Hiking Mount Diablo

Out of Mitchell Canyon - Bruce Lee Road / Murchio Road / Water Tower Road.

Back Creek, Meridian Point, Meridian Ridge, Middle Trail

These were taken 2/27/2020 on Globe Lily Trail, which is 1/2 mile from the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. To reach Globe Lily Trail, follow Mitchell Canyon Road (it's a wide, level trail) 1/2 mile. Turn right on Blackpoint Trail, then in a few yards turn left onto Globe Lily Trail. Turn left on Red Road. To return to the parking lot, go left. Or you can explore further by going right. To the right, Mitchell Canyon Rd. stays fairly level for another mile, then climbs steeply up to Deer Flat 2.65 miles from Red Rd., where there are picnic benches and a panoramic view.

Mount Diablo State Park is closed today, Thursday 10/10/19, for high fire danger. We will try to update the state parks website as soon as possible. Once the cl...osure is posted visitors and staff should be able to see updates on the park status there. Please respect the staff and do not hop the gates. Thank you, MDSP staff See more

Donner Canyon Road May 2019

Off Marsh Creek Rd., 1.5 miles past Regency Dr. at a Call Box turnout on the right. Park and find the gate with the trail sign for Sharkey Rd./hike to Sattler ...trail/Quicksilver Trail/Ridgeline Tr. to end and back/Quicksilver Tr/R-Sattler Tr./L. Crested Jay Rd/L. Olympia Tr./L. 3 Springs Rd./R. Sharkey Rd. - a shortened version of #45 hike in the Mt. Diablo Hikers Guide. Hearty hike - Poison oak is plentiful. See more

Bruce Lee Rd./Mitchell Rock Trail Finally, the flowers are starting to pop out - next week there should be lots of shooting stars blooming.

Back Creek Trail is the shortest trail between Meridian Ridge and the Mitchell Canyon/Donner Canyon area, but some of us find it takes more time than longer routes. Downhill, there is some trenching in the trail, and gravel that can be slippery, and there is a constant decline, so that it takes concentration. But parts of it are interesting and scenic. Uphill is a constant incline and not particularly difficult, but there are no open vistas to distract one from the uphill trail ahead. There are alternating shady sections and sunny sections, however.

Will post scientific identification as I have time. From Regency Rd Entrance take Donner Canyon Rd. to 1st left onto Clayton Oaks Road 1.3 mi then LEFT on Bruce... Lee Spring Trail for a few yards - backtrack to start. (I heard that Donner Creek was running high and not easy to cross higher up, so just went up and back on Clayton Oaks Road-it felt like a loop because the views on the return were spectacular.) Donner Creek crosses Clayton Oaks Rd. and is about 12 ft. wide. There were rocks to step on, but the chances of getting wet are high...the rocks were about 1" underwater and the water about 4" deep and some leaps are needed from rock to rock--poles help. Alternatively, take Rialto Dr. off Regency and enter from there to skip Donner Creek but parking for only 2 cars there. See more

Hike #42 - Hiker's Guide to Mount Diablo - I recommend this hike for fall or winter. In late spring/summer, the deep grass covers the narrow trail so it is hard to see where one is stepping in places. During fall, the path is clear and easy to see. Yet, in spring, the wildflowers are plentiful, so wear long pants and hiking boots to admire the spring wildflowers.

I hiked this in November, and recommend it for a cool weather hike. The terrain is steep, a lot of it is unshaded, but the tread is fairly even. Recommend hiking poles. From the Hikers Guide to Mount Diablo - Burma Road I did this hike in the reverse direction, opting to do the steep single track and the beginning to relax more on the less steep and open fire road toward the end. The fire road close to the trail head is actually the steepest part, it seems. This is mostly open terrain and better done on a cool day with clouds for shade. The clouds make for good scenery over the landscape. The panoramic views are remarkable, as are the interesting rocks along the way. For plants, along Burma Road, there are bay trees, toyon, chamise, black sage, and fuchsia in fall.

