Cedar Roughs Trail
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View of Lake Berryessa and Blue Ridge from the trail 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 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 a turnout next to an old rusty white gate on Pope Canyon Road. 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 proceeds downhill and turns right onto the trail up Pope Creek. The trail goes through a switchback and upstream to the creek crossing which is marked by orange flagging tape attached to bushes. The path crosses the creek at this point by following a flag 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. From a carsonite trail sign on the far shoreline, the trail ascends to an old carriage/jeep road where it turns left and follows the road uphill. After about a 1/2 mile climb, the trail forks to the right as it passes through a meadow. The path then descends briefly down a canyon on the far side of the meadow and turns left onto an old road cut before turning sharply right and beginning the climb into the Cedar Roughs. The route follows a cairn line for another mile along the ridge to a point where the trail turns right and ends on a scenic rocky overlook. *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. Further Information: Trail Description in PDF format suitable for printing
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