Ritchey Canyon Trail, Calistoga

8 MILES OUT-AND-BACK, MODERATE, STRENUOUS

Coastal redwoods are pretty picky about where they live. They like fog, shade and, well, coast. Which is why they’ve clustered in the canyons of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. The Ritchey Canyon Trail follows Ritchey Creek and will impress you with trilliums and orchids as well as the big trees. About a mile in, you’ll encounter a bit of San Francisco history: The Hitchcock site, the ghost of the country estate where the young Lillie Hitchcock Coit of Coit Tower fame spent her summers. From here the trail continues along the creek, then gains views as it climbs to the site of an 1880s homestead, your turnaround point. Start: Trail head is just inside the park entrance, 4 miles south of Calistoga on Highway 29/128; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=477