Napa Valley, California
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Napa Sightseeing, Arts, Entertainment & RecreationNapa is home to a wide variety of attractions such as Copia—the American Center for Wine, Food and Art, performances at the historic Napa Valley Opera House, hiking trails along the Napa River and in the hills on both sides of the valley, golf, and even gondola rides on the river. |
Arts Council of Napa Valley
68 Coombs St. D4
Napa CA 94559
707.257.2117
The Arts Council's mission is to support and provide programs for the literary, visual and performing arts of Napa County. It promotes and supports the artistic community, provides arts education in the schools and holds the annual Open Studios event in the fall, where hundreds of local artists welcome visitors to their studios.
Chamber Music in the Napa Valley
707.252.7122
Classical pianists, string quartets, solo violinists, opera singers and chamber orchestras in the intimate setting of the Napa Valley Opera House.
Cinedome 8 Napa
825 Pearl Street
Napa CA 94559
707.257.7700
There's nothing unique or interesting about this theater. It's part of a large chain and exists solely to show mainstream movies. Despite its promises to the city the last time it was allowed to expand, it seldom shows art or independent films.
Dreamweavers Theatre
1637 Imola Avenue in the River Park Shopping Center
Napa CA 94559
707.255.5483
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" a Dreamweavers' production. (Photo courtesy of Dreamweavers Theatre.)
Local non-profit live theater. Small, comfortable theater with a varied line-up of shows. Examples from their 2002 schedule give an idea of the variety of their plays: Steambath, David Mamet's Oleanna, Getting Away with Murder, Gross Indecency—The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, To Kill a Mockingbird, Waiting for Godot, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Measure for Measure.
Jarvis Conservatory
1711 Main Street
Napa CA 94559
707.255.5445
An absolutely exquisite theater devoted to an art form little known in this country: Spanish opera, called "zarzuela," something like a Spanish version of Gilbert & Sullivan. Situated in the building that once housed the Joseph Mathews distillery (and later winery), the Conservatory offers classes and public performances of zarzuela and other operatic music. If there's a performance happening while you're in the valley (they're usually in June), give it a try.
On the first Saturday of each month, Jarvis hosts "opera night". Vocalists from around the San Francisco Bay Area come to perform. Tickets are $15 and include complimentary tapas, wine and mineral water at intermission. Tickets are available at the door on the day of the event, opening at 6:30 pm for ticket sales. Doors open at 7:30 and singing starts at 8:00.
Want to know all about Zarzuela? Buy The Zarzuela Companion
Listen to Zarzuela. Buy Zarzuela: Spanish Operetta (Audio CD)
Napa Valley College Theatre
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Napa CA 94558
707.253.3200
South of Napa on Soscol Avenue just south of Imola.
The Napa Valley College Division of Fine and Performing Arts sponsors approximately 100 events each year: plays, musicals and concerts (choral, jazz, and instrumental), including events for young audiences.
Napa Valley Opera House
1040 Main Street
Napa CA 94559
707.226.7372
The reopening of the Napa Valley Opera House after 88 years has dramatically added to the entertainment scene in Napa.
The theater was built in 1879, and although never actually used for opera, presented everything from readings by Jack London and performances by John Philip Sousa's band to vaudeville, political rallies and local dance recitals. It closed in 1914 but has now been restored, offering theatrical performances and musical revues since June of 2002.
The Café Theatre on the ground floor has cabaret-style seating for 180 people, where patrons can enjoy wine and snacks before and after performances. It offers performances of popular, jazz, blues, Latin, world and chamber music, as well as comedy and shows for the family
The larger Margrit Biever Mondavi Theatre is located upstairs and seats 380 on the main floor and 120 in the balcony. It offers similar entertainment as well as plays, musical theater, opera and dance.
Napa Valley Symphony
2407 California Boulevard
Napa CA 94558
707.226.6872
The Napa Valley has developed an outstanding group of musicians. Most concerts are held in the Lincoln Theater at the Veterans Home in Yountville. There's also an annual free concert by the river at Veterans Park in downtown Napa.
Silo's Jazz Club
500 Main Street
Napa CA 945589
707.251.5833
Located at the Napa Mill on the river in downtown Napa. Open Tuesday through Saturday evenings. Performing home of jazz singer Wesla Whitfield and her pianist husband Mike Greensill. Local wines, local beers, appetizers and desserts.
Uptown Theater
1350 Third St.
Napa CA 94559
707.256.0150
Opens May 2010. The theater originally opened in 1937. Over the years it was divided into two theaters and eventually into four. In the 1980s and 1990s, several different owners tried to compete with the chain-owned multiplex in town by focusing on independent and art films.
