I really like hiking at Mt.Diablo SP. The reason I didn't give 5 stars for the summit is that out of shape people can go to the summit by car...well, it's good to be open to everyone but when I reached the summit by hiking 10 miles and saw lots of non-hikers eatint ice cream, kinda sad. read more

We took the 6.15 mile Summit Trail. You can find the Trailhead on your left as you pass by the last of the houses on the residential Mt Diablo Scenic Blvd and before you go through the gate when the street turns into South Gate Rd. We parked on a dirt patch next to a driveway up to a house, about 1/10 mile down Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. Across where we parked, you can see a gated house with a large swimming pool. As we began the trail, the first couple miles are easy, but it gets more difficult as you continue the ascent, but it's definitely very doable for the average hiker. The view at the top is amazing and well worth the half day hike. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

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I've only been up twice, about 10 years apart. I think the view is awesome.

Took the trek up the summit trail which was about two miles up the mount.. I enjoyed the hike, I always love a good hike, but what was not pleasant for me was that the hiking trail criss-crossed the road several times over and I kinda like leaving civilization behind on a trail.. When you arrive at the summit, you land in a parking lot with a tourist building on top of the actual summit.. which would have been great if I was driving, but I hiked my happy butt 2 miles up the darn trail to get here..in the blazing heat, so it kinda sux when you have to dodge kids, cars and cameras at the top.. the view was great, but hazy because of the afternoon heat and the summit as I mentioned was inside the building - kinda wierd. I think optimum climbing times would be in the early morning to get the best views and less peeps. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Summit trail views - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

Love love LOVE Mt. D + Recommend hiking the summit to everyone + Did you know that the Euroamericans used Mt. D as the starting point for the establishment of land boundaries throughout most of Northern California and all of Nevada? The summit is the location of the "Initial Point," the north/south meridian, and east/west baseline intersection point that is the basis for most property boundaries! + Each car is $10 to enter the park.... be sure to either cram into 1 car or pay up!! Helps keep Mt. D so beautiful!! + Rock city has some of the OOOOOOLDEST Rocks from the Jurassic period!!! Its amazing to check out!! Conclusion: Not to many people take the time to go to Mt. D to hike. Its has an AMAZING 360 view when its clear outside!! In the summer it can get INCREDIBLY HOT OUTSIDE. Be sure to go EARLY in the morning, or best time to visit is in the spring! If you live in the bay area.... and havent visited this place yet...... you are MISSING OUT!!!!!! Get your lazy ass to the top!! *** Additional side note.....I saw someone mentioned how it "isnt worth the car sickness ride up and down." To me is just an incredibly stupid statement....... Mt. D is nearly 4,000ft up and has AMAZING views. IT IS WORTH THE CAR RIDE UP AND DOWN. Its not even that bad of a windy road, dont discourage people from an amazing park, Suck it up!!! read more

Went for the first time on this hike yesterday 2/23/14. First of all, don't listen to any of the reviewers that say it is an "easy" hike. IT IS NOT AN EASY HIKE. If you are starting from the bottom that is. So I went with a big group, a group of 12 and we started off at the bottom. We started at 96 Mitchell Canyon Road and took the shortest route to the top summit. We took a lunch break and maybe a couple breaks here and there to let stragglers catch up. But altogether, it took about 4 hours to reach the top from the south gate including breaks. So if we had not taken any breaks, we would have probably reached the top within a 3 hour time period. It was about anywhere from 8-10 miles just going up, no less than 8 miles for sure. If you don't prepare yourself for the monstrous size slopes ahead and also the amount of monstrous sized slopes, you will want to kill yourself. Your calves and quads will be burning and sore the next day. You WILL NOT start seeing sites that are actually worth seeing until you have gone about 4 miles down the trail, that is when and only when you will start being able to see out towards the bay and see the Antioch bridge and what not. But don't let that discourage you, the sites are amazing. The first rest stop with bathrooms will be at Juniper campgrounds, which is about a mile away from the very top, so let nature call before you take off. They did not have running water at the campgrounds and the bathrooms were closed, but they did have portapotties there. You will not be able to refill your water until you have reached the top. The bathrooms and water was shut off during our trip, it may be open again soon, nobody knows when but during my trip, it was closed. Once you reach the top, there is a museum at the top with some interesting stuff, but you mainly go to get to the top of that building for the sites. YES you can see the golden gate bridge from the very top. I highly recommend this hike ONLY if your up for it, and do not bring people that would complain. It was a sunny day when I went, very hot while you are hiking, you will not need a sweater/coat unless you are stationary and not keeping active, such as breaks and whatnot. Remember to bring plenty of water, I can almost guarantee you that you will run out of water by the time you hit the end of the trail. PS We did not complete the hike by going back down the trail because half of the group was exhausted. We ended up getting a ride to pick us all up at the top. 4 Stars for amazing sites and a great trail, but won't be coming back again any time this year. read more

