I'll start by saying I read some negative reviews of this hike (not on this site) and completely disagree with them.

Mount St. Helena now ranks as one of my favorite hikes in this collection.   We were lucky to have cool clear weather with winds that were not bad.

The first 2 miles or so is a beautiful single track covered by forest.  Very fun to hike along.  Tons of rocks and boulders to look at and make walking the trail more interesting, surrounded by sight and smell reminiscent almost of the High Sierras.

After that its gradual fire road to the top for the next 3 or so miles.  Any time on this trail, look to the right or the left for some of the best views of the North and East bay.  Some paradise inducing views of the Calistoga valley out to the Pacific, or adventure inspiring views of the rocks, ridgelines and surrounding mountains of the East bay and onward.

I like super long 20+mile hikes and weeklong backpacking trips just as much as any other crazy person.  But Mount St. Helena was a real breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally. This 10 mile-long hike is a great out and back that you can hike for time and push yourself hard, or make a day out of and bring your camera for some great pics.

Of course, I hiked this trail with my sister @jenni, the best backpacking partner ever!