The Sonoma Overlook Trail is of course beloved by hikers and runners alike, with great trails and scenic vistas. But when the adjacent Montini Preserve opened across Norrbom Road, more miles of trails were added that were contiguous with the SOT, thereby providing even better hiking and running opportunities.

Prime among these opportunities, as hikers and runners will attest, is a set of linked trails that traverse both properties that I’ve started calling “The Full Montini.” To do the Full Montini you start at the 4th St. West and Haraszthy trailhead (see map). From there you start up the Holstein Hill trail to Spotted Fawn, then on to Rattlesnake Cutoff where you cross Norrbom Road to the Overlook property, continuing on the Overlook up to the Upper Meadow Loop, and then return the same way. This is a 4.4 mile hike with approximately 500 feet of cumulative elevation gain.

A variation of this that is also popular is what I call “The Full Montini with a Twist,” which is the same hike, but on your return, you take the Valley of the Moon Trail instead. This adds additional distance and elevation.

The Full Montini is my “go to” hike. I’m only five minutes away, and I can do the hike in about an hour and fifteen minutes, or less if I run parts of it. On the hike I get to see many vistas of the lower Sonoma Valley, and as far away as Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, Mt. Diablo in Contra Costa County, and the San Francisco skyline in the far distance.

There are many benefits to this nearly-daily routine, as many of my hiking and running compatriots are well familiar with. Will you join us? The Full Montini awaits!