Our family had a great time camping at Mt. Diablo State Park this weekend, and we are geared to get you out hiking on February 23rd!
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| A huge Live Oak in Juniper Campground |
To sign up to jaunt with us at Mt. Diablo on Feb. 23, send an email to Nicole at
jauntwithus@gmail.com.
Then you'll get an email back with trip details, like the meeting place and time, and what to bring.
The drive is less than 2 hours, and goes up the 680 freeway into Danville.
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| A view from the summit (hiking along the Mary Bowerman Trail) |
The view we had at night of the Bay Area city lights from our tent site was incredible, but what we saw during the day from the summit was even better! (This state park closes at sunset, so if you ever want to see the night view, you will have to camp.)
The wind had come up during the night, and continued as we explored the trails and summit the next day. Our tents and down bags kept us and the kids plenty warm, but getting up for the day was another thing. It was a cold morning! It is common that down in the valley it is warmer and not windy, while up on the mountain it is colder and quite windy. So if you jaunt with us here, wear layers and maybe gloves and a knit hat.
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| Vegetation around the mountain varies. Here there are wild oats in the grasslands. |
We explored 1 mile of the 2 mile trail that leaves Juniper Campground and goes all the way to the summit of Mt. Diablo. It is all up hill, but never very steep. Many spots along the way begin to offer peeks of what will be a panoramic on the summit. The trail offers nice rest spots for snacks and photos.
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| Summit Visitor's Center, built in 1939 |
People can hike to the summit, or drive there, and many ride their bikes up, too. (The Amgen bicycle race will happen in Mt. Diablo in May again this year.) You can park right by the Visitor's center. We hung out inside for quite awhile since it was so warm and toasty in there! It has a small shop, and the upstairs has a great place to learn about the geology, natural environment, and history of this unique place. There's even a seating area with books to read, complete with an electric fireplace. The observation deck is closed until later in the spring, but great views are available right in the parking lot.
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| Another spectacular view from the 3,849 foot summit |
We found stunning views on the Mary Bowerman Trail. It starts in a lower parking lot, and has a trail guide with numbered markers that tell about what you see along the hike. On this trail you literally walk around the summit, so by the time you are done you've seen a 360 degree view of the area. It was a really clear day; we saw the Golden Gate and beyond, and even sighted Mt. Lassen way up north. What's interesting is how the vegetation is different depending on what side of the mountain you're on. When we got around 3/4 of the way it was so nice to soak up some sun and really warm up! Where we had started the trail had ice on it!
After taking down camp, we headed back out to the South Gate, but made sure to stop at Rock City. Rock City is amazing, but really disappointing because of all the damage people have done over the years. Here are large sandstone rock formations that have been here for 50 million years, and there is a ton of permanent damage from people carving and even painting on them. So sad! But the kids had fun climbing, finding "wind caves" to hide in, and just doing the exploring that kids like to do.
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| One of many sandstone formations at Rock City |
Options for Feb. 23 Jaunt:
1. Drive to the summit. Explore the visitor's center. Walk the Mary Bowerman Trail around the summit. (Less than a mile walk, mostly flate.)
2. Hike up 2 miles from Juniper Campground to the Summit. Explore the visitor's center. Possibly do the Mary Bowerman Trail around the summit (it is less than a mile). Hike back down to Juniper, or drive down with someone in the group who chooses to drive to the top.
3. Do option 1 or 2, then also hike over to North Peak, which would add just over another 2 miles to your day.
1. Drive to the summit. Explore the visitor's center. Walk the Mary Bowerman Trail around the summit. (Less than a mile walk, mostly flate.)
2. Hike up 2 miles from Juniper Campground to the Summit. Explore the visitor's center. Possibly do the Mary Bowerman Trail around the summit (it is less than a mile). Hike back down to Juniper, or drive down with someone in the group who chooses to drive to the top.
3. Do option 1 or 2, then also hike over to North Peak, which would add just over another 2 miles to your day.
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| There are many picnic spots tucked away all through the park. |
