Napa County will soon get a new trail in a forested corner of the region with incredible views, great bike access and a short hike to a scenic waterfall.
A 2.5-mile segment of Old Howell Mountain Road that cuts through the woods between St. Helena and Angwin has been plagued with problems for more than a decade. The volcanic slope that it traverses is prone to sliding, and damages to the roadway have caused it to remain closed most of the past eight years.
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Rather than spend an estimated $10 million to repair the road, the Napa County Board of Supervisors voted last week to convert it to a trail for hikers and bicyclists to enjoy. The plan is to open the trail next spring after some improvements, according to Chris Cahill, general manager of the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, which will manage the trail.
“It’s a striking outdoorsy spot,” Cahill said. “There are big views to the south of Lake Hennessey and the Napa Valley ridgeline. It’s quite beautiful.”
The canyon where the trail is located lies east of Napa Valley within a long corridor of open space between Lake Hennessey and the leafy town of Angwin. The landscape there contains some of Napa’s only redwood groves and the locally beloved Linda Falls…