65. Napa - Skyline Wilderness Park

https://youtu.be/vubIVBpRAJE

Skyline park has 25 miles of multi-use fireroad and singletrack trails of various skill levels.

Marie Creek TrailToggle

1.65 miles horizontal distance.

Begin at Marie Creek Road (364’ elevation). Gentle rise for 1.13 miles, 6% grade (587’ elevation). Continue to peak for 0.28 miles, 20% grade (844’ elevation). Continue down 0.2 miles, 11% grade. Flat to end at junction with Chaparral Trail.

Lower Marie CreekHorizontal distance of .31 miles. Begin at point 002, elevation 584 ft. steady rise to Junction, point 004 elevation 800 ft. Average grade 14%.

Manzanita TrailToggle

1.31 miles horizontal distance.

Begin at access road near Disc Golf course (201’ elevation). Drop down (162’ elevation) and then climb to Bikers Bypass, 14% grade (465’ elevation). Continue on the main trail to peak, 24% grade, then down, 20% grade. Continue climbing again, 8% grade, then down again, 10% grade, to flat.

Bikers Bypass – 0.14 horizontal distance.

Thatcher’s Rim Rock TrailToggle

2.29 miles horizontal distance.

Begins from Marie Creek Trail near end of Manzanita and the Fig Tree. Steady climb for 1.67 miles, 14% grade, to Sugarloaf Peak (1,630’ elevation). Drop down for 0.65 miles, 20% grade, ending on Skyline Trail.

Bay Leaf TrailToggle

0.61 miles horizontal distance.

Starts on Lake Marie Road by the Fig Tree. Steep climb to Skyline Trail junction, 10% to 27% grade.

Chaparral TrailToggle

0.46 miles horizontal distance.

Starts from Skyline Trail east of Lake Marie. Trail drops and then rises (893’ elevation). Then rises steeply, 24% grade (951’ elevation). Several rises and drops, 15% to 19% grade. Ends at Marie Creek Trail southwest of Lake Marie.

Buckeye TrailToggle

2.27 miles horizontal distance.

Begins from lower junction with Lake Marie Road, the River to Ridge Trail, and Skyline Trail (208’ elevation). Gradually climb for 0.68 miles, 13% grade (631’ elevation). Continue for 0.98 miles, 7% grade (688’ elevation). Then to trail end at the junction of Skyline Trail (857’ elevation), 45% grade.

Skyline And Lower Skyline TrailToggle

3.34 miles horizontal distance.

Begins from lower junction with Lake Marie Road, the River to Ridge Trail, and Buckeye Trail (239’ elevation). Brisk climb on main Skyline Trail, 16% grade (776’ elevation). Numerous ups and downs to the north end of the park (1010’ elevation).

Lower Skyline trail forks from the main trail at the lower junction. 0.89 miles horizontal distance. Climb is smooth and gradual, 13% grade (781’ elevation). Ends at junction with main Skyline Trail.

Lake Marie RoadToggle

2.32 miles horizontal distance.

This is a fire road that begins by the Kiosk through the nine-hole disc golf course and then to the main trail head (138’ elevation). Wide fire road has several technical areas gradually rising to Lake Marie, 7% average grade (819’ elevation).

River To Ridge TrailToggle

3.4 miles horizontal distance.

Begins from lower junction with Lake Marie Road, the Skyline Trail, and Buckeye Trail. Numerous ups and downs and technical areas. Ends at Kennedy Park near the Napa River. Return trip elevation gain 387’.

MARTHA WALKER GARDEN

As a memorial to Martha Walker, the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden in Skyline Park invites visitors to enjoy a unique presentation of flora from all over the State.

THE MARTHA WALKER STORY

Martha Walker, originally from the Bay Area, Marin County, moved with her husband and four children to Napa in the early 1940’s. She had a natural love for the seasonal changes and the wonders of nature, which likely came from her mother. The latter’s botanical garden in Mill Valley was well known. Martha’s horticultural friends from that time visited here often after her move to Napa.

Throughout the years, Martha’s micro-gardening style evolved naturally. Her children describe the garden as a “free-form and least-disturbed layout.” A more traditional plan was applied when planting and tending their food gardens, especially the Victory Garden during the years of WWII.

Napa State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Napa, California, founded in 1875. It is located along California State Route 221, the Napa-Vallejo Highway, and is one of California's five state hospitals. Napa State Hospital holds civil and forensic patients in a sprawling 138-acre campus. According to a hospital spokesperson, there were 2,338 people employed at the facility during the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year, making it one of the region's largest employers.

The Napa Valley Cricket Club played a number of their matches at McGrath Field, a multi-use sports field, at the eastern end of the Napa State Hospital campus for the 2017 season.