Westwood Hills Park

The Westwood Hills Park in the Napa Valley area of California offers an easy hiking trail for those who want to take a few hours and explore the area. The gentle hike is different than the more intense hikes in the wine country area and it takes hikers just about a mile from Highway 29. The park features different kinds of vegetation including eucalyptus, buckeye, live oak and California bay woodlands. There are a variety of footpaths and fire roads that hikers can follow, but most return to the original trailhead. The best advised hike begins on the paved road near the parking lot. You can climb up the road to the private drive and head straight about 200 feet to the fire road. This is where hikers join up with the Valley View Trail and the eucalyptus forest. There area number of sign posts along the trail, making it easy to maneuver, or you can pick up a self-guided tour tail pamphlet that is available at the trailhead. The trail shrinks a bit along the way but still offers adequate space to move within a group or pass other hikers. Another trail hikers pick up along the way include the Deer Trail, which is the downhill portion for about a half mile. Along this path you will see views of the Napa Valley and the Vaca Mountains, as well as monkeyflower, poison oak and sage brush. The entire length of the trail is about 1.22 miles and can be hiked in less than an hour.