12/8 – Pack Hike – Little Yosemite

Date/Time: Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 11am

Location: Little Yosemite — Sunol Regional Wilderness

Meeting Point: Parking lot immediately to the left after the entrance kiosk

1895 Geary Road, Sunol, CA 94586

Fee: $5 parking fee / $2 per dog

Distance / elevation / duration: 4.8-mile loop / 524 ft / ~3 hours

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

// Recommended for Tigers to Webelos

Trail map: https://b846b6.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/little-yosemite-map.jpg

Awards: Trail Trekkers Cub Scout Patch

// Progressive Hike Award https://ggacbsa.org/hiking-programs/

Contact: Hiking Chair Aditya M. (ahead of time on WhatsApp as there’s no cell signal in the area)

// What to wear – Class B and dress in warm layers, incl. windbreaker – Sturdy closed toe shoes – Hat + sunscreen

// What to bring – LUNCH + plenty of WATER – Cub Scout 6 essentials including whistle – map –

optional: binoculars, camera

// Directions

Drive south on I-680 and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84, just south of Pleasanton. Turn left onto Calaveras Road and proceed to Geary Road, which leads directly into the park. Important Trails can be quite steep Watch for poison oak on narrow sections of trail Rattlesnakes may be in rocky areas — careful where you place hands and feet No swimming allowed in Alameda Creek in the Little Yosemite area There will be cattle at Sunol — give them plenty of distance

// The hike

Little Yosemite is located in Sunol Regional Wilderness Park in Sunol, CA. Little Yosemite is a scenic gorge on Alameda Creek about two miles upstream from park headquarters. It is an especially attractive portion of this creek. See gorgeous waterfalls and pools after series of rain storms or season.

// The trail

The Canyon View Trail is an excellent hike for Cub Scouts and a great way to get to Little Yosemite. The trail begins near the Visitor Center, at the bridge that crosses the creek. After crossing the bridge, turn right and head upstream. The Canyon View trail is well marked. The trail goes up a ridge or two, and along the hillsides that border the creek. Along the way, you’ll see some nice views of the creek and canyon. About halfway, the trail drops down into Jacobs’s Valley. Stay on the trail until you get to Cerro Este Road and turn right (toward the creek) and follow the road to Little Yosemite. When you get to the outhouse on Camp Ohlone Road, cross the road where you will find a path that will take you down the very steep sides of the creek’s banks, to the ancient piles of boulders called Little Yosemite. This is a perfect place for scouts to study rocks and have lunch. Remember collecting specimens is not allowed. Watch for poison oak. Hikers can return the same way, or via the Ohlone Road for a different view of the park. To return via Ohlone Road, simply climb back up the bank to the road (stay on the trail), downhill. Notice how different the vegetation is here by Alameda Creek, compared to the Canyon View Trail. Eventually you will cross a bridge, pass a gate and find yourself in a remote parking area. Stay on the paved road all the way back to the Visitor Center.

// The history

The original inhabitants in the Sunol Valley were the Ohlone Indians and reminders of them can be seen in the acorn pounding bedrock mortars found in the park. For the past half century, the land known today as Sunol Regional Wilderness was used almost exclusively as ranch land. Alameda Creek is the county’s largest stream and hosts an attractive community of trees including alder, willow, sycamore and bay laurel. The nearby valleys abound with coastal live oak, blue and valley oak, elderberry, madrone, and California buckeye. During spring, the hills come alive with a variety of colorful wildflowers. A wildflower identification kit may be checked out at the visitor center.