Local businessman Robert Vogt and his wife Teresa worked long and hard on improvements to the theater, founding the non-profit Napa Valley Film Society and gaining wide community support because of the quality of films they presented. Eventually the Vogts, along with fellow investors Tim Herman and Tom Bird, partnered with landlord (for much of downtown Napa) George Altamura and Rutherford resident Francis Ford Coppola to totally restore the art deco theater to its former glory, relying on Coppola's access to outstanding artisans, designers and technicians. Margrit Mondavi, a patron of the restored Napa Valley Opera House, and prime mover behind the long-time summer music series at Robert Mondavi Winery, also joined in on the theater's restoration. Coppola later bowed out.
The Uptown will now hold 850 people in one big theater furnished with plush French-made theater seats. Murals on walls and ceiling are being painstakingly restored, and an authentically restored marquee is now in place outside the theater. The goal is to present high quality live entertainment. No films. Other possible events include a ngoing arts and lecture series.
Wine and Crafts Faire
Downtown Napa
707.257.0322
Wine tasting, crafts, food, entertaining. Held in September, it's the big street fair of the year in the city of Napa.
Bridgeford Flying Services
Napa Valley Airport
Napa CA 94558
(Halfway between Napa and Vallejo)
707.224.0887
Tours of Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa, the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, and the Marin and Sonoma Coasts. Cessna Skyhawk (1-3 passengers) or Cessna Centurion (4-5 passengers).
A flying tour of the Napa Valley offers a truly unique and breathtaking perspective of our enchanted valley. You realize just how much of the surrounding area is still in its natural state. It's also the only way to see how the "other half" live (well, maybe less than half). The hills on both sides of the valley are filled with estates and compounds built by the wealthy. Most of these homes are visible only from the air.
Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park
2462 Atlas Peak Road
Napa CA 94558
707.255.3456
It's not exactly a major wine country tourist attraction, but the pet memorial park is open 365 days a year for visitation. The park is located in the hills behind Napa, two miles beyond Silverado Resort. Established in 1971, it is now the final resting place for over 10,000 pets. The park was the star of the unique documentary film Gates of Heaven.
Even if you can't visit the cemetery, buy the movie. The Gates of Heaven (DVD)
Copia - The American Center For Wine, Food And The Arts
See listing
Evans Airport Service
4075 Solano Avenue
Napa CA 94558
707.255.1559
707.944.2025 (upvalley)
Scheduled trips to and from San Francisco and Oakland airports, with stop in Vallejo.
First Presbyterian Church
1333 Third Street
Napa CA 94559
707.224.8693
Historic First Presybterian Church. (Photo courtesy of the church.)
A beautiful late-Victorian Gothic church, all of wood, built in 1874. Designated by the state as a historical landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Labyrinth at the Methodist Church
Napa First United Methodist Church
625 Randolph Street at Fifth Street
Napa, CA 94559
707.253.1411
A walk-it-yourself replica of the labyrinth in the famed Chartres Cathedral.
The labyrinth is patterned after the original in France's Chartres Cathedral. Visitors walk along the path, winding back and forth, until they reach the center of the design. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has a specific path with no confusing choices. No one gets lost in a labyrinth.
Walking the labyrinth is a sacred act, a moving meditation that can have profound effects on the walker.
The church's congregation has designed an outdoor labyrinth with the help of the Veriditas Project at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. It makes the labyrinth public so that others can enjoy the peaceful, healing and self-understanding effects of working with the labyrinth.
The labyrinth is open for walking Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Groups may arrange for group walks, with or without a facilitator, between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Suggested donation is $3/person. For more information, call the church at the above number.ç
From the American woman who revitalized interest in the labyrinth. Buy Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool by Lauren Artress
Murals - Downtown Napa
The Napa Chamber of Commerce has an ongoing mural project, creating large hand-painted murals on the sides of buildings in downtown Napa. The murals depict various scenes and times in Napa's history. The project was initiated by Leadership Napa Valley and intends to produce at least one dozen murals.
Mural #1 - 19th Century Napa River
Location: First and Main Streets Artists: Steve Della Maggiora and Susan Clifford
The scene selected for this mural is the Napa River circa 1900. The view is from the Third Street Bridge looking south. The two artists, Steve Della Maggiora of Napa and Susan Clifford of St. Helena, have used a realistic style with true colors and hues with a warm summer sky casting glistening shadows onto the river. The colorful history of Napa is exemplified with the many wharfs, mills, wineries, schooners and steamships. It is important to note that no 19th century structure directly related to Napa's maritime commerce still exists.
The schooner "Emma," piloted by Captain George Pinkham, and the sternwheeler "Zinfandel," piloted by Captain N.H. Wulff, are both depicted in the mural. Both men lived in Napa and their original homes still stand and have been designated City Landmarks by the Cultural Heritage Commission. "Emma" (on the left) began serving Napa in the 1870s and could carry up to 70,000 square feet of lumber, 25 tons of flour, 80 tons of wheat, or 60 tons of sand. The "Zinfandel" (in the center) was brought to Napa in June 1889. She could carry 250 tons of cargo, had facilities for 36 passengers, and made three weekly round trips (down one day, back the next) between Napa and San Francisco.
