A Taste of Hennessey

Napa’s liquid refreshment comes in more ways than wine, thanks to the Napa County Regional Park & Open Space District. Moore Creek Park is located just 30 minutes east of Napa’s great grapes, and rewards with a bounty of scenic countryside on a 6.5-mile loop hike bordering St. Helena’s gorgeous Lake Hennessey. The trails of the Hennessey Unit switch between singletrack and broader dirt paths, ascending a 964-foot ridge, before descending to hug the lake’s shore.

The landscape is varied, with wildflowers, grassy hills, Douglas fir, and oaks. Start the hike by crossing Chiles Creek (you will get wet!), then continue for a moderate incline to a shaded crest lined with madrone and moss-draped oak. Benches overlook the lake and distant vineyards. The trail descends, switches back, and meanders by the lake. Frogs make their presence heard, and fishermen launch their poles to catch trout. Footbridges and California poppies round out the charm as you finish the loop. If you’re lucky, you might even see one of the resident bald eagles rumored to nest in the area.

BONUS BUBBLES: Pair your hike with a refreshing sampler of sparklings at Domaine Chandon’s terrace. Twenty minutes down the road, the first-come, first-served tables sprawl under cover of indigenous oak beside a trickling creek.

From the Moore Creek Park parking lot at 2602 Chiles Pope Valley Rd. outside St. Helena, take the Chiles Creek Trail by the far edge of the parking lot to Alta Hennessey Trail, up and down the ridge. At the bottom, take a sharp left on the lake’s Shoreline Trail, back to Chiles Creek Trail where you began. Find a map of the location here. Domaine Chandon is located at 1 California Dr. in Yountville. Hike and winery