Celebrate 20 years of Sonoma Overlook Trail • Save the Date: April 16, 2023

Posted March 28, 2023

Filed under Events, History

Please join us for our 20th Anniversary Celebration
Sunday, April 16, 2023 • 11 am to 1 pm.

Meet us at the main trailhead to celebrate and…

Learn how what once was a city dump was transformed into the beautiful Overlook Trail that now receives over 55,000 visitors a year from all over the world!
Hear from trail stewards as well as city and state dignitaries including Senator Bill Dodd, Supervisor Susan Gorin, Sonoma Mayor Sandra Lowe and other honored guests.
Enjoy refreshments and meet new hiking friends.
Peruse our new book, “The View from Above”, compiled from 20 years of excerpts from our Hiker’s Notebooks.
Come along with us on a wildflower hike. The flora and fauna should be spectacular in April!

Porter Abodeely and Sunrise Rotary Work Day Successful

Posted January 31, 2023

Filed under Acts of Service, Events, Stewardship, Trail Maintenance

Presentation School student Porter Abodeely, with the assistance of his father JJ, arranged and performed a trail workday with the help of Sunrise Rotary this past Saturday. Sonoma Overlook Trail steward Fred Allebach coordinated with Porter and JJ to guide the workers to the best jobs for the students and for the trail.

There were two crews, one focused on the kiosk area and the other on the upper trail. The kiosk crew performed these tasks: cleaned the trail entry, swept the kiosk area, moved rock thanking the Kiwanis Club for their trail donation back into place, removed trash, swept and weeded the entry staircase steps, cleaned the entry path drain, cleaned the drain above the staircase, swept the stone walls, lightly sanded picnic table top, and cleaned leaves out of table cracks.

The upper moved extra rocks from the new steps to a pile at the Toyon Trail junction, filled eroded areas in the new treads, raked gravel back out to the center of the trail and swept the steps.

The pictures are kindly provided by JJ and are published here with his permission. We extend our appreciation to Porter and JJ Abodeely, Sunrise Rotary, and Fred Allebach for making this happen!

Dia de los Muertos • Day of the Dead Cemetery Tour is SOLD OUT! See you there….

Posted October 11, 2022

Filed under Events, Fall

Experience Sonoma History
on a Walk through Sonoma Mountain Cemetery

Saturday, October 29
Times: 10:00 OR 12:30 pm
SOLD OUT

Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards invite you to join us on a lively, informative walk through our historic cemetery with our own amateur historian Fred Allebach.

Meet ranchers and ranch hands, real estate tycoons, farmers and farriers, carpenters and stone masons, quarrymen, grocers, butchers, bakers, maybe a candlestick maker, and many more!

This fundraising event is limited to 25 participants per hike. Your $35 donation includes the walking tour, cookies and cider. All proceeds go directly to support Sonoma Overlook Trail. The Overlook is funded solely by private donations.

Sonoma Raceway Hike

Posted May 18, 2022

Filed under Events, Hiking, Scenic Views

The Sonoma Raceway Hike this past Saturday was a big success. Fifty hikers came to enjoy the beautiful vista view and companionship of other hikers. $2,600 was raised for trail maintenance and rehab. (You may have noticed that the trail was recently repaired. It now has better footing and easier grades for all age groups.) A huge thank you to Sonoma Raceway for opening up the back acreage for hiking and morning coffee and refreshments. Also, thanks to the volunteers that came early in the morning to set up the hike and take registrations… and lead the hike. Mother Nature played along with a gorgeous day!

Bay view hike — Hikers enjoying the Bay view

Sonoma Raceway Hike is Back!

Posted April 2, 2022

Filed under Events, Fundraising, Hiking, Spring, Stewardship

unnamed (1) After two years of cancellations due to COVID-19, we are thrilled to invite you once again to join us on this self-guided hike on the pristine 1,600-acre Sonoma Raceway property which is not usually accessible to the public. This special place offers gorgeous 360-degree views; come and see spectacular wildflowers!

Saturday, May 14, 2022
9 am-12:00 noon

3 mile self-guided hike (approx. 1.5 hours)
5 mile self-guided hike (approx. 2.5 hours)

Cost: $50 Tax deductible, non-refundable donation

8:00am – 8:20am: Arrival/Gates Open
8:20am – 9:00am: Refreshments (Donuts & Coffee) on the Redwood Deck overlooking the Raceway and Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Raceway hosts Chelsea Lazzari, Randall Brown, and Bobby O’Gorman will provide an introduction to the 1,600 acre Sonoma Raceway property before the hike begins.

After two years of cancellations due to Covid, we are thrilled to invite you once again to join us on this self-guided hike on the pristine 1,600-acre Sonoma Raceway property which is not usually accessible to the public. This special place offers gorgeous 360-degree views; come and see spectacular wildflowers!