Information provided by Berryessa Trails and Conservation at www.berryessatrails.org 

Trails at the Lake

Summer is not hiking season, but in the mornings, or if the weather is clement, there are trails to be hiked.  Also, trails that get you to quiet coves to swim or fish.  So in summer, the most popular trails are those that lead to the water.  The best summer hiking is done with a bathing suit under your shorts, so you can jump in periodically to cool off.  Take lots of water, a hat, and sunscreen.  If you want a ready-made picnic, try take out from Mike’s BBQ, a lunch box from Cucina Italiana, or a sandwich from the Spanish Flat County Store and Deli.

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Smittle Creek Trail.  This is a 2.6 mile easy trail along the shoreline between Smittle Creek Park and Oak Shores Park.  It’s a cozy hike, meaning the islands are not far offshore and it winds in and out of small coves.  There are places to stop for a picnic, shoreline fishing, and a swim.

This trail provides a fairly easy hike along Lake Berryessa's shoreline from Smittle Creek Park to Coyote Knolls in Oak Shores Park. Just offshore can be seen Big Island and Small Island. Spring is the best time; winter is good too. Summer is the time to bring a swimsuit for a dip in a quiet cove.   As you wind along the shore, look for the Bald Eagle nest high in a tree on Big Island. This is an active breeding nest and Bald Eagles are frequently seen along the trail.  You might also spot dear in the park.

The northern trailhead begins at the southern end of the Smittle Creek parking lot, located about a mile north of the Oak Shores entrance. Take the steps down the hill to the bulletin board which has a map of the trail and is the trailhead. The trail starts to the south of the bulletin board (to the right if you are facing the board).  The southern trailhead is at Coyote Knolls, the northern-most parking lot in Oak Shores Park, now included in the new temporary campground.  The trailhead is by the bulletin board which has a map of the trail. 

Although not formally part of the Smittle Creek Trail, another short trail begins at the northern end of the parking lot. Follow the trail to the restroom where the trail continues to the left. This loop trail offers great views up and across the lake.

Smittle Creek Nature Trail (.7 mi).  The first .7 miles of the Smittle Creek Trail is a nature trail, with a brochure and numbered stations to stop and ponder nature.  From why downed trees are not removed (that’s habitat!), to the beneficial relationship between fungus and algae that produces Lace lichen (an indicator of clean air) and why Manzanita leaves rotate, the brochure for this self-guided trail will leave you enthralled.  You can continue on to Oak Shores Park, or make a loop back to the parking lot.

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North End Trail.  This especially scenic trail winds along the north shore of Lake Berryessa. The trail is an easy one with limited elevation gain and wonderful views down the full length of the lake, some 10 miles away, and to the Blue Ridge to the east.  With luck, you may see White Pelicans, Golden and Bald Eagles and the more common Western Grebes and Osprey.  

This trail was constructed by the Youth Conservation Corps in the late 1970’s.   Originally it had a series of split log bridges, which unfortunately deteriorated over time and had to be removed.   The lack of bridges is no barrier to hiking the trail as they covered fairly shallow drainages which are currently dry. 

However, there is a plan to realign the trail to a more environmentally sustainable route, away from wetlands and eroding areas.  Consequently, the trail is not currently being maintained and can become faint in places where the grass has taken over.  However!  One cannot get lost on a trail so close to the lakeshore.   

There is a series of trailheads along the road and the trail is often used by anglers for access to the shoreline.    It is also a great place to find a quiet cove for picnicking and swimming.   A couple of close coves can be found by accessing the trail from the Putah Creek trailhead and walking north.   If you are looking for a place to launch a kayak, the Putah Creek trailhead is closest for heading up the creek, although it is a bit of a walk down to the lakeshore.  La Pointe trailhead, a couple of miles down Berryessa-Knoxville Road, also leads to some quiet coves down a rather steep hill.  

The Barton Hill and Gibson Flat trailheads lead to a short loop trail.  Schoolhouse Cove trailhead has short and easy access to the water and can be a good place to put in a kayak or canoe. Buckhorn and Blue Monday trailheads also lead to quiet coves.  Racoon Lagoon trailhead leads to an interesting creek canyon with the trail winding to the east along a steep creek bank.   Light rains over the last few winters, however, mean the creek canyon is relatively dry right now. 

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Pope Canyon Trail.  This scenic trail follows the original Pope Canyon Road roadbed for about one and a half miles until the roadbed disappears into the lake. The trailhead is a couple of miles west along Pope Canyon Road from the Knoxville Road intersection. Look for a sturdy brown and yellow striped gate on the south side of the road. Small hiker signs on a post and on the gate announce the trailhead.

From the gate, the trail heads down and to the left and then follows the old road towards the main lake. Below the trail is first Pope Creek and further along the Pope Canyon arm of the lake. After about 3/4 of a mile, an old jeep trail cuts sharply to the right from the main roadbed and descends to a nice grassy shoreline that is good for a picnic. The trail passes through fencelines which denote the boundary between Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Land Management property, both of which are open to the public. At the end of the old road are large fields overlooking the water and scenic rock outcroppings (see photo above). Swim and picnic here under large Oaks, being careful of rattlesnakes when walking off trail in the tall grass. Western Grebes and Osprey are often seen in this idyllic spot.

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California Native Plant Walk at Visitors Center.  The brochure for this trail is a fount of information about how native plants have been used for soap, dyes, making baskets, food, medicine and to help catch fish.  Poison oak, California poppy, the endemic Gray pine, Toyon, and more, all have had their uses.  Located at the Visitors Center, 5520 Knoxville Road.

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Segments of the Blue Ridge Loop Trail.  The full hike is a 4 mile loop hike up Cold Canyon, and then a climb up to and return along  the Blue Ridge.   This is a very strenuous hike.  There will be more on this loop hike in the winter issue.  For hot weather, we prefer one of two out-and-back hikes along the loop route.

The Homestead Trail.  This trail is on land that is part of the UC Davis Natural Reserve System, one of the few such reserves that allows public access.  This is a moderate hike of a mile up the canyon to remnants of an old homestead, crossing over the creek a couple of times.   A quarter mile In you will find a formal trailhead with a bulletin board of information and trail guide brochures.  The trail guide also includes a Natural History Hike for All Seasons with text that corresponds to numbered stations along the trail.   The guide describes various plants, geological features and the homestead remnants that can be seen.  Download the guide at http://nrs.ucdavis.edu/stebbins/technical/hiking.PDF   

NO DOGS are allowed on this trail to protect the creek, plants, wildlife, and ongoing research projects.    See Up to Blue Ridge below if you have a dog with you.  

Trail access is from Highway 128 past Monticello Dam heading east.

Up to Blue Ridge.   This is a strenuous switchback trail from Cold Canyon up to the top of Blue Ridge.   Start early in the morning when it’s cool.   Leashed dogs are allowed on the ridge trail but not on the Homestead trail, so this is an out-and-back trail for dogs.  It is less than a mile to the top, but how far south along the ridge you want to hike once you get up there is up to you.  

As you hike up, turn around periodically to take a look at the views.  On a clear day you can see across the Central Valley though a break in the hills to the Sierra Nevada.

Past the dam on a curve you will pass two silver gates on the right - the first gate heads up to Blue Ridge, the second to the Homestead Trail.  Past the second gate will be a large dirt pullout on the left for parking.