Blue Ridge Trail to Fiske Peak
 
 

The Hike:

This is by far my favorite hike in the area.  Not just because it was the first hike I took in this area, but because the vistas are incredible!  You will definitely earn them, however, since the hike is very steep.  Definitely not for beginners. Also, be sure and go during cooler weather, because you will get quite warm going up the trail.  That said, here is what the hike is like:

The hike starts the same as the Frog Pond Trail.  You cross the low water bridge of Rayhouse road (a.k.a. road 40), then follow the road to your left, passing through the yellow gate with the sun shaped pattern on the fencing.  This access road takes you to a small clearing.  On your right you will see the metal sign announcing the Blue Ridge Trail.  Follow the trail up Still Gulch, as it winds to the top of Blue ridge.  You start off in the trees, but after a few turns you will end up in the more open hillsides of the ridge.  At the first clearing you will be able to get a clear view of Glascock mountain on the opposite side of the creek and highway.  You will quickly begin your ascent of the ridge.  Once you reach the top of the ridge, the trail levels off, and you have just a few short up-and-downs to get to Fiske peak.  Be sure to look for the metal USGS survey marker at the top of the peak.  That's how you know you have really arrived!  (as if the panorama of the valley below doesn't tell you.)  The trail continues along the ridge to the Fiske Creek Rd. trailhead.  If you piece together this hike with the Blue ridge south hike, you can have a very long loop.

Distance: 4 miles from the trailhead to Fiske Peak. (one way) Total elevation gain of 2100 feet.

How to get there: 

From Yolo county, Woodland and Davis, take Highway 16 up the Capay valley.  Once you pass the town of Rumsey, you begin to enter the Cache Creek Canyon.  The road will narrow and you will be driving with the creek on one side and the canyon walls on the other.  When you see the Cache Creek regional park sign on your left, turn into the parking area.  This is the lower park site of three that Yolo county runs as park of Cache Creek Regional park.  You can park in the parking area, or at a number of pullouts on Rayhouse road, before the seasonally-closed gate.  Walk down Rayhouse road, past the gate, down to and across the low water bridge. The trailhead starts downstream from the bridge, on the side of the creek opposite the Highway.

Photos
  fiske peak as seen from the bottom   clearing right before the trail
     
  panorama of the ridge   glascock mountain
  on top of the ridge   view of highway 16 from the trail
  cache creek leaving the canyon    
       
       
       
       
Map (.pdf file)
 

GPS track (.gpx format)

What is .gpx?

gpx file