Hike Table Rock and Browns Hill via Palisades Trail Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, CA

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Table Rock and Browns Hill via Palisades Trail GPX Track

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Apr 23, 2026 — Browns Hill is a minor summit in the Mayacamas Mountains, a brushy and rugged volcanic range that forms the natural boundary between Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma County to the west. Browns Hill sits at the southern end of an extended feature known as the Palisades, a dramatic face of steep, broken cliffs and dark rock outcrops that create iconic views from below in the town of Calistoga. My awareness of this somewhat obscure peak came from an initial interest in the Palisades, but I wanted to find a summit that could serve as a natural turnaround point.

The most common route peakbaggers use to reach Browns Hill follows the Oat Hill Mine Trail, which begins down in Calistoga, and that was my original plan as well. However, I realized that route would skip the potentially excellent views beneath the Palisades themselves. Plus, since I was already at Table Rock Trailhead after hiking up toward Mount Saint Helena earlier in the morning, using the Palisades Trail meant I didn’t need to relocate trailheads. The route I ended up taking was certainly more effort than the Oat Hill Mine approach, but I couldn’t have been happier with the direction I chose. In hindsight, the only change I might have made (had I not run out of water) would have been to attempt a loop north along the Bear Valley Trail, though I wasn’t sure of its current condition or even whether it was fully passable.

My hike began along the Table Rock Trail out of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, starting from a popular dirt parking lot off CA-29 just above the northern edge of Napa Valley. Unfortunately, the area was heavily impacted by the 2020 Glass Fire, but enough regrowth had returned, and the volcanic terrain was so striking that the blackened trees didn’t detract much from the experience. The trail climbed to just below unnamed Peak 2758, mostly through forested terrain with one open section that passed Bear Rock Overlook, where a bench offered a view north. I made a short bushwhack to tag the ranked Peak 2758 before dropping a few hundred feet into Garnett Creek and then climbing again toward Table Rock, passing gorgeous volcanic pinnacles rising from the grasses.

Table Rock itself is a flat volcanic outcrop perched above steep drops and serves as the usual turnaround point for most hikers. From there, the Palisades Trail continues briefly upward before dropping south beneath the cliffs, making a long, steady descent. I didn’t realize there’d be quite so much elevation loss that I’d have to reascend on the way back. Soon after, the volcanic formations that define the ridge came fully into view. Napa’s vineyard grid stretched across the valley below, while the Palisades rose in irregular, weathered forms above the trail.

The first section of trail was in rough condition, and I was surprised I managed to avoid poison oak entirely, especially given how often I brushed into it. Eventually, I reached a clear point where recent trail maintenance had been done, and the hike shifted from careful walking through encroaching brush to a more relaxed experience of enjoying the scenery. I am unsure if this maintenance will extend to the first part of the trail, but I imagine it likely will soon (if not already done).

Along the way I passed Lasky Point, a named lookout point that marked one of several natural overlooks at various ridges along the trail. The trail then tightened its line beneath the Palisades, drawing closer to the rock walls above, where I could see the close-up textures of the cliffs. It was a particularly scenic stretch of hiking, with constant reminders of the volcanic landscape shaping the ridge. The trail wrapped around a series of ridgelines, each one revealing a slightly different angle of the volcanic landscape.

As I neared the end of the Palisades Trail, it passed above a small waterfall spilling over a cliff edge before climbing more steeply toward the base of the cliffs themselves. I spotted the Oat Hill Mine Trail below, noting how it would have missed all the cool stuff I got to see along the Palisades Trail. I reached the the junction marking the end of the Palisades Trail, then continued east along an old roadbed to the base of Browns Hill.

It was an off-trail adventure to Browns Hill’s summit. On the north side of the ridge, I encountered a series of interesting volcanic features that appeared to offer the easiest brush-free route. I worked through a bit of route-finding, carefully navigating between formations and probing for breaks in the brush (Class 2). I found a few natural gaps that allowed me to entirely bypass what would otherwise have been a short but unpleasant bushwhack. I hiked up the steep, grassy slope to the summit.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Peak 2758

2758 ft

392 rise

Table Rock

2462 ft

22 rise

Browns Hill

2765 ft

461 rise

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Starting along the Table Rock Trail.

A bench at Bear Rock Overlook.

View back toward Mount Saint Helena, ascending up to Peak 2758.

Just past unnamed Peak 2758.

View down into the gorgeous landscape housing Garnett Creek.

View back up toward Peak 2758, at the Table Rock Labyrinths, some man-made rock spirals.

Descending toward Garnett Creek. Table Rock is out of shot on the right.

Table Rock seen left of center.

Ascending to Table Rock, center.

Pretty scenery through volcanic features.

View back toward Peak 2758. It wasn't an insubstantial amount of vertical loss.

Table Rock.

Reaching the top of Table Rock requires a short Class 3 scramble on its east side. Mount Saint Helena seen top left.

Starting along the Palisades Trail.

Along the Palisades Trail, view back toward Table Rock and Mount Saint Helena.

The Palisades Trail descends quite a bit. Napa Valley seen below.

Lasky Point.

Close-up toward the Palisades. The trail keeps below them.

The trail was really pretty, with lots of volcanic features to admire.

Flowing water within a few of the gullies along the trail.

More descending.

View back at some of the features.

Wrapping around one of many ridges.

More of the Palisades to come.

Another shot back at the Palisades.

More gorgeous slopes, now with large volcanic boulders strewn across.

The trail leads above a little waterfall over the cliff seen on the right.

View back.

Ascending more steeply to the base of the cliffs.

Another shot back, now at the base of the cliffs. Mount Saint Helena seen far left.

You can see where the Oat Hill Mine Trail (other approach) ascends on the right.

View back toward the Palisades past the junction with the Oat Hill Mine Trail. I'm now ascending toward Browns Hill.

Ridgeline to Browns Hill.

Some more interesting volcanic features on the north side of the ridge, which appeared to offer the easiest route to the summit. There was some navigating through these features (Class 2), followed by careful poking around to avoid a short, but heinous, bushwhack (seen center). I found a couple of breaks in the brush that permitted me to avoid the unpleasantness completely.

Some route-finding.

Browns Hill, center.

View back down toward the southern end of the Palisades.

Browns Hills summit ahead.

Browns Hill summit, view west.

Browns Hill summit, view north.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!