Mural #2 - Famous Napa Valley Residents and Buildings (circa 1907)
Location: First and Randolph Streets Artist: Mikulas Kravjansk
Credit the 1908 "Napa City and County Portfolio and Directory" and extensive research by the artist for this remarkable reflection of Napa in the year 1907. Prominently featured are Sheriff David Dunlap (with hat), Napa Mayor David Sterling Kyser (moustache and sideburns), Superior Court Judge Henry C. Gesford (with beard), and Justice of the Peace (and later State Senator) Nathan Coombs. Shown on the newspaper page is Lena A. Jackson, school superintendent.
The mural also includes noteworthy buildings of the day, including (left to right) the Goodman Library, Napa County Courthouse, Migliavacca Mansion, and Central School. Prominent industries and styles of the time are also featured.
Napa resident Mikulas (Miky) Kravjansky devoted months of effort to this work of art. The Czechoslovakian-born artist has gained an international following, with his works featured around the world.
Mural #3 - Independence Day in Napa
Location: Pacific Bell Building (East side on Randolph Street, near the Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau in the Napa Town Center) Artist: David Huddleston
A scene depicting the July 4, 1908 Independence Day parade. "Miss Liberty" (Mazie Behrens) rides in a vehicle invented by fellow Napan Lyman Chapman.
Huddleston is an artist and teacher of art whose primary medium is watercolor. He has taught in France, Mexico, Hong Kong and China as well as the United States.
Mural #4 - Napa Valley Wine Industry Pioneers
Location: This mural no longer exists. The building on which it was painted has been torn down and replaced by a hotel. But here's what it looked like.
Pictured are Charles Krug (Charles Krug Winery), Captain Gustave Niebaum (Inglenook [now Niebaum-Coppola] Winery), Frederick and Jacob Beringer (Beringer Vineyards), Jacob Schram (Schramsberg Vineyards) and Georges de Latour (Beaulieu Vineyard).
The artist of the now departed mural, Cor Greive, a native of the Netherlands, is a past president of the Napa Valley Art Association and the Artists of the Bay Area. He teaches for the Napa Valley College Adult Education division. He works in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels.
Mural #5 - Hispanic Americans in Napa County
Location: 1127 First Street (across from the plaza in front of Mervyn's) - Artists: Cor Greive and Jose Charles
This mural honors Hispanic Americans in Napa County, including historic (General Mariano Vallejo, who once owned what is now Napa Valley) and contemporary (including Hope Lugo and Tala De Wynter, both local Hispanic community leaders). The mural also includes Mexican-American labor activist Cesar Chavez and Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. It's interesting to note that although the farmworkers who tend the vines and pick the grapes are the backbone of the Napa Valley's economy, not one is pictured working in this mural.
Note: You can also see a beautiful mosaic mural at the Napa Mill. It's located in the Riverbend Plaza on the river side of the complex.
Napa Downtown
Website for the Napa Downtown merchants association. Click on "Visitors" and then on "Maps" for free downloadable maps for shops and restaurants and parking.
Napa Firefighters Museum
1201 Main Street
Napa CA 94558
707.259.0609
www.napafirefightersmuseum.org
Free Admission. Open Wednesday through Saturday, occasionally Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm. On weekends, call first to make sure they're open.
Napa's Firefighter Museum is a unique and popular attraction.
Features an 1859 handpumper, a 1904 horse-drawn steamer, a 1913 Model T Ford, and 1926, 1931 and 1948 engines. Also tools, equipment and uniforms, and badges from all over the world. A great place for kids!
Napa Mill
500 Main Street
Napa CA 94559
707.252.9372
The mosaic fountain by local artist Alan Shepp in the Riverbend Plaza at the Napa Mill. (Photo courtesy of Napa Mill)
Napa Mill includes the Napa River Inn and the Hatt Market. The project is located on nearly three acres along the Napa River, on the site of the 1884 Hatt Building. The former feed and grain business and flour mill has been redeveloped into a sixty-five room hotel, restaurants, shops and food markets. The Napa Mill is one of the key features of the Napa River development plan and a favorite place for locals as well as visitors.
Napa River
(Information courtesy of Friends of the Napa River, www.friendsofthenapariver.org).
View of the Napa River from the Napa River Trail
The Napa River is one of the largest Central Coast Range Rivers draining 426 sq. miles on its 50 mile journey from Mt. St. Helena to the San Pablo Bay. The last 17 miles of this journey, from Trancas St. in Napa to Vallejo, are an estuary system. In summer, the salinity at Trancas may be 10%, in winter, it is freshwater.
