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6.5 Sonoma Creek Falls
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Location: Sonoma, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Sonoma County
Height: ~25 ft.
Access:  
Distance: 0.8 miles (RT)
Elevation: 1150 ft. (-350 ft.)
Season: Dec-May
Difficulty: 
Lat/Long:38.43980, -122.52347
Directions:From Hwy 12 in Sonoma, drive west for 11.4 miles to Adobe Canyon Rd (just past Kenwood). Turn right and drive 3.5 miles to the park entrance kiosk. After paying the $6 parking fee, turn around and drive back 0.2 miles to the parking area on the right (north) side of the road. The Canyon Trail begins across the road heading down to the creek.
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Sonoma Creek Falls is a pretty little 25 ft. high cascade, located in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, near Sonoma. I have seen this waterfall called by a few other names: Sugarloaf Falls, Horsetail Falls, and Canyon Creek Falls. The latter two are rather baffling (Canyon Creek?), but we will go with the most common name of Sonoma Creek Falls.
Although I had not seen a decent photo of Sonoma Creek Falls, it was pretty much exactly what I expected: an easy 10 minute hike from the parking area down to the falls, a pretty, and interesting, 25 ft. high cascade along Sonoma Creek, but nothing spectacular. In the winter months, the flow along the creek will be much greater and the waterfall will be much nicer than in the summer, when the creek will be greatly reduced in volume. It was not too difficult to climb up to the top of the falls (though the rocks could be slippery), though there was not anything of interest to see at the top. The Canyon Trail continues past the falls a short distance up to the road, then comes back on the Pony Gate Trail (on the other side of the road), making for a nice loop (but a much longer hike). Since you have paid $6 to park here, you may as well make time to do some other hiking in the park; one good option is hiking up to the top of Bald Mountain.
Zoom out on map to see all nearby waterfalls:
Other waterfalls nearby:
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