Sunol Wilderness to Stanford Trail (Fremont) via Mission Peak


Today was a nice sunny day, so we decided to go out for a trek in the afternoon. The temperature was quite high in the early afternoon but by 3:00 it was falling and I knew that the more time I hiked, the cooler it would get. I arranged a ride to drop us (myself, kids and my friend) off at Sunol Regional Wilderness Park, which was our planned starting point. I was hoping to travel up from that  (east) side of Mission Peak, which I know to be very scenic and pleasant compared to its barren opposite-commonly known as the “Stanford Trail.” Although the slope of the Stanford Trail can knock the wind out of you on the ascent, I figured going down it would be a quicker way back home after a five and a half mile hike. 

I hit the Ohlone Wilderness Trail from the start and followed it up. In the beginning, the trail was on a gentle hill, while the vegetation nearby had been dried up by the summer sun. The initial climb was a bit strenous for a while, but after I hit the trees, the slope became gradual and the cooler temperature was refreshing.



     From there onwards, the landscape varied from rolling hills, patches of trees, small wineries, and the occasional house somewhere in the middle of the forest. 
The greenery and floral beauty that blossoms in the late winter and early spring had yet to come; I promised myself that I would come back then. Time flew by, and before I knew it I was right behind Mission Peak. I reached the base of the peak and took a snack break to contemplate whether or not to hike the peak or head home, for the sun was threatening to set soon. After giving it some thought, going back down appealed to me more. Back home it was, and although I had a few minor slips in the loose gravel, it was an uneventful descent to the base. My NewYu tracked total of 7.8 miles of distance from the park to the start of Stanford trail. I would rate this hike as moderate difficulty. 

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