The Napa River and its 47 tributaries serve as a linear wilderness running through the heart of an intensely farmed and partially urbanized valley. At one time, a dense canopy of riparian habitat dominated by cottonwoods and willows lined the river's upper reaches. For the most part, the gallery forest bordering the riparian zone is gone and the remaining vegetation exists only in the channel. Friends of the Napa River is working to restore the riparian habitat.
Health of the River
Wildlife Along the River
The endangered Chinook Salmon and steelheads spawn in the Napa River and in its many tributaries. The steelhead run has been reduced from historical levels of 6000 adults to a few hundred fish. Nonetheless, the river still supports an active recreational fishery. We find bluegill, black bass in the upper river; and striped bass, sturgeon and many non-game species such as the endangered splittail, yellowfin globy and silversides in the lower river.
Bird species dependent on the river include mallards, green-winged teals. mergansers, wood ducks, herons, egrets, kingfishers, rails and grebes as well as the endangered Clapper Rail. Mink muskrat, raccoons, deer, gray fox and bobcat also live in the riparian habitat
River Trails
Boating
Napa River Watershed
The area that drains into the Napa River contains 250 miles of streams and covers over 270,000 acres at the north end of the San Francisco/San Pablo Bay. It runs approximately 40 miles north to south and 15 miles east to west at its widest point. About forty thousand acres are vineyards, and 102,000 acres are range and grazing lands. Only 3% of the area is urbanized. Between 1992 and 1997 vineyard land in the watershed expanded approximately 2.1% annually. An additional 17,000 acres had to be replanted in the 1990's due to phylloxera.
Planning officials expect Pope Valley, the hillside areas of American Canyon, Jameson Canyon, and the western side of the Napa Valley to be the primary vineyard expansion areas in the future. They anticipate that over 4,000 acres will be planted in the next 10 years, primarily on hillsides, since there is very little acreage left unplanted on the valley floor.
There are currently 134,500 acres of Napa River watershed land in protected status in public or quasi-public ownership. This includes over 50,000 acres protected through fee title or conservation easement by the Napa County Land Trust. There are nearly 20,000 acres of the watershed under hardened pavement or rooftops, and over 6,500 acres of valley floor wetlands have been drained and filled since the 1800's.
The result is that Steelhead Trout runs that once surpassed 6000 adults have been reduced to several hundred. A Silver Salmon run that once numbered up to 2,000 adults is now extinct. Stream channel and floodplain modification has resulted in the discharge of more water at high velocities, producing increased bank erosion, sedimentation and downstream flooding.
In 1987 the Napa River was listed as "impaired" by the State Water Quality Control Board under the authority of the federal Clean Water Act. As we mentioned early, Friends of the Napa River and other agencies are working hard to restore the river to full health.
Napa State Hospital
2100 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Napa CA 94558
707.253.5026
www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/Services_and_Programs/State_Hospitals/Napa/default.asp
It's not a tourist spot, but this hospital for the mentally ill has had an important role in Napa's history and economy, and deserves mention. The 500-bed, four-story Gothic hospital building opened in 1875. It had a perimeter of one mile. Its first two clients were San Franciscans. It began on 192 acres purchased for $11,506 from Don Cayetano Juarez, part of the original Rancho Tulocay Mexican Land Grand that Juarez had received from General Mariano Vallejo. Over the years the property expanded to over 2,000 acres.
The land extended from the Napa River to the eastern edge of what is now Skyline Park, providing room for dairy and poultry ranches, orchards, vegetable gardens and farming. Farming ended in the late 1960's and most of the land is now occupied by Kennedy and Skyline Parks and Napa Valley College. The hospital's highest population was in 1960 with over 5,000 patients. The current population is approximately 1,000. There are rumors that the hospital will be closed in the next five years.
Napa Town & Country Fair
Napa Valley Exposition
575 Third Street
Napa CA 94559
707.253.4900
The really big fair in Napa County. Held in early August.
Napa Valley Airport
2030 Airport Road
Napa CA 94558
707.253.4300
No scheduled commercial flights. Private and corporate aircraft only.
Napa Valley College
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Napa CA 94558
707.253.3000
Two-year community college. Specialties include nursing, law enforcement and enology. Also has upvalley campus in St. Helena which includes a cooking school. Both campuses offer community education programs.
Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau
1310 Napa Town Center
Napa CA 94559
707.226.7459
Hidden in the Napa Town Center deep in the heart of downtown Napa, yet it gets tens of thousands of visitors a year. (Just follow the blue and white "Tourist Information" signs through Napa.) The CVB volunteers are outstanding: helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Take advantage of their expertise to plan your valley destinations. They can even help you find a place to stay for the night.
These people volunteer because they love talking with visitors. And they love the fact that they're wined and dined by the valley's best wineries and restaurants so that they'll have first-hand experience of the area's attractions. Most, but not all, are retired, so they have the time to help you and your fellow visitors enjoy their home.
