Saturday, Oct. 10, is the fullest day on Sugarloaf Ridge State Park's fall calendar. A guided mountain outing starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. A habitat hike fills the late morning. At 7 p.m. the Robert Ferguson Observatory opens for a public star party that lasts until 10. The star party comes six days after Saturn reached opposition on Oct. 4. NASA says the planet is visible for much of the night at opposition.
That timing explains how the whole season works. In fall the observatory's evening events start as early as late afternoon, so a stargazing night can begin around dinnertime. The best of them fall on weekends that already have a full day of trail programs.
Saturday, Oct. 10, hour by hour
According to the park's conditions page, day use and the campground are open, all roads and trails are open, and no temporary trail closures are listed. That page doesn't show an update date, so check it the morning you go. Here is how the day lays out:
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sonoma Ecology Center's Senderos & Rutas y Aventuras: Retos en las montañas, a mountain-challenge outing led in Spanish.
- 10:00 a.m. to noon. Habitat Hike: Oak Woodlands, also run by Sonoma Ecology Center.
- 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The Robert Ferguson Observatory public star party. Advance registration is required, and the park's day-use fee applies on top of the ticket.
The observatory describes its public nights in two parts. First comes an astronomy presentation. Then guests observe through three large observatory telescopes and smaller scopes run by volunteers. Depending on the night, targets can include the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. The observatory doesn't publish a guaranteed list of objects for any date. Saturn, just past opposition, is the obvious hope for Oct. 10, but the sky decides.
Two more October sky events land between the observatory's public nights. NASA lists the Orionid meteor shower peak for Oct. 21 to 22 and advises looking before dawn, after the Moon sets, since moonlight may interfere. The Moon passes near the Pleiades, the star cluster also called the Seven Sisters, on Oct. 27 to 28. Neither date has a scheduled star party.
Sunday morning picks up where Saturday stopped
The weekend keeps going on Oct. 11. From 8 a.m. to noon, Sonoma Ecology Center runs the SugarShuttle between Sugarloaf and Hood Mountain Regional Park on Los Alamos Road. Many hikers who cover the ridge between the two parks have to plan for two cars or a long walk back. The shuttle takes care of that.
From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., California Naturalist and local oak gall expert Erik Hanson hosts a Tabletop Nature Talk on leaf venation and margins outside the Sugarloaf visitor center. Guests can drop in anytime during that window. It follows naturally from Saturday's oak woodland hike. People who spent Saturday morning among the oaks can bring their questions about leaves to someone who studies the galls that grow on them.
So across one weekend the park offers two guided outings, a shuttle across the ridge, a naturalist talk, and three hours with the observatory's large telescopes. Every program has its own registration or drop-in rules, so plan each piece separately.
Earlier darkness moves the evening schedule
The observatory's Sips and Stars series shows the pattern best. Each event pairs the telescopes with wine from a local producer, admits guests 21 and over only, and includes two drink tickets per registration. Proceeds support the observatory's public education programs. The posted start times move with the season:
| Date | Hours | Wine partner |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13, 2026 | 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Landmark Vineyards |
| Dec. 19, 2026 | 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. | Burtech Family Vineyard |
| Jan. 9, 2027 | 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. | Winery to be announced |
| May 8, 2027 | 8:00 to 10:30 p.m. | Winery to be announced |
| Aug. 21, 2027 | 8:00 to 10:30 p.m. | Winery to be announced |
| Nov. 6, 2027 | 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. | Winery to be announced |
The December event starts three and a half hours before the May and August events. In mid-November, a Kenwood resident can be at the observatory by 5 p.m. and back down the mountain by about 7, which fits into a weeknight. The summer events start at 8 and run until 10:30.
Sips and Stars pricing is also simpler than the public nights. Tickets are $63 for adults, $58 for seniors and $50 for members, and the price includes the Sugarloaf Ridge State Park parking fee. Guests park in the gravel area near the horse corrals, just outside the gate to the Group Camp and Observatory site, and don't need to pay the day-use fee. Tickets are sold through the observatory's SimpleTix page.
Public star party prices vary by page
Public star parties cost less, but the posted price depends on where you look. Three pages list three different sets of numbers:
- Robert Ferguson Observatory's own page: adults $18, seniors $15, students $12, ages 6 to 12 $7, and free for children five and under and for members.
- The 2026 SimpleTix listing: adults $17, seniors 62 and older $12, students $10, ages 6 to 12 $6, and free for five and under. A separate park parking pass is $10 per vehicle, or $8 for seniors and students.
- Sugarloaf's event page: adults $15, seniors and students $10, ages 6 to 12 $5, and free for five and under.
The ticket checkout shows the price you'll actually pay. Advance registration is required either way, so you'll see the final number before the night. The SimpleTix listing also says EBT holders can get up to four free event passes, and their parking fee is waived.
For a household of four, the gap between the highest and lowest posted prices is modest. Parking matters more. Public nights add the park's vehicle fee to the tickets, while Sips and Stars includes it.
November's first weekend fills up the same way
October's pattern of trail programs and telescopes on the same weekend returns in early November, and this time Kenwood's own calendar joins in.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Hamilton Family Wines hosts a First Friday with local musician Craig Corona from 4 to 6 p.m. There's no cover and no reservation required. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the observatory holds its next public star party from 7 to 10 p.m. The same date appears on Hamilton's 2026 calendar for Taste of Kenwood, which the winery describes as a community-wide celebration of Kenwood food, wine and hospitality. Its time hasn't been confirmed yet. If the two events overlap once Taste of Kenwood's hours are posted, you may have to choose one.
On Nov. 8, the park holds a new-volunteer orientation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a potluck from 3 to 5 p.m. Anyone who has used the park all fall and wants to help run it can start that weekend.
The rest of the month continues the same rhythm:
- Nov. 13: Sips and Stars with Landmark Vineyards, 5 to 7 p.m.
- Nov. 21: Kenwood Night of Lights, listed on Hamilton's calendar from 4 to 7 p.m., with full details still to come. It's a separate event from the Lighting of the Sonoma Plaza on the same date.
- Nov. 27: The month's second public star party, 7 to 10 p.m., the day after Thanksgiving.
Out-of-town guests staying through Thanksgiving weekend can end their visit at the observatory.
Between the big dates
One more October date sits outside the park. Hamilton Family Wines holds its third annual Grape Stomp on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m., with grape stomping, wine, food and music. Tickets are $95 general and $85 for wine club members.
For campers, the park homepage shows 44 of its 47 family campsites open.
If you own land or a home on the hills facing Sugarloaf and you're thinking about what your property is worth in this market, Del Fava Parker can walk you through it with the same local knowledge that goes into a post like this one. Request a Home Valuation and we'll start there.
