Take a Spring Hike to Gorgeous Pink Blooms Just 90 Miles North of SF

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Here’s a great free weekend hike idea from SFGATE’s Eric Brooks

For certain California hikes, timing is everything.

For one park roughly 90 miles north of San Francisco, the spring into summer is the ideal time to experience clusters of large plants that pop with color in Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve off Highway 1 in northwest Sonoma County.

For extensive details about the hike including photos, mushroom foraging and more, check out the article Only a few thousand hikers a year ever find this coastal Calif. park from SFGATE

Visitors can see small streams, ferns carpeting the reserve’s canyon walls and blooms of pink rhododendron from mid-April to mid-June that line the loop throughout the reserve.

And, although Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve forbids it, the trail at nearby Salt Point has the distinction of being the only state park in California to allow for mushroom foraging. 

With a challenging 700-ft. elevation gain (and often downed trees you’ll need to walk over or under) the reserve gets only about 3,600 visitors each year, the cool, shaded forest is near the ocean and is an excellent location for a contemplative hike.

Getting There:
From the town of Jenner, go north about 21 miles to the intersection of Kruse Ranch Rd. Turn east and go about 1 mile to park entrance.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.