Napa Valley Exposition
575 Third Street
Napa CA 94559
707.253.4900
Expo is home to the annual Napa Town & Country Fair, which is held every August and is the biggest fair in Napa County. It's also the site of a large number of community and visitor events, including the Mustard Festival Marketplace in March.
Napa Valley Wine Train
1275 McKinstry
Napa CA 94559
707.253.2111. 800.427.4124 Fax: 707.253.9264
On-Train Restaurant: Wine Country Cuisine - $85-$110 prix fixe
Directions: From Soscol Avenue turn east on First Street and take the first left onto McKinstry Street. Take the second left into the parking lot of the McKinstry Street Depot.
The Napa Valley Wine Train—gourmet dining on the rails through the heart of the wine country. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Wine Train.)
A 36-mile, three-hour fixed-price brunch, lunch or dinner excursion that travels year round through the heart of the Napa Valley. Meticulously restored 1917 Pullman dining car, damask linens, bone china, silver flatware, lead crystalware. Lounge and wine tasting cars are resplendent in polished mahogany, brass and etched glass. Wine Emporium stocks over 200 Napa Valley wines for purchase or shipping. Special "Winemaker Dinner" trips. There's also a less expensive "open-air" car—the "Silverado", and a more expensive vista dome car.
You can take the brunch, lunch or dinner runs all the way to St. Helena and back to Napa, or you can enjoy the special luncheons that include a tour of Grgich-Hills Winery in Rutherford or Domaine Chandon Winery in Yountville.
The Wine Train is fun, folks. If you like trains, great food, great service and/or a great view, take a trip. The whole thing is done with superb flair. If you think you'll be hungry soon, make sure you get the first seating. The second seating doesn't happen until one and half hours later when the train starts its return trip from St. Helena—although you'll have hors d'oeuvres and beverages on the trip upvalley.
Napa Walking Tour
707.253.2723
Twice-daily two-hour tour of downtown Napa, including historic Victorians, Napa Mill, and the Napa River Walk.
New Technology High School
1746 Yajome Street, Suite A
Napa, CA 94559
707.253.4400
A unique high school for 200 junior and senior students where there are as many computers as students. Students develop not only computer skills but strong individual research and study skills. All work is project-based and much is done as teams. Completed work is turned in, usually as multimedia, on computer. Students can also study at local high schools and the community college.
New Tech High is a true pioneer in digital education, and was created by a joint effort of the local business and education communities. It has received a multi-million dollar grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to replicate itself in other parts of the country. While it isn't open to the public, educators can arrange a tour by appointment.
The author's daughter attended this school and he was particularly impressed by two non-academic features: The students are treated as adults, and the school is spotless; no graffiti, no trash. There just might be a connection.
Oxbow School
530 Third Street
Napa, CA, USA 94559
707.255.6000
This school, a short walk from downtown Napa, was founded by Bay Area resident Ann Hatch, who also founded the Capp Street Project in San Francisco. Her goal was to "give young people meaningful access to living artists and a chance to practice [visual] art at a high level." She was joined in the project by Robert and Margrit Mondavi, who at the same time were also launching the nearby Copia—The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. The school opened in 1999.
The Oxbow School is open to high school juniors and seniors who come from across the country and abroad for a one-semester residential program. There are no public tours, but occasional guest lectures by visiting artists are free and open to the public.
Segway Napa
707.254.9773
Segway tours of Napa and Yountville.
Tulocay Cemetery
411 Coombsville Road
Napa CA 94558
707.252.4727
Open 8 a.m. to sundown
Napa's historic cemetery, 50 acres established on land deeded in 1858 by Don Cayetano Juarez from his 8,800-acre Rancho Tulocay. Juarez was himself buried there in 1883. Another inhabitant of the cemetery is Lilburn Williams Boggs, who was born in Kentucky in 1796, married Daniel Boone's granddaughter, and was governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. Also interred there are Nathan Coombs, who founded the city of Napa in 1848, and Mary Ellen Pleasant, known as the "mother of the civil rights movement in California" and (to her intense dislike) as "Mammy Pleasant." For more on Pleasant, see the Trivia section.
Alston Park
707.257.9529
On Dry Creek Road on the northeastern edge of town.
Alston Park is a Napa City "open space" park. Parking for the 157-acre park is at the north and south ends of the park off Dry Creek Road. At each lot there are hiker entrances and bicycle and horse gates to allow access to three miles of trail.
Three small picnic areas within the park allow for views of the Napa Valley. Portable restrooms are available at the south park entrance.
Bay Area Ridge Trail
415.561.2595
The Ridge Trail is a 400-mile multiple-use trail connecting parks and preserved open spaces along the ridgelines surrounding Californiašs San Francisco Bay.
