Taylor Mountain Loop
Santa Rosa, California
Details
Distance
1.5 miles
Elevation Gain
1000 ft
Route Type
Loop
Description
Added by Ali Van Houten
This steep hike puts you up above the Santa Rosa plain, with sweeping views of Sonoma County and beyond.
From the northern entrance to the park, you can access an 18-hole disc golf course as well as a number of trails. The Eastern Trail takes you up a steep 1,000 feet to the top of Taylor Mountain, where you can see most of Sonoma County laid out before you. Mt. St. Helena is visible in the distance as well. This makes a great brisk 1-2 hour hike, or even a steep trail run if you're in good shape. You can also make a loop out of it via the Western Trail, a more gentle ascent to the peak.
Besides the usual suspects—hawks, turkeys, lizards—you may also see some cattle that freely roam the grassy hillsides. Dogs are allowed on leash only. Parking is $7 or free for regional pass holders, but there's also plenty of spots along the road that are free for non-pass holders.
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Reviews
This wont give you the views you may want if your traveling for a hike, but for being right in Santa Rosa this hike is amazing! Fantastic elevation gain, certain sections will certainly kick your butt, and while the top is not as amazing as many other mountains it will give a decent panorama of Santa Rosa on one side with the Kenwood ridges on the other, and on clear days even a nice sight of Mt St. Helena This hike is exposed, the bottom has some tree coverage but only for about half a mile. Bring plenty of water on your journey
5.0
I live nearby and can definitely say it's uncomfortably hot and exposed mid-summer! It's best in spring or fall on overcast days, when it's been moist and the wildflowers are in bloom!
4.0
Taylor Mountain offers a short and sweet hike, with a relaxing view to accompany it. If your are an avid hiker this trail should take no longer than 30-40 minutes from the bottom of the Petaluma Hill Road parking lot. So bring a camera and a water bottle, and enjoy an escape from your everyday routine.
4.0
I hike this frequently as I work less than a mile away, it's a great little hike! If I don't have time to go to the top I just do the first steep hill on the Eastern trail and back around.
4.0
Thanks for recommending this hike! I just went today with my dog. He's such a couch potato, but it was really nice to get him outside and active on a nice hike. It was a perfect time to do this hike because it was cloudy but had a light breeze. The sun would poke out a few times to make it a little warm, but the hike was enjoyable. I can't see myself doing this during the hot summer though. A couple times it was pretty steep going up, but not bad. Popular trail. View is amazing at several parts of the hike. I like that there were restrooms at the parking lot and dog bags -- convenient. Beware of poison oak in some spots. Also, cows are around. We were in close proximity to a bull -- I was kind of terrified -- but all went well and kept my dog close to my side. It took us a total of 2 hours to do this hike. We parked on the left side just before the designated parking lot for Taylor Mountain. FREE.
4.0
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