Summit Trail, Mount Diablo State Park, California
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Summit Trail, Mount Diablo State Park, California
Photo and trail info by Rod McLean
BETA: Starting at Macedo Ranch, run a well-maintained dirt trail through cow pastures to a winding singletrack trail to the summit of Mount Diablo (3849 feet). Look west to see the Golden Gate Bridge and, beyond, the Farallon Islands; southeast to the James Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton; south to Mount Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz Mountains; north to Mount Saint Helena in the Coast Range. To the east beyond California’s great Central Valley, the crest of the Sierra Nevada seems to float in space. In the summer, watch out for snakes and coyotes.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult, 14-mile, out-and-back roundtrip with 3000 feet of elevation gain.
INFO: See Mount Diablo State Park brochure (includes map).
PHOTOGRAPHY AND TRAIL INFORMATION: Rod McLean