Sunol
Sunol is in Alameda County in California. In a valley that marks the beginning of the beautiful Niles Canyon, Sunol is small yet worth visiting if you are in the Tri-Valley region of California.
Understand
Sunol, although it is a small town, has quite a lot of interesting attractions.
Get in
Sunol is south of Pleasanton, near the I-680 and east of Fremont on California Route 84 (CA-84). There is an off-ramp from CA-84 to Sunol's Main Street, but Sunol can also be reached by taking Foothill Road south from Pleasanton. I-680 goes near Sunol, east of the settlement.
Get around
California Route 84 goes along the southern side of Sunol. There is a three-way intersection and freeway off-ramp for Sunol Main Street. From Sunol Main Street is a turning off to Kilkare and Foothill Roads.
See
- 1 Sunol Regional Wilderness (Geary Road Staging Area), 1895 Geary Rd (Take Calaveras Road south, and turn onto Geary Road). Large wilderness between Del Valle Regional Park and Mission Peak. It is characterized by chaparral, as well as rock formations and oak forests.
- 2 Sunol Regional Wilderness (Welsh Road Staging Areas), Welch Creek Road (Take Calaveras Road south and turn onto Welsh Road). Dominated by McGuire Peaks, the northern part of Sunol Regional Wilderness includes excellent views of San Antonio Reservoir.
- 3 Sunol Water Temple (Sunol Water Tower) (Take the Pleasanton-Sunol road south, and cross the CA-84). M-F 9AM-3PM. All tourists will want to see some of California's infamous waterworks and the surprisingly attractive Water Temple is the closest exemplar.
- 4 Niles Canyon Railway Office (Near the junction of Kilkare Road and Sunol Main Street). The starting point of the Niles Canyon Railway, the railway office also functions as a museum.
- 5 Statue of Bosco, 11925 Main St (Sunol Main Street). A dog statue along Sunol Main Street. Free.
Do
- 1 Niles Canyon Railway, 6 Kilkare Rd (Go to the Sunol train station). Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, the Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railroad that runs between Sunol to Niles in the Niles Canyon.
Buy
There are some plant nurseries in the region.
- 1 Western Star Nursery, 8255 Niles Canyon Rd (Near CA-84). Nursery in southern Sunol
- 2 Dell's Ivy Acres Nursery, 8301 Niles Canyon Road (On CA-84). Nursery along Niles Canyon Road near I-680 in the southeast of Sunol
- 3 Calaveras Nursery, 1000 Calaveras Rd (On Calaveras Road near I-680). Nursery along Calaveras Road near I-680 east of Sunol
- 4 Plant and Pottery Outlet, 6467 Mission Road (On Mission Road to the south of Sunol main town). Pottery store for nursery materials near Sunol
- 5 JMI Nursery, 4101 Sheridan Road (On Sheridan Road near I-680). Nursery location near Sunol
Eat
- 1 Bosco's Bones and Brew, 11922 Main St (Along Main Street), ☏ +1 925 862-0821. Italian-American restaurant.
Drink
- 1 Elliston Vineyards, 463 Kilkare Rd (Take Kilkare Road north from Sunol). Winery in Kilkare Woods region to the north of Sunol
- 2 Nella Terra Cellars, 5005 Sheridan Road (Take Sheridan Road east of I-680, and turn to the right after a few hundred yards on a minor road to the cellars). Winery near Sheridan Road to the south of Sunol
Sleep
- 1 Sheridan Equestrian Center, 5358 Sheridan Road (Near the intersection of Sheridan and Andrade Roads). Boarding location for horses. Includes pastureland and other things necessary to keep horses for a short period of time.
Connect
There is a post office on Sunol Main Street. The town of Sunol is also within a few minutes of Pleasanton (at least by car), making it a country town but also one located near numerous hotels and restaurants. Due to its closeness to Pleasanton, Sunol is more like a village on the outskirts of Pleasanton than it is a separate town.
Go next
- Pleasanton - city to the north of Sunol
- Fremont - major city to the west of Sunol
There are numerous cities in the area, from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley. These include San Jose and Oakland.
