Crane
Creek Regional Park,
Sonoma County Regional Parks,
Sonoma County
In brief:
1.1 mile loop through a very scenic small park featuring a creek and lots of old
oaks.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Sonoma County, exit Rohnert Park Expressway. Drive southeast on
Rohnert Park Expressway about 2.5 miles, at which point Rohnert Park Expressway
ends at Petaluma Hill Road. Turn right on Petaluma Hill Road, and drive south
about 1.2 miles, then turn left onto Roberts Road (there's a brown "parks"
sign at this intersection). Drive about 1.2 miles on Roberts Road, and where Roberts
Road ends (Lichau Road makes a sharp turn right), continue straight, now on Pressley
Road. Continue on Pressley about 0.5 mile, then turn left into the parking lot.
Trailhead details:
Large paved parking lot. $5 parking fee (no parking along the road outside the
gate) via self registration. There are 2 designated handicapped parking spots,
and the trails are wheelchair accessible. You'll find pit toilets, a map under
glass at the trailhead, and paper maps to take with you. No drinking water. There
is no direct public transportation to this park.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phones, stores, and restaurants back in Rohnert Park, near US 101. No
camping.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.1 mile loop hike is very easy. Trailhead elevation is about
340 feet. The park's highest point is about 470 feet, and the lowest is around
260. This is a good destination for beginning hikers.
Rules:
Dogs are allowed on this hike: they are permitted on leash in the park. Park is
open from sunrise to sunset. Some trails are signed hiking only, while others
are multi-use.
The Official Story:
Sonoma County's Crane
Creek page
Sonoma County's Regional Park office 707-565-2041
Map/book choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Map
from Sonoma County Parks (download pdf)
• 
This hike is
described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco (1st edition),
by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order
this book from Amazon.com.
• North Bay Trails, by David Weintraub (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and park descriptions.
Crane Creek in a nutshell
-- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
View
photos from this hike.
When I have my next "Calgon take me away" moment,
I
believe I'll visualize an afternoon at Crane Creek. I will close my eyes and feel
a soft breeze floating across the green hillsides, smell the blossoms on buckeye
trees, and hear the murmur of a stream. And then once I find the prefect spot
under a sprawling valley oak, I'll stretch out for a snooze, with the sound of
hawk cries punctuating my dreams. Ah, yes, Crane Creek is a soothing place. Although
the park is only comprised of 128 acres, its diverse habitats and close proximity
to civilization make it a fantastic destination, particularly in spring, when
the grassland is lush, fresh oak leaves bust from their buds, and wildflowers
are abundant.
There are only a handful of short trails, and all of
them are gentle. You could combine a trip to Crane Creek with a day-long Sonoma
County wildflower excursion, but unless you veg out somewhere along the trail,
you'll exhaust the park in an hour or so. Many runners and daily walkers from
nearby Rohnert Park are regulars at 
Crane
Creek. The park gets busy around lunch time on sunny warm days, and from sunrise
to sunset you'll likely see folks walking their dogs. Almost every trail is nearly
level, and Creek Trail and Lupine Trail are signed as wheelchair accessible.
Start at the information signboard to the
left of the pit toilets, at the edge of the parking lot. Begin walking on Fiddleneck
Trail, open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. After only about 310 feet, Fiddleneck
reaches a junction with Overlook Loop Trail. Bear right to remain on Fiddleneck
Trail. A low hill to the left partially screens views west to Rohnert Park.
Suncups and buttercups are common, sprinkled through the grassland in late winter.
The nearly flat trail meets Hawk Ridge Trail at a signed junction at 0.20 mile.
Continue straight on Fiddleneck Trail. After a short easy descent, Fiddleneck
Trail crosses an oak-lined creek where you might see swaths of buttercups and
milkmaids in late winter. At 0.42 mile, 
you'll
reach a signed junction, with Poppy Trail heading to the right. Continue straight
on Fiddleneck Trail, which almost immediately drifts left at an unsigned junction
with Lupine Trail. Bear right onto Lupine Trail.
Some buttercups and California poppies were in bloom,
but I was too early, in March, for the wildflower peak, which is said to include
fiddlenecks, popcorn flowers, and lupine. Two huge valley oaks gracefully sprawl
on the left side of the hiking-only trail, which keeps a level pace as it bisects
a small flat meadow. At 0.55 mile, you'll cross through a fenceline and reach
a junction. Turn right onto Creek Trail.
The narrow trail, closed to equestrians and cyclists,
makes its way through the length of the oak-dotted meadow, not far from Crane
Creek. Look for a little path to the left that leads the stream, which is particularly
gorgeous and melodious after a winter storm. 
At
0.71 mile, Creek Trail meets Lupine Trail again. In March, there were clusters
of shooting stars and saxifrage on the right. Veer left and remain on Creek
Trail.
Snowberry and poison oak flourish in the understory,
beneath oaks, California bays, and buckeye. Creek Trail sustains an almost flat
grade. At 0.84 mile, Creek Trail meets Buckeye Trail at a signed junction. (Dead-end
Buckeye is an option if you'd like to extend this hike; the trail crosses Crane
Creek and climbs to the park's highest point.) Turn right and continue on Creek
Trail.
Creek Trail returns to grassland, with mature buckeyes
and valley oaks punctuating the landscape here and there. You might catch a glimpse
of red-tail hawks in this part of the park. At 0.95 mile, Creek Trail crosses
a bridge and meets Poppy Trail at a signed junction. Turn left to continue
on Creek Trail.
Drawing close to Pressley Road, you might see and
hear cattle across the road on the adjacent hillsides. At 1.07 miles, Creek Trail
passes a few picnic tables, then ends back at the trailhead.
Total distance: 1.07 miles
Last hiked: Monday, October 4, 2004
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
I
believe I'll visualize an afternoon at Crane Creek. I will close my eyes and feel
a soft breeze floating across the green hillsides, smell the blossoms on buckeye
trees, and hear the murmur of a stream. And then once I find the prefect spot
under a sprawling valley oak, I'll stretch out for a snooze, with the sound of
hawk cries punctuating my dreams. Ah, yes, Crane Creek is a soothing place. Although
the park is only comprised of 128 acres, its diverse habitats and close proximity
to civilization make it a fantastic destination, particularly in spring, when
the grassland is lush, fresh oak leaves bust from their buds, and wildflowers
are abundant.
Crane
Creek. The park gets busy around lunch time on sunny warm days, and from sunrise
to sunset you'll likely see folks walking their dogs. Almost every trail is nearly
level, and Creek Trail and Lupine Trail are signed as wheelchair accessible. 
you'll
reach a signed junction, with Poppy Trail heading to the right. Continue straight
on Fiddleneck Trail, which almost immediately drifts left at an unsigned junction
with Lupine Trail. Bear right onto Lupine Trail. 
At
0.71 mile, Creek Trail meets Lupine Trail again. In March, there were clusters
of shooting stars and saxifrage on the right. Veer left and remain on Creek
Trail.