Conn Peak Named Napa County's Best Hiking Trail

ST. HELENA, CA — A nine-mile trail loop in Rutherford offers the best hiking in Napa County, according to updated rankings published by the San Francisco Chronicle. Researchers at the newspaper crunched the numbers on 850,000 AllTrails reviews for thousands of hiking routes in the Bay Area, charting hikers' favorite trails in each of the nine counties.

"Our list is largely based on [the] average rating score for routes with at least 100 ratings," the Chronicle explains. "We also considered trail difficulty in specific cases: We excluded a few highly rated walks that are longer than 12 miles and considered very challenging — ones appropriate for only the hardest of hardcore hikers and runners."

In Napa, Conn Peak via Alta Hennessey and Shoreline Loop, described as a "full-day adventure," ranked highest among hikers with a 4.72 rating among 101 reviews.

"While the grassy, tree-dotted landscape is nice to look at on its own, from time to time the crystal-blue waters of Lake Hennessey emerge," the Chronicle's Susie Neilson writes. "The route, which takes about four hours to complete, is clearly marked and well-maintained, with maps at most entrance points."

The Valentine Vista Trail in St. Helena was in close second, with a 4.67 out of 436 reviews.

>> Check out the full trail rankings via the San Francisco Chronicle.