In Napa County it currently passes through Skyline Wilderness Park heading east to Solano County. The trail segment west to Sonoma County is not yet in place.
Ridge Trail - Napa County Segment
Length is about 4.4 miles with an elevation change of about +900 feet.
Leave the picnic area near the Skyline Wilderness Park entrance and take gravelled Lake Marie Road, which crosses a causeway between two ponds, Lake Louise and Lake Camille. Lake Marie Road bends left (east), and in about 600 feet you turn right (southeast) off it onto Skyline Trail. In a few yards you pass the junction with Buckeye Trail.
Skyline Trail zigzags up a steep hill and soon enters oak and buckeye woods where the trail straightens, levels off a bit, and heads south. Pass the junction with Bayleaf Trail by staying right on Skyline Trail. Soon, pass the spur road which goes to the right through Passini Gate. Just beyond, you begin climbing to high grasslands. Traverse a steep hillside, pass the skeleton of a house in a small clearing, and continue to follow Skyline Trail on an old, rocky roadbed through oaks and firs. Pass the junction with Chaparral Trail on the left, following a creek on Skyline Trail. Cross to the south side of Marie Creek, draining into Lake Marie below. Soon you reach the locked boundary gate near the southeast corner of the park.
Chardonnay Golf Club
2555 Jamieson Canyon Road (Highway 12 between Highway 29 and Highway I-80)
PO Box 3779
Napa CA 94558
707.257.1900
27 holes through 130 acres of Chardonnay and Merlot vineyards, lakes and creeks.
Disc Golf Course
Skyline Wilderness Park
707.252.0481
A short but technical course. 18 holes with dirt tees and disc-catcher baskets. Framed signs at the tee show alternate pin placements. Can be easily played in two hours. Discs (like Frisbees) are available at the kiosk as you enter Skyline Park. Entrance to the park is $4 per vehicle.
Eagle Vines Golf Club
580 South Kelly Road
PO Box 2398
Napa CA 94558
707.257.4470
18-hole, par 72. Open to the public. 7,283 yards - six sets of tees including two ladies'.
Fuller Park
Jefferson Street at Oak Street
707.257.9529
Fuller Park is a Napa City park located at the edge of Napa's Old Town. This 10 acre park is a favorite spot for picnics (25 tables and three reservable group sites) and birthday parties.
Located throughout the park are various monuments and plaques commemorating important events. Perhaps the most prominent monument is a watering fountain for horses and small animals. Moved to the park in 1965, the fountain was originally created to stand in the center of the intersection of Polk and Franklin Streets in downtown Napa.
Geocaching
The primary web site for geocachers. It gives information about the hobby of geocaching, provides discussion forums, and lists cache locations all over (currently more than 180 countries) the world.
Geocaching (pronounced "GEO-cashing") combines the high-technology of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and the low-technology of walking around on the ground. Geocachers hide a "cache" somewhere in a publicly-accessible area (perhaps a park, forest, beach area) and then use an electronic GPS unit to determine the precise location of the cache in latitude and longitude. That location is posted on the Web, and others can then hunt for the cache, using the provided coordinates. The cache may contain some sort of object, but will always contain a logbook, in which the finder will note his or her discovery of the cache.
Geocachers have, naturally, discovered the Napa Valley and there are caches hidden throughout the area. Use the following web site to get their coordinates.
Kennedy Park
On Highway 221 just south of Napa Valley College
707.257.9529 Golf Course: 707.255.4333
J.F. Kennedy Park is a Napa City park that runs along the Napa River. The 350-acre park includes five reservable picnic areas. The park also offers softball, soccer, volleyball, boat launching, hiking, a children's playground, and the 18-hole Napa Golf Course. The Pelusi Recreation building can be reserved for meetings, weddings or private parties.
Land Trust of Napa County
707.252.3270
Offers scheduled hikes during the year throughout the valley. An opportunity to see creeks, waterfalls and views on private property.
Napa Golf Course
2295 Streblow Drive
Napa CA 94558
707.255.4333
18-hole, par 72. 6,730 yards Public golf course located in Kennedy Park off Highway 221 at the south end of Napa. Reasonable fees, uncrowded. Discounts for residents of Napa city and county.
Napa Parks and Recreation Department
707.257.9529
www.cityofnapa.org/Menu/MnuCommunityResources.htm
Napa River Adventures
PO Box 10881
Napa CA 94581
707.224.4768
Experience a river wilderness in downtown Napa. (Photo courtesy of John Melrose Photography.)
Guided tours of the river on comfortable electric-powered boats. They're also available for weddings and other private charters.
Napa River Trail
www.cityofnapa.org/Menu/MnuCommunityResources.htm
The City of Napa is also creating its own trail, running along the banks of the Napa River from Trancas Street at the northern end of town to John F. Kennedy Park at the southern end.
