Annadel State Park Trail Runs

Annadel State Park

Annadel State Park is located about 60 miles north of San Francisco on the eastern edge of the city of Santa Rosa. The park has more than 5,500 mostly undeveloped acres of rolling hills, seasonal streams, meadows and woodlands. The name "Annadel" dates back to the late 1800's when the land was owned by the Hutchinson family. Samuel Hutchinson had named his ranch by combining the name of his daughter, Annie, with "dell" which means a small, secluded, wooded valley. Initially used for sheep and cattle grazing, the land soon became used for quarrying of cobblestones to build San Francisco and other west coast cities. However, in the 1920's the demand for cobblestones significantly declined.

Then, in the 1930's, entrepreneur Joe Coney bought the land to build a hunting and fishing retreat for his friends. Under the Coneys’ ownership, it became known as “the Annadel Farm.” He stocked the property with game birds and filled his man-made lake, Lake Ilsanjo, with black bass and other fish. When his fortunes began to diminish in the 1960's, Joe Coney decided to sell the ranch. California State Parks acquired Annadel in 1971, and it became a state park in 1974. Evidence of the cobblestone quarrying still exists today.

The park offers over 50 miles of rolling trails that are a mix of dirt roads and singletrack. In addition to hikers, runners, and equestrians, the trails are particularly popular with local mountain bikers enjoying the challenge of the technical, rocky trails. If you are running or hiking it is important to watch out for mountain bikers, particularly on the weekends. Elevations in the park range from about 300' at the entrance to over 1,400' at the high point of the park. In addition to trail use, the park allows fishing in Lake Ilsanjo with a valid California fishing license. The fishing for black bass and bluegill is excellent.

Annadel State Park was the last Sonoma Valley park on the state park closure list. It was saved in 2012 after the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a contract to allow Sonoma County Regional Parks to manage Annadel State Park for one year beginning July 2012. In July 2013 the State resumed operations of the park, with help from volunteers. The future of the park is still precarious, but hopefully with the help of donations and volunteers it can be kept open.

Rocky singletrack in Annadel Park

The Dirt:

Click here to download a printable trail map of the Favorite Runs below!
Click here for the official Annadel State Park website with link to trail map.
A better trail map with mileages is available here.
Click here for driving directions to the Cobblestone Trailhead parking on Channel Drive via Google Maps.
It is free to park at the Cobblestone Trailhead; however, a parking fee is required to park beyond the visitor center on Channel Drive.

Extras:

Drinkable water is located near the visitor center and in the main parking lot at the east end of Channel Drive. No other water in the park is potable.
Fishing is allowed in Lake Ilsanio with a valid California fishing license.

Favorite Run #1: Small Lake Loop (7.6 mi, ~1000' elevation gain)

This loop is a nice introduction to the park. It starts with a flat 1.6-mile warm-up, followed by a nice shaded climb through a dense forest. After a trip around Lake Ilsanjo, the route then follows the technical and rocky Rough-Go Trail and Cobblestone Trail, and ends with a mile descent back to your car.

This run starts from the Cobblestone Trailhead on Channel Drive. Park in the dirt area alongside Channel Drive, then begin the loop by running up Channel Drive toward the park entrance.

GPX Track

Printable Trail Map

Driving Directions

Route Details:

0.0 mi: From the Cobblestone Trailhead parking area, start heading up Channel Drive toward the park entrance.
0.5 mi: Just past the park entrance and headquarters, veer right onto the dirt Channel Trail. You will follow the Channel Trail for the next mile until it ends at the Warren Richardson Trailhead parking lot. Note that at about mile 1.2 you must exit the trail and go along the asphalt Channel Drive for a very short distance before returning to the dirt trail.
1.6 mi: At the Warren Richardson Trailhead parking lot. Turn right and head through the parking lot, then get onto the Warren Richardson Trail (dirt road). You will follow the Warren Richardson Trail for the next 2.4 miles as it climbs through a dense forest and then descends to Lake Ilsanjo.
4.0 mi: After a brief descent, the Warren Richardson Trail ends at Lake Ilsanjo. Continue straight ahead onto the Lake Trail to run around the right side of the lake.
4.5 mi: At the opposite side of the lake, turn right onto the Rough-Go Trail. You will follow this rocky singletrack for the next mile.
5.5 mi: Turn right onto the rocky Cobblestone Trail.
6.4 mi: After a brief switchback climb, you will pass an arrangement of rocks on the ground in the center of the trail. Just after that, veer left to continue on the Cobblestone Trail. Get ready for a rocky descent!
7.6 mi: Cobblestone Trail ends at Channel Drive and your car!

Lake Ilsanjo

The view from Warren Richardson Trail

Favorite Run #2: Big Lake Loop (11.6 mi, ~1600' elevation gain)

This loop is a longer version of Favorite Run #1 that includes a trip up to the high point of Annadel State Park at 1,427'. (Alas, there is no view from the high point...) This run starts with a flat 1.6-mile warm-up, followed by a nice shaded climb through a dense forest. The climb intensifies as it follows a rocky singletrack through a redwood grove up to the high point of the park. This is followed by three miles along a great rolling singletrack that slowly descends to Lake Ilsanjo. After a trip around Lake Ilsanjo, the route then follows the technical and rocky Rough-Go Trail and Cobblestone Trail, and ends with a mile descent back to your car.

This run starts from the Cobblestone Trailhead on Channel Drive. Park in the dirt area alongside Channel Drive, then begin the loop by running up Channel Drive toward the park entrance.

GPX Track

Printable Trail Map

Driving Directions

Route Details:

0.0 mi: From the Cobblestone Trailhead parking area, start heading up Channel Drive toward the park entrance.
0.5 mi: Just past the park entrance and headquarters, veer right onto the dirt Channel Trail. You will follow the Channel Trail for the next mile until it ends at the Warren Richardson Trailhead parking lot. Note that at about mile 1.2 you must exit the trail and go along the asphalt Channel Drive for a very short distance before returning to the dirt trail.
1.6 mi: At the Warren Richardson Trailhead parking lot. Turn right and head through the parking lot, then get onto the Warren Richardson Trail (dirt road). You will follow the Warren Richardson Trail for the next 2 miles as it climbs through a dense forest.
3.7 mi: Just before Warren Richardson Trail starts descending, turn left onto the singletrack South Burma Trail to continue climbing to the high point. The next two miles climb through a dense redwood forest.
5.3 mi: Unmarked high point of the park.
5.7 mi: South Burma Trail ends at the Marsh Trail. Turn right on the Marsh Trail toward Lake Ilsanjo.
7.8 mi: Marsh Trail ends at Canyon Trail (dirt road). Turn right toward Hunter Spring and Lake Ilsanjo.
8.3 mi: When you get to the lake, turn left on Lake Trail and follow the trail around the lake to the Rough-Go Trail. (Be careful not to accidentally get on Spring Creek Trail!)
8.6 mi: Veer left onto Rough-Go Trail. You will follow this rocky singletrack for the next mile.
9.6 mi: Turn right onto the rocky Cobblestone Trail.
10.5 mi: After a brief switchback climb, you will pass an arrangement of rocks on the ground in the center of the trail. Just after that, veer left to continue on the Cobblestone Trail. Get ready for a rocky descent!
11.6 mi: Cobblestone Trail ends at Channel Drive and your car!

Climbing the South Burma Trail

Descending the Marsh Trail to Lake Ilsanjo