Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

This is the most accessible place upvalley to escape wine and the inside of the car, just a few miles north of St. Helena and right off the main highway (3801 St. Helena Hwy. N., 707/942-4575, open sunrise to sunset, $4 day-use fee). Proximity to the wineries and shops of St. Helena makes the park a popular picnic spot, but most picnickers don’t venture far beyond the shady picnic area just beyond the parking lot near the Pioneer Cemetery (and the road). They miss the best reason to come here, which is to experience the relative wilderness that’s so close to the beaten path and home to some of the most easterly stands of coastal redwood trees.

Most of the best hiking trails start from the Redwood Trail, which runs from the main parking lot through the cool redwood forest along Ritchey Creek for just over a mile before meeting the Ritchey Canyon Trail. That trail more or less follows the creek for about another mile to the site of an old homestead, an ideal destination for adventurous picnickers.

More strenuous hikes start from the Redwood Trail and climb steeply into the heat to some rewarding lookout points. The closest is Coyote Peak, accessed via the Coyote Peak Trail and just under a mile from the creek. From the lookout spur, the trail continues to the South Fork Trail. Turn right here to head back down to the creek for a loop of about four miles, or go left to climb again to another lookout. These trails are not for the faint-hearted, especially in the summer when it can get very hot, so don’t underestimate the dehydrating power of too many glasses of wine.

Mountain bikers (or anyone on a Wine Country bike tour tired of dodging weaving rental cars) also have a few miles of trails to explore here, but only those that start north of the creek near the campground. Those same trails are also open for horseback riding, offered during the summer and fall by the Triple Creek Horse Outfit for those without their own steed (reservations 707/933-1600 or www.triplecreekhorseoutfit.com). A 1.5-hour ride costs $50.