McCorkle to Indian Joe Creek to Cave Rocks Road Loop

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! If you’ve ever been to Sunol Regional Wilderness and want to check out a cool trail loop, go on a hike through McCorkle Trail to Indian Joe Creek to Cave Rocks Road!

McCorkle to Indian Joe Creek to Cave Rocks Road Loop

Distance: 8.7 miles (loop)
Elevation: 2027 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 4-5 hours
Trailhead Address: 37.51,-121.82859
Parking: Lot available; $5 (seasonal/weekends/holidays)

I actually went on this hike back innnnn…March of 2020! The hike itself takes you through lots of the prettiest places in Sunol Regional Wilderness and gives you a beautiful view of the hills and valleys. We went a tad too early to see all the wildflowers in bloom, but it was still really gorgeous!
You also get to see some cute cows hanging out in the fields! Leave em’ alone and they’ll leave you alone too. Since there are a number of em’, it’d be a good idea to watch where you’re stepping so you can avoid cow pies!
The trail can get steep in some areas so make sure you’re wearing shoes with good traction — hiking poles might be a good idea too, but it was manageable without them!
Before going on this hike, the last time I’d come here was for a 6th grade field trip (yeppp) up Flag Hill (a ~3 mile hike–somehow, this seemed like a much more strenuous hike back then, but maybe it was because it was in late May and super hot back then?)!
There are areas with and without shade throughout this hike, so make sure you bring/wear the usual–SPF, hat, sunglasses! We packed a lunch to enjoy partway through the hike!
The trail isn’t super crowded and there are various other trails/permutations that you can add onto your hike if you feel so inclined! Make sure you pick up a map when you drive in to the parking area! Might be a good idea to download the map onto your phone beforehand too because reception is sometimes spotty.

Please be aware that mountain lions sometimes roam here. (Sightings are fairly rare as they usually leave people alone.) We did come across a deer carcass in the middle of the trail on the way back though. It’d been picked clean (aside from the very-intact head).

If you do happen to see one…

• Do NOT try to run away or turn your back to it. (They can run up to 50 mph so pretty sure you can’t outrun it–you’ll just signal to it that you’re prey if you try.)
• Put your hands in the air, make a lot of noise, act bigger than you are.
• Do whatever you can to look big/scary, but don’t antagonize it or run at it!

• Have you ever been to Sunol Regional Wilderness?
• What’s the last hike you went on? Have you ever come across a mountain lion?