I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I arrived at the Browns Valley Open Space trailhead in Vacaville, although I did know there’s no actual parking lot and I would need to leave my car alongside the road. That really wasn’t a problem since traffic is fairly minimal. But I’ll admit I felt intimidated when I realized that once through the gate, my trail led pretty much straight up.

It was necessary to clamber over a horizontal 2×4 to pass through the gate — a bit daunting for my short legs!

A section of the trail is visible on the ridge in front of the large water tank

My goal was just to reach this tree

The trail parallels the wire fencing all the way up the hill; click on the picture for a closer look

Even boulders can be beautiful

Definitely worth the climb!