Currently, the segment from Trancas Street to Lincoln Avenue is in place, as is the area at Kennedy Park. The downtown restoration/flood control project will result in the completion of the other segments.
Napa Sierra Club
www.redwood.sierraclub.org/napa
Offers scheduled hikes during the year throughout the valley.
Napa Valley Adventure Tours
610 First Street #10
Napa CA 94559
707.259.1833
www.napavalleyadventuretours.com
Located at the Oxbow Public Market. Bike and kayak rental, guided and self-guided tours.
Napa Valley Country Club
3385 Hagen Road
Napa CA 94558
Golf Shop 707.252.1114. Business Office 707.252.1111
Private course. Members and guests only. Reciprocal with other private clubs. Guest Fees - $90, includes cart. 18-holes. 5,285/6,148 yards - par 72. Three tees.
Napa Valley Equestrian Center
1132 El Centro
Napa CA 94558
707.255.0302
Ten-acre English hunt seat riding facility. Lessons, dressage, boarding, tack shop
North Bay Natural Horsemanship
707.479.8031
www.northbaynaturalhorsemanship.com
Training, lessons, camps.
Rockzilla
849 Jackson Street #5A
Napa CA 94559
707.255.1500
Indoor rock climbing for beginner, intermediate and expert. Day and monthly memberships. Student and family discounts.
San Francisco Bay Trail
The Bay Trail is a planned recreational corridor that, when complete, will encircle San Francisco and San Pablo Bays with a continuous 400-mile network of bicycling and hiking trails. It will connect the shoreline of all nine Bay Area counties, link 47 cities, and cross the major toll bridges in the region.
To date, approximately 210 miles of the alignment—or slightly more than half the Bay Trail's ultimate length—has been completed. The Trail is frequently referred to as the "Wetlands Trail" since, unlike the Ridge Trail which travels along the mountain ridges encircling the bay, this trail passes through the shoreline/wetland areas.
When completed, the trail will enter Napa County from the west through the Carneros Region, go to the southern edge of the city of Napa at John F. Kennedy Park, and then proceed south to American Canyon and onto Vallejo.
Silverado Archery Club
www.ncfaa.com/skyline/archery.htm
Silverado Archers
Silverado Archery Club is located on 25 acres within the boundary of Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa. The club is NFAA charted with three separate NFAA marked yardage ranges, each range having 14 permanent targets as well as an area for 14 unmarked distance targets utilizing McKenzie 3-D's.
The club hosts a number of tournaments each year for target archers and hunters, including a 16 week un-marked distance series (open to the public) on Thursday evenings from April through July for hunters in preparation for the hunting season. Their facilities are open to the public on the second Sunday of each month.
18th hole of Silverado's South Course
Silverado Resort
1600 Atlas Peak Road
Napa CA 94558
707.257.5460
South Course - 6,500 yards par 72. North Course - 6,700 yards par 72. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
Skyline Wilderness Park
2201 Imola Avenue
Napa CA
707.252.0481
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to dark Friday-Sunday 8 a.m. to dark
Skyline Park is an 850-acre wilderness area, totally operated by volunteers, at the southeast corner of Napa. It's managed by a non-profit organization formed to protect the area. It has over 25 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use. You'll find lots of wildlife, including deer and wild turkey. (If you're put off by the occasional horse droppings, keep in mind that it was the horse people that saved the park.)
The 2.5 mile main trail leads to Lake Marie at the eastern end. There's also an alternate route along the ridge trail that is a much better workout, but is not for those out of shape. From this trail on a clear day you can see San Francisco Bay, Mt. Tamalpais and Mr. Diablo. Beautiful.
Skyline also offers picnic and barbecue areas, an RV park, and tent camping. You can also see the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden, 2.5 acres devoted to the cultivation of native plants that grow in this region of California. Daily visitor's fee for the park is $4.00 per vehicle, RV camping is $14.00, and tent sites are $8.00. The best place to hike in Napa.
Horizontal trail length 2.27 miles, terrain distance 2.29 miles.
From access road, elevation 208 ft, a smooth gradual climb to 631 ft over a terrain distance of .68 miles, average grade 13%. Continuing, covers a terrain distance of .98 miles and rises to 688 ft with an average grade of 7%. Trail ends at the junction of Skyline Trail at a distance of .61 miles, rises to 857 ft with several ups and downs with an average grade of 14%.
Horizontal trail length 3.34 miles, terrain distance 3.37 miles.
From access road elevation 239 ft, a brisk climb to 776 ft over a terrain distance .63 miles, average grade 16%. Continuing to end, rises to 1010 ft, several ups and downs.
Horizontal distance .89 miles to junction, terrain distance .9 miles.
From access road, elevation 231 ft, a smooth gradual climb to 781 ft at the junction of Skyline, average grade 13%.
Horizontal trail distance is .46 miles, terrain distance is .47 miles.