Tiger Swallowtail on a thistle - Stage Road 8/7/16

Serrated onion on Globe Lily Trail 4/2/16

Mule's Ear on Buckeye Trail 4/3/16

This hike is hike #45 in the Hiker's Guide to Mount Diablo State Park. It is a lovely hike. Be prepared for solitude, poison oak, and some faint trails. Don't s...kip the Ridgeline Trail - the best wildflowers are along it. The Marsh trail at the end near Sharkey Rd. is overgrown and invisible at times. If you want to avoid it, you can just stay on the Olympia Trail until you get back to Sharkey Rd. at the end. See more

Harlequin Flower seen on Burma Road today. Not a native species, but beautiful.

Red shouldered hawk hunting for breakfast

The Globe Lily Hike (Hike #1 in the Hiker's Guide to Mount Diablo http://www.mdia.org//119-hiker-s-guide-to-mount-diablo-sta ) is one of the most common short hikes I take. If you have only about 45-90 minutes, it can be tailored easily to the amount of time you have, turning around when half of the time is up. There is often much wildlife to see, if one is quiet and observant. It is mostly shaded and sheltered, and there are always interesting things to see. It is one of t...he best places for wildflower viewing in the spring, when Mount Diablo Globe Lilies and Mariposa Lilies abound, along with lupine, monkeyflower, goldenbush, and many more. In Spring, wildflowers abound; In Summer, it is a shady respite from the heat; In autumn, tarantula sightings are common; In winter, when weather is uncertain, it is a short/sheltered walk from the parking lot.

Hike #18 - Camp Force Overlook .7 mi. roundtrip. Since it was a short hike, I added this hike on to Hike #17. I was glad I had read the Hiker's Guide ahead of time so that I would find the plaque dedicating the trail to Mr. Force. The quotation on the plaque was well worth reading, I enjoyed imagining where the boy scouts had camped, enjoyed seeing the CCC-built Diablo Stoves, and the view at trail's end was unique and worthwhile. Much of this hike was shaded.

October 24, 2015 - Hike #17 Garden of the Jungle Gods from the Hiker's Guide to Mount Diablo. http://www.mdia.org//119-hiker-s-guide-to-mount-diablo-sta Hike #17 - I drove up North Gate Road from Walnut Creek to the trailhead at Curry Point. The drive from the North Gate Entrance to Curry Point was 30 minutes, as there were several bicyclists, and I drove slowly behind them until reaching good, visible passing areas. There were just 3 other cars parked at Curry Point, and ...I started my hike at 1:50 p.m. The temperature was in the 80s and there was a slight overcast. The Devil's Slide Trail was easily found, and I happily discovered that much of it was shaded. I past 4 other hikers along the trail. Devil's Slide Trail follows a creek bed, which was dry for my hike, and I decided I should come back again in the spring to see the water flowing along the way. There is a sulphur spring right along the trail that was flowing, and I was surprised that it didn't have much sulphur odor. All of the trail junctions/turns were easy to find, just as pointed out in the hike description. Another hiker pointed out that he likes it as a summer hike, since the ample shade provides respite from the hot sun. I had no difficulty finding the Rock City Trail, but with the many side trails leading off of it, I worried that I might have wandered off the main trail and after awhile I started looking for a trail sign to assure myself I was still on the correct trail. but I kept heading uphill following the Trail through Time signs, and found that I was, indeed, on the correct trail when I came to the final turn listed in the Hiker's Guide. Reaching the trailhead, I wasn't ready to quit, so continued on to Hike #18 - Camp Force Overlook, since it was just .7 mi. roundtrip.

The Falls Trail after a rain

Occasionally, snow falls on Mount Diablo's Summit, at 3,849 ft.

Mitchell Canyon Road in autumn...very peaceful

The Northern Meadows area above Mitchell Canyon, from Bruce Lee Road.