Welcome back to a monthly column focused on local day hiking destinations, that– with a little imagination– will take you back in time to when our local Native Americans lived in a garden of Eden we now call home.
I hope you will have fun exploring, discovering, educating others and protecting our Native Village sites. You will be hiking to villages historians say are 10,000 years old. I will also write about hiking to other local early Californian history sites of interest, some High Sierra locations, and perhaps a unique watering hole for an end of the day refreshment.
If you want to get a jump start on hiking to these village sites, go to www.eastbayhillpeople.com to read about them. I will be referencing this resource often and encourage you to also use it for even more hiking destinations and information. I hope you will enjoy your journey back in time visiting our Native American’s home sites in their garden of Eden. Please be respectful of where you travel.
It’s now April, and many wildflowers and plants are a welcome harvest for the Suisunes people after a mild winter. The raptors are mating. Look above to see them do their aerobatic displays of love. They circle around and around with their legs hanging down, they gain altitude, then dive, having fun. Raptors mate for life, although some scientists think the nesting site may have a strong influence on staying together. Location, location, location.
Our hikes this month are located close to Benicia and depending on where you stop, are kid friendly. Respect the cows– good name for a band– as they can be aggressive at this time of year. There’s also a historic waterhole– 21 and over– to end your day.

The Monolith at Lynch Canyon Open Space. (Photo by Richard DeGraffenreid)

Our first hike is to “The Monolith” in the land of the Patwin Suisunes tribe. Now known as Lynch Canyon Open Space. This is one of Solano Land Trust’s open space parks and is another great example of our tax dollars at work.
We will be starting our hike from a little known trail head accessing “the Monolith” through the Newell open space preserve in American Canyon. No fees, open seven days a week. The round trip is an easy/moderate hike of 7 miles.
From Benicia, head east on Interstate 80, take the Hiddenbrooke exit and turn left to American Canyon. Take a right on Newell Road by the high school and drive to the end of the road.
From the parking lot at the end of Newell, head north on the flat easy trail. The field is in full bloom of mustard and the views to the West include Mt. Tamalpais, the Napa range and views of the Napa River and San Francisco Bay. You will also see the ruins of an old cement plant from the turn of the century. After about half a mile, there’s a barn on your right. Cross the creek just after you go through the gate and you will be in a Village site.
This is a perfect spot for a picnic if you have little ones. There’s a picnic table by the old barn.
To find a unique single mortar, from the barn, walk east through the Village, to an old ranch road. After about 250 yards you will enter a forest of oaks, look for a boulder field on the hillside. When you cross a seep / spring, head to the top of it for about 10 yards, and look for a pipe flowing with spring water next to a tree. There you will find one boulder with a great mortar. Why just one? We don’t know. This is a very peaceful area, and it’s a cool, shady spot when the weather gets hot.
To continue on to the Monolith, recross the creek safely to the main trail. Hike east to the junction of South Loop and North Loop trails. We think the meadow at this junction was most likely a Village. There are now picnic tables here, so in a way, it still is a village.
Stay on the “North Loop Trail” for about 1 1/2 miles. It’s a gentle / moderate climb, enjoy the wildflowers and creek along the way. When you get to the top you’ll see fenced pond, go to the right and take the “Saddle Trail” to the left for about 1/2 mile. Just past the old eucalyptus grove you will see the Monoliths on the hillside underneath the power lines.
There are 10 beautiful mortars here that have a unique color which we have not seen elsewhere. There is also a wild beehive at ground level. At this time of year when it’s a bit cold, you can look inside and see the honey comb, what a treat for our Native Americans. This is a special spot. Take your time, to go back in time.
The next hike is more of a short stroll and is dog and kid friendly. Pena Adobe was a major village for thousands of years. You have probably driven by it many times on your way east on Highway 80 right before Vacaville. Take the Pena Adobe exit and go to the main museum and cultural center. Hours vary, but the you can walk around anytime and see a burial area that has the remains of 7 native souls and some interesting interpretive signs. Lots of info. on the web.
Because the freeway is only a few yards away from the cultural area and museum, it’s too noisy for a family picnic, so go to one of the several quiet areas around the lake or climb a trail for views of the Sierras and Mt. Diablo, the great mountain of the Volvon. It’s easy to find seclusion and imagine life as it was thousands of years ago.
To end your day, a stop at Thompson’s Corner Saloon in Cordelia is a can’t miss. Established in 1902, it’s a classic. Bras on the ceiling, pool tables, newspaper clippings, an old stuffed bear, great bartenders– this place has it all.
The place is a bit hard to find. Just find your way to old town Cordelia by the railroad tracks and you’ll see the large old wood building and sign. The road in front is part of the old Lincoln Highway, which was the first trans continental road for automobiles. It’s lots of fun.
Next month, we go to the Serengetti of Northern California. The tribes are meeting in Round Valley, home of the Volvon who live on the sacred mountain we now call Mt. Diablo.
Seize the day.

Richard DeGraffenreid and his wife Anne are 34-year residents of Benicia. He is also a drummer/songwriter, photographer, cook, dad and grandpa. He can be reached at richarddegraffenreid@comcast.net.

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