So I’d really categorize this as moderate as it is here on AllTrails. The grade up this road is very mellow. There are no easy paths to the tall hills surrounding the HQ, but if you've got the legs and heart for a good work-out, you'll find astounding vistas when your climbing is done. Look for the Happy Isles Trail head and begin your trek towards Little Yosemite Valley (3.8 miles). Sunol Regional Wilderness: Great Hike To Little Yosemite! Nice little trail with moderate elevation. Students attending the field trip: Canyon View Trail to Little Yosemite - California | AllTrails To return back to the parking lot, you can either follow the road straight back (easiest) or proceed through the picnic area to take the Canyon View Trail to the McCorkle trail. We had a gorgeous, clear day. Lots of cows grazing in the valleys. There's lots of climbing on boulders and rushing waters. Trail Guide Best Trails & Photos. Sun screen -- Sunol is largely unshaded OHLONE WILDERNESS TRAIL This trail links Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness, and Del Valle Regional Park. (East Bay Regional Park District/Flickr). Banish the urge to compare it to the real Yosemite and you'll do fine. Best Photos. Then descend looking down the canyon. 2. Trail map, elevation profiele, route details, Half Dome trail. Rose Peak via Ohlone Wilderness Trail. Took less than 2 hours for the loop (Canyon View Trail to Little Yosemite and then Camp Ohlone Road on the way back) and playtime at Little Yosemite. From I-680, turn off at Calaveras Road exit and turn southeast on Calaveras Road (a left turn if you're coming from Pleasanton; a right turn if you're coming from Fremont). If you're going clockwise, start at the footbridge near the visitor center. The first .8miles is a hefty incline but well worth the view when you get to the top. There is one part of the trail gets pretty narrow and rocky but overall a great hike, will definitely do it again! There are spots where the trail is thin and you are walking along steep hillside, but I felt safe the whole time. Little Yosemite Valley is the most popular area in the Yosemite Wilderness, mainly because it provides easy access to Half Dome.Wilderness permits for the trails leading to Little Yosemite Valley are the most difficult to obtain, and a wilderness permit reservation is strongly recommended. Together with Sunol, the area exceeds 16,500 acres. There is a bridge that you cross in the beginning of the trail. This is a popular day-trip area for families and groups, a rapids section of the river with granite rockfalls. Beautiful hike out to Little Yosemite! Didn’t follow the loops. (A permit is now required for day hikers and backpackers hiking to Half Dome.) Top Runs. Flag Hill in the west offers spectacular valley views. Beautiful trails. Little Yosemite in Sunol: Trail has dramatic views of canyon, waterfalls - rustic town offers railroad station Gail Todd Feb. 13, 2013 Updated: Feb. 14, 2013 1:15 p.m. Little Yosemite Valley is a smaller glacial valley upstream in the Merced River drainage from the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park.The Merced River meanders through the 3.5 mi (5.6 km) long flat valley, draining out over Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall before emptying into the main Yosemite Valley. Sunol has plenty of trail mileage, but things are a bit more limited for bikes when you're left with only the fire roads as the legitimate options. Enjoy the streams and falls. It is labeled as “moderate” but i would say it is fairly easy for the most part. We started this trail near the Visitor Center and hiked it clockwise. Sunol - Little Yosemite Loop Hike. + The hike itself was gorgeous and very moderate (almost easy). Hiking supplies (especially water) if you're hitting the trails. East Bay Regional Parks page This 4-ish mile hike will take you right into the heart of Little Yosemite. About a mile and a half in you will find yourself at the top of Vernal Falls. Some of the greens are turning brown, not sure if the upcoming rains will change that. Tucked away in an partly-wooded valley south of Highway 680, Sunol feels pretty remote, yet it’s just 20 minutes from Fremont or Pleasanton. - See 62 traveller reviews, 94 candid photos, and great deals for Sunol, CA, at Tripadvisor. Can qualify for a family hike except for those narrow pathways (only briefly though). Views from the peaks are good. A little muddy, but since we took Canyon view trail up to McCorkle trail, heading uphill for the most part, it wasn’t too slushy. Difficult. Generally they are harmless but keep your distance and don't scare them. Nevertheless, beautiful views, decent amount of water at Little Yosemite and a really good hike. Professional guides. My small terrier enjoyed it. This is a fairly easy trail. Climbed the rocks some. Explore the tumbling rapids and waterfalls of Little Yosemite as we hike through the South Bay’s hidden gem: the Sunol Regional Wilderness! Would do it again on a cooler day. Under the East Bay Regional Park District's multi-use land management policy, cattle continue to graze in the 6,859-acre wilderness. ... Little Yosemite Loop via Canyon View Trail and Camp Ohlone Road. The 6,858-acre park in the East Bay hills north of Silicon Valley has rolling hills, heart-healthy trails, remarkable rocks and abundant wildlife. DIFFICULT 18.2 mi. The trail to Merced Lake continues along the river through a pine forest for the next few miles. It hasn’t rained in quite some time so Little Yosemite was dry. This is the payoff. We started our hike near the visitor center restrooms. Begin your outing by either ascending the John Muir Trail (JMT) (not as steep) or the Mist Trail (steep) to Little Yosemite Valley Campground. The trail crosses Illilouette Fall after 2 … You are immediately welcomed by the sound of water rushing underneath you. There are many trails in the Sunol Wilderness Park. 4. Little Yosemite is a viewpoint inside of Sunol Regional Wilderness. + Little Yosemite was really fun for our 7 year old boy. Formerly grazing land, Sunol Regional Wilderness is now a key piece of the East Bay Regional Park’s crown jewel, the Ohlone Wilderness Trail. Trail Guide. I enjoyed this hiking trail very much! The trail climbs almost 1000 ft in 1.2 miles. We went the day after the rains, but the trails were not too bad at all. Pleasant trail, perfect in the winter - not a lot of shade, air had the lovely crispness. The plotted map starts at my parking spot. But if you want more of a work out do it in the opposite as the uphill climb is more steep and significant. Check the East Bay Regional Parks site for the schedule of the annual Wildflower Festival, usually held in early April. 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