Hiking Mount Diablo
Northern California has wonderful outdoor recreational options and certainly more to offer visitors than just the urban charm of San Francisco.The Bay Area as a whole features vast expanses of park and wilderness territory just outside the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Scenically nestled in the less developed sections of the East Bay, we find Mount Diablo State Park - a true oasis of quiet and solitude amidst the suburban sprawl of the nearby East Bay communities of Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville and San Ramon. For that reason, an excursion to Mount Diablo ranks among a true treasure-off-the-beaten-track experience featuring an infinite number of hiking and adventure trails amidst spectacular natural scenery and with no crowds or modern-day distractions disturbing the peaceful untouched setting.
We begin approaching Mount Diablo State Park from the North - leaving Interstate 680 at Ygnacio Valley Boulevard in Walnut creek to continue eastward towards the communities of Clayton and Concord. We turn right onto Clayton Boulevard and continue for about one mile. It is here that we take MITCHELL CANYON Road South and gradually uphill towards the lower slopes of Mount Diablo. With each passing mile, traffic becomes lighter and buildings sparser. Soon we witness a quarry opening up to our right, then first groves of pine woods to lead us to the entrance gate of Mount Diablo State Park. Here a Park Entrance Charge of $6 is deposited into a pay box based on a visitor honor system, and shortly thereafter we reach a parking lot adjacent to a visitor center open only on weekends as well as restroom and picnic facilities.
From the Mount Diablo Parking Lot numerous hiking trails branch off, the main path being MITCHELL CANYON trail itself, which we first take to leave behind the parking area and gradually ascend the lower slopes of the Mountain. We are surrounded by nothing but nature, dry and marked by drought but nonetheless beautiful with various shades of green and brown of both corniferous and deciduous trees indiginous to Northern California including BLUE OAK, pine, chestnut and California buckeye trees.
After about 10-15 minutes gradual ascent, a trail veers off to the Right in the direction of BLACK POINT, which makes for a worthwhile 2-3 hour excursion. Here the incline becomes significantly steeper, and local oak trees such as the common COAST LIVE OAK increasingly give way to smaller shrubs and bushes. We also witness significant fauna along the way including bluebirds and lizards. In springtime many flower varieties bloom and blossom here, among them the FAIRY LANTERN, MONKEY FLOWER and California Sisters.
Black Point leads us up to an elevation of 1800 feet, which makes for a manageable 2-3 hour hike along with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside and East Bay communities. For more ambitious hikers, Mount Diablo can also be discovered in its entirety on a 14 mile hike to 3800 feet at Diablo Peek. Warm or layered clothes may be advisable, as the area is infamous for its variable microclimate - snow may fall early in November while hiking in the sun may turn out to be a scorchingly hot experience. So putting on or off layers is usually the best choice.
The best aspect about hiking Mount Diablo, however, is its amazing sense of soltitude, particularly surprising given its close proximity to densely populated communities in the East Bay and notoriously gridlocked freeways in the area. During many hikes to Mount Diablo, few fellow visitors may be encountered along with an occasional biker or horseback rider. So following precious moments of solitude and scenic beauty on Mount Diablo, we may then opt to settle for a drink or meal in nearby Concord to round up our perfect day of hiking here in Northern California.
We begin approaching Mount Diablo State Park from the North - leaving Interstate 680 at Ygnacio Valley Boulevard in Walnut creek to continue eastward towards the communities of Clayton and Concord. We turn right onto Clayton Boulevard and continue for about one mile. It is here that we take MITCHELL CANYON Road South and gradually uphill towards the lower slopes of Mount Diablo. With each passing mile, traffic becomes lighter and buildings sparser. Soon we witness a quarry opening up to our right, then first groves of pine woods to lead us to the entrance gate of Mount Diablo State Park. Here a Park Entrance Charge of $6 is deposited into a pay box based on a visitor honor system, and shortly thereafter we reach a parking lot adjacent to a visitor center open only on weekends as well as restroom and picnic facilities.
From the Mount Diablo Parking Lot numerous hiking trails branch off, the main path being MITCHELL CANYON trail itself, which we first take to leave behind the parking area and gradually ascend the lower slopes of the Mountain. We are surrounded by nothing but nature, dry and marked by drought but nonetheless beautiful with various shades of green and brown of both corniferous and deciduous trees indiginous to Northern California including BLUE OAK, pine, chestnut and California buckeye trees.
After about 10-15 minutes gradual ascent, a trail veers off to the Right in the direction of BLACK POINT, which makes for a worthwhile 2-3 hour excursion. Here the incline becomes significantly steeper, and local oak trees such as the common COAST LIVE OAK increasingly give way to smaller shrubs and bushes. We also witness significant fauna along the way including bluebirds and lizards. In springtime many flower varieties bloom and blossom here, among them the FAIRY LANTERN, MONKEY FLOWER and California Sisters.
Black Point leads us up to an elevation of 1800 feet, which makes for a manageable 2-3 hour hike along with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside and East Bay communities. For more ambitious hikers, Mount Diablo can also be discovered in its entirety on a 14 mile hike to 3800 feet at Diablo Peek. Warm or layered clothes may be advisable, as the area is infamous for its variable microclimate - snow may fall early in November while hiking in the sun may turn out to be a scorchingly hot experience. So putting on or off layers is usually the best choice.
The best aspect about hiking Mount Diablo, however, is its amazing sense of soltitude, particularly surprising given its close proximity to densely populated communities in the East Bay and notoriously gridlocked freeways in the area. During many hikes to Mount Diablo, few fellow visitors may be encountered along with an occasional biker or horseback rider. So following precious moments of solitude and scenic beauty on Mount Diablo, we may then opt to settle for a drink or meal in nearby Concord to round up our perfect day of hiking here in Northern California.
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