TRAVEL STORIES

HIKING LITTLE YOSEMITE, SUNOL WILDERNESS

by luvurpassion April 26, 2020

Hiking in Sunol had been on our bucket list for quite a while and we finally went there today. It was a family hike in the glorious sun washed afternoon. There was not much pre planning involved except researching where to go and packing some snacks and water in the hiking backpack.

Enjoy our hiking vlog here!

Little Yosemite is a hidden gem in Sunol Regional Wilderness in the east bay hills of silicon valley. Of course, it does not offer views of Glacier Point or Half Dome as in Yosemite National Park but has gorgeous waterfalls and jaw dropping views of the hills. The scenic drive on CA 84 immediately made us forget the city hassle and promised a stunning view ahead.

We entered the park through Calaveras Road, paid the entrance fee at the gate and parked at the furthermost parking lot beyond the visitor center. Parking lots near the entrance get filled up quickly but there are few more lots little farther down. We saw lots of plantings along the road; they had covers to protect them from deer.This place is full of hiking trails, we took the Ohlone Road trail. The trail starts after crossing a foot bridge over Alameda creek. The Alameda creek was flowing alongside the trail with the relaxing water sound providing an awesome background music to our hike. The filled-up creek and the lush green hills were a testimony to the above average rainfall this winter in the bay area. This trail is paved and gains an elevation of 1000 ft. We went on a spring morning, so the hike was blissful. Would recommend hats, sunglasses and water if you come during late hours in summer.

After a quick photo session, we reached Little Yosemite. A sign alongside the road marks the gorge so there is no chance of missing it. The gorge has lots of boulders around, you will have to make your way down these to get to the falls. Or if you like you can enjoy the view up from the trail. We hiked a little further after passing the gorge, Ohlone Road goes for another couple of miles before reaching a dead end. We went past an interesting shaped tree like the letter W and it was also named “W Tree”.

While coming back, we took a less crowded trail that goes parallel to Ohlone Road. We stopped at one point along the creek, chose individual natural rock chairs and soaked in nature to the fullest extent. It was sad to see a few empty bottles left near the creek. One important hiking rule is to be careful about not leaving any trash behind; as the saying goes “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos”. Lets please preserve our beautiful mother nature.