Looking down Pope Canyon at Lake Berryessa and Blue Ridge
The Cedar Roughs Trail provides access to the Cedar Roughs which encompasses the high ridge on the west side of Lake Berryessa. Views from the ridge are extraordinary and include the lake, Blue Ridge and Chiles and Pope Valleys. The trail now goes along the north end of the ridge to a scenic overlook and is under constant improvement and and will eventually extend to the top of the ridge.
The trail begins at an old rusty white gate on Pope Canyon Road. From the brown and yellow gate at the trailhead of the Pope Canyon Trail, proceed about 0.1 miles west (away from the lake) on Pope Canyon Road to the next turnout on the left. The turnout is a few feet east of the "Napa 06.75" mileage marker. Park at the gate or in a larger pullout across the road. The trail begins at the rusty white gate at this turnout. The gate is marked with a somewhat obscure hiker sign. Go to the left on an old roadbed which makes a broad curve to the right. Follow the trail up Pope Creek through a switchback and upstream across rocks about 100 yards where the trail is visible across the creek going up through a wide opening in the trees. If you reach a sign labelled "Private Land Beyond This Point", backtrack about 100 yards.
Cross the creek at this point by following a rope line and wading the creek. Use extreme caution wading if the water flow is high or consider abandoning the hike. Crossing Pope Creek during the rainy season is often impossible and remains a boot filling experience until, usually, some time in May. Ascend the trail to an old carriage/jeep road. Turn left and follow the road uphill.
After about a 1/2 mile climb, the trail passes through a broad meadow. Take the right fork where the path splits in the meadow. The path then descends briefly down a canyon on the far side of the meadow and continues a short distance along an old road cut before turning sharply right and beginning the climb into the Cedar Roughs. Follow the cairn line for another mile along the ridge to a point where the trail turns right and ends on a scenic rocky overlook.
A four page brochure entitiled "Cedar Roughs" with more information about the Cedar Roughs and the first seqment of the Trail, including a map, is available from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is highly recommended that hikers obtain this brochure before hiking into the Roughs. To request a copy online, go to the BLM Ukiah Map Request Page. The written description and the map from the brochure are also available online from the BLM site.
*Degree of Difficulty: Moderate climb. Length is two miles with 800 ft. elevation gain.
*Trail Condition: maintained and marked; follows an old road to the meadow and a cairn line to the overlook.