From the junction of Skyline at the east end of Lake Marie, elevation of 861 ft., trail drops and rises for .15 miles to an elevation of 893 ft. Continues for a distance .03 miles, rises to 951 ft, average grade 24%. Continues for a distance .16 miles, several ups and downs, average grade 19%. Ends at Marie Creek Trail, a distance .08 miles, gradual drop average grade 15%.
Horizontal and terrain distance .61 miles.
From the junction of Skyline to the junction of Lake Marie Road, trail drops 323 ft, average grade 10%. At one point near the top, the grade is severe at 27%.
Road begins at the Kiosk and ends at Lake Marie, distance of 2.32 miles.
Gradual rise from trail head elevation of 138 ft. to the lake, 2 miles, elevation 819 ft, average grade 7%.
Trail begins at the Bikers Bypass of Manzanita Trail, elevation 465 ft. trail distance .44 miles. Drops to elevation 389 ft at .2 miles at a 10% grade. Rises to 449 ft. where it rejoins Manzanita Trail, .38 miles at a 7% grade.
Junction along Toyon Trail, elevation 389 ft. trail distance .23 miles.
Drops to creek .03 miles at 22% grade, travel along creek and rises back to rejoin Toyon elevation 370 ft., .17 miles 7% grade.
Horizontal distance 1.65 miles. Begin at Marie Creek Road, elevation 364 ft. Gentle rise to point for 1.13 miles to elevation 587 ft.,
6% grade. Continue to peak, .28 miles, smooth rise to elevation 844 ft, 20% grade. Continuing down and up, .2 miles at an average grade of 11%. Flat to end, junction Chaparral.
Horizontal distance of .31 miles. Begin at elevation 584 ft. steady rise to rejoin Marie Creek, elevation 800 ft. Average grade 14%.
Horizontal distance 1.31 miles, terrain distance 1.32 miles.
Begin at access road near Disc Golf course at an elevation of 201 ft., drops to 162 ft then climbs to 465 ft to Bikers Bypass at a grade of 14%. Continuing, climbs at 24% grade to peak then down at 20% grade. Continuing, rises at an average of 8% then drops at an average of 10%, to flat.
Horizontal distance of .14 miles.
Horizontal distance 2.29 miles, terrain distance of 2.33 miles. Steady climb 1.67 miles from the junction of Marie Creek and Manzanita trails to an elevation 1630 ft at the top, average grade of 14%. Trail drops to 947 ft in a distance of .65 miles, average grade of 20% to trail end at the junction of Skyline Trail.
Sweeney's Sport Store
River Park Shopping Center
1537 Imola Avenue West
Napa CA 94559
707.255.5544
Open 7 days a week. Sweeney's is fishing center for tackle and information. Free flycasting classes every Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
Westwood Hills Park
On Browns Valley Road, about one mile west of Highway 29
707.257.9529
Westwood Hills Park is a heavily-wooded Napa City park. The park provides three miles of trails through beautiful groves of oak trees and grassy meadows, and affords expansive views of the city. The park includes benches and picnic tables near the parking lot and along the trails.
The non-profit Napa Valley Naturalists operate the Carolyn Parr Nature Museum near the parking lot at the park. The Center's exhibits depict the plants and animals found in Napa County's five different habitats. There's also a children's nature library, "hands-on" corner of skins, nests and bones, and an extensive nature reference library. The Center is open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm. During the summer it is open Tuesday-Sunday at the same hours.
First Presbyterian Church Building (No. 878)
Designed by pioneer architects R. H. Daley and Theodore Eisen, this church is an outstanding example of late Victorian Gothic architectural styling. It is the best surviving example in this region of the early works associated with Eisen, who later became an important Southern California architect. The church has been in continuous use since its construction in 1874, longest pastorates were those of Richard Wylie and Erwin Bollinger.
Location: 1333 Third Street between Randolph and Franklin Streets, Napa
Napa County Historical Society
1219 First Street
Napa CA 94559
707.224.1739
Located in the historic Goodman Building in downtown Napa. Books, manuscripts, photographs, newspaper clippings, maps and videos. Operated by volunteers. Call for hours.
Napa County Landmarks
1030 First Street
Napa CA 94559
707.257.1836
Napa County Landmarks is a non-profit historic preservation organization. Its headquarters are in the 1916 National Register building above Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa.
At its headquarters—and at the Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau, and the Napa Valley Museum—the organizations sells a $3 copy of Historic Walking Tours of Napa, an illustrated narrative on four different self-guided walks covering a total of nearly 100 historic buildings and sites. It also offers, also for $3, Architecture Napa, a guide to the land, buildings and styles of Napa County. Both guides are available through the website as well.
Historic Winship Building in downtown Napa
Napa Historical Sites
Sites in the city of Napa listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Type in "CA" and "Napa" to see results.
