

    Sure, there are higher mountains in Marin (Mount Tam) and easier ascents (Mount Burdell), but is there a more expansive North Bay view? Barnabe Peak in Samuel P. Taylor State Park offers a glorious panorama including Mount Tam, Mount Diablo, and Mount St. Helena.

    View

  3. Tamtastic Sunset

    Sure, the East Peak of Mount Tam is absolutely spectacular at sunset, but some magic-hour enthusiasts head to a nearby spot, Trojan Point, for a little more personal space in their panoramic viewings.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Lagoon Swoon

    We all love an underdog story, especially in the shadow of the greats. Enter a truly SoCal coastal version: Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Though situated next to Surfrider Beach, a fa

    View
  2. Woman hiking the San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail to San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County

    Bluffing Good!

    Lovely coastline, beautiful beaches, unique geological history, and picturesque sandstone cliffs with limited foot traffic in San Diego County? Head to San Onofre State Beach and the 5-mile San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail.

    View

  3. Tahoe's Trio of Lake Vistas

    They say good things come in threes, and it’s true when you embark on this 8-mile (round-trip) hike in Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness. It gives you three excellent lake vistas: Eagl

    View