The Trail to the Beach

Apart from great wine and friendly people, one of the things that draws people to visit us at Heritage Oak Winery is our system of hiking trails.  People enjoy going places where there is something to do and something to see. Tasting wine is enjoyable – that’s why people come here – but if your family and pets can participate in the event, it becomes all the more so. That’s why we opened up our trail.

The trail is divided into two main loops, the Beach/Meadow Trail and the River Trail. Both share the same trail head and overlap for nearly 3/4 of a mile.  In fact, the two trails do not split until you arrive at the edge of the Mokelumne River and have nearly reached the picnic area.  At that point,  I have placed a sign that directs people to go right to one and left to the other.  For the sake of simplicity, I will first describe the trail as if you were walking to the beach, then pick up the River Trail afterward.

The Beach and Meadow Trail: The trail to the beach is three quarters of a mile long. It passes by vineyards, skirts around our nature area on two sides, and parallels the Mokelumne River just before ending at the West Meadow where the picnic site is. It is a lovely walk. Peaceful, quite, invigorating while not overly strenuous. Active children as young as 3 years old, with a patient adult,  should be able to handle it, though younger ones may have to be carried.  (It might be a little far for that if you don’t have someone to help you with the picnic basket.)  Strollers for small children and gear work if they are the type that can pushed across loose dirt and sandy soil like the stretch of several hundred yards shown in this first photo.

I should mention at this point that we also have several picnic baskets in stock. They are not really baskets, more like insulated cloth bags, but they have everything you need for a simple picnic for two, including food. The food sells for $15 without the wine. When you are finished simply return the basket and the hardware to us so we can restock it and loan it out to the next guest.

When folks come to hike our trail, we ask that they check in with us in the tasting room before they embark on their hike. Since the people are using our property, we consider it polite to make a purchase, especially if they are going to have a picnic. If they wish to taste and purchase afterward, that is also fine.

Frequently arriving visitors have already been to our web site and have made their own copy of the map and have read the Property Use Agreement. If not, we provide copies. The agreement just clarifies a few common sense rules any considerate person would find reasonable (no guns, no fires, etc.) and the map helps people stay on the trail and not wander onto the neighbor’s property.

The trail starts at the huge Blue Oak tree by the parking area. (See the second photo.)  From there, it heads south between the vineyards. (First photo.)  On the right is one of our Chardonnay vineyards and on the left is a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. Along the way you will notice numerous nesting boxes. The small ones are for western bluebirds and tree swallows, though many other species also utilize them. The larger ones are for barn owls. All these birds are encouraged. They eat pests, like rodents and insects, and we enjoy watching them.  Some species eat grapes when they are ripe.  This isn’t a problem as long as we get our share.

As you approach the tree line, a sign will direct you to veer to the left and walk along the bluff. The trail narrows as you pass into the shade of giant oaks that over look the bottom land below. This portion of the trail is a wonderful place to stop and observe birds in the trees both above and below you.

You will notice the land below is not planted to a crop.  Oddly enough, we still consider it productive because of the countless species of animals that thrive there. We refer to it as our nature area. It is about twenty acres in size and is dedicated to provide homes for wildlife. 

The portion of the nature area that is in the floodplain can be divided into two meadows separated by a dense patch of cottonwood and willows.  I call them the East and West Meadows.   

After wlking along the top of the bluff for a short distance, the trail veers to the right and joins a gravel road as it descends into the bottom land below. Follow the road down through the “Tree Tunnel”. Where the tunnel opens up and the road flattens out, a sign will direct you to make the sharp hair-pin to the right. Ignore the Keep Out signs, cross the cable and follow the road across the bottom land to the river. (If you do not find the hair-pin and continue straight you will come to our grove of oak trees. At this point, to continue straight and pass the grove would put you on our neighbor’s property and make you unlawful trespassers. It would be best turn around and find the hairpin.)

As you cross the bottom land on the road, the East Meadow is on your right. A low marker along the right hand side of the road indicates where you can leave the road to walk a short loop that skirts the meadow. After passing around the edge of the meadow, the loop puts you back on the levee road a few hundred yards from where you left it. This meadow provides another great spot for birding.  Unlike the West Meadow, I do not mow the entire East Meadow.  The only part that is mowed is this trail and access is by foot only.

The East Meadow

After passing the East Meadow, the road makes a T intersection with the levee that retains the Mokelumne River. When you reach the levee, a sign will direct you to turn right. Before you cross another cable, you will have your first view of the river as it heads west toward Lodi and San Francisco Bay.

View of the Mokelumne River

After crossing the second cable, the road gradually bends to the left and the West Meadow comes into view.  Notice the stand of blackberry bushes on your left as you walk around the curve.  These bushes hide the river from view  because they grow so well here.  Full exposure to sunlight and roots that are tapped deeply into the moist soil along the river bank produce the fattest, juciest blackberries you will ever see.  If you like wild blackberries, remember this when mid-July rolls around. 

If you arrive at the West Meadow during a weekend, don’t be surprised to arrive to find local Boy Scout troops camping and pursuing their activities.  Troops have been coming here for years, ever since our boys were in Scouting years ago.  They are asked to keep to the meadow area, however, and leave the picnic tables by the river to hikers and clients from the winery.

Find the picnic area on the beach to the left. There is a swing and several tables to choose from.  Enjoy the solitude.  Be careful if you enter the water, however.  It is always bone-chilling cold.  There are deep pockets in the river bed and the current can be swift.  Shoes or sneakers should be worn because of sharp objects in the sand, and small children should never be left alone in the water.

I will pick up a discussion of the River Trail at this point as soon as I can.  Hope you come out soon.