Wow what an amazing feeling to hike to the summit of mount diablo. There is a small museum at the top and it's actually really cool. There are bathrooms along the trails and picnic areas and barbecues. There is a gift shop in the small museum as well and the museum is free to enter. The views are breath taking. I have never experienced such beautiful views. This is a hidden gem and I'm so happy I got the chance to see this. I highly recommend this spot and hiking around this area in general. The regional park does cost $10 to enter so be prepared. They do accept debit cards. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - The spot behind us is where the actual summit and top top of the mountain is with the gift shop and museum. - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

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Hiked total of 14 miles two weeks ago. It was good and challenging hike. This is probably one of the most difficult and long hikes I've done so far. The trailhead is located at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. There are many easy trails but if you are up for the challenge, follow the sign to Eagle Peak, 2,369 elevation then hike up to the Summit, 3,849 elevation. 7 miles uphill and 7 miles downhill. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Summit Mt Diablo - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

I just recently moved to this side of town and I thought I'd get some fresh air out at Mt. Diablo summit before I head off to the Walnut festival. I'm not a huge nature person but it was a fantastic drive all the way up to the summit. It was interesting all the hype about the tarantulas... on the way down I saw a huge one crossing the road and nearly ran it over! Thankfully no spider road kill today! read more

Beautiful beautiful view! I am giving it a four stars because of the bikers, not all but some bikers think that the road belongs to them. It's pretty damn annoying, "Share the road"! Drove up to the summit and it was beautiful! The visitor center was pretty cool too, lots of useful information. I would recommend coming in the morning so it doesn't get so hot. The visitor center opens from 10am to 4pm. There are places to sit if you would want to eat lunch up there. :) Parking is $10. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - So pretty! - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

You have beaten me on foot but this time I used 320 HP and for my third time you are as bad ass as can be. read more

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One star for auto visitors, FIVE stars for hikers and bikers. 2/8/11: If you're headed to the summit of Mt. Diablo by car, be aware that the lookout--built at the very pinnacle of the mountain and blocking access to about a fourth of its views, is CLOSED. The walkway around the building is closed, the observation deck is CLOSED. The gift shop and information center is open and staffed, but the windows that exist offer no solace or views. For those coming by car this is pretty much a waste of time. The newsletter suggests that by next year (2012) the renovations may be complete, but it seems there is some difficulty in getting skilled people to do the roofing work--given the complications involved. If you're biking or hiking up, you'll see so much on your way that what you miss at the very top will be of little concern to you, and the way up is indeed quite impressive---especially off season and mid week, with little traffic on the squeaky-narrow roads. I prefer the Walnut Creek road (again by car) but others may prefer the other. It's disgusting that California is so mismanaged that this lookout, literally surrounded by wealth, has been allowed to reach this state of degradation. read more

i LOVE that the summit is accessible by car HAHA but man there are some HARDCORE people here. they run and bike up to the summit. CRAZY! anyways at the top there is a nice litle info area, its super cozy inside, with a fake fireplace, books for you to read, things to look at.. im sorry but im forgetting all big words that could describe this place perfectly.. i dont know whats wrong with me.. but i think the word is diagrams? EXHIBITS!! that show history about the mountain. its pretty cool. and they have a gift shop too.. although the gift shop is a little lacking.. anyways GREAT view. its like the second in the world i think where you could see the farthest or something like that. its kind of cold, but its amazing! im serious. its worth visiting once in your life. read more

The road going up is windy and it is more almost a 4000 ft high, so be careful. The view? Spectacular! When you reach the top, breath and relax your mind with the amazing 360 degrees view of the Bay Area. I had to use the rest rooms when we came here and it was clean. At least the women's room was. We are suppose to fill in a form and drop it on a box with our entrance fee, they ran out with the form and no one was there, so we just dropped our fee. Please do so, this money is most likely used for maintenance in the area. :-) Also be careful with bikers especially going up, they really bike fast going down. You don't want them to hit you in their bikes. ;-) read more

Amazing view!!! Love it. For sure we will be back again. I will take my 2 daughters here soon. It was so calming and relaxing read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Mt. Diablo Park at Summit - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

I'm going to keep this review short because this is only for the summit and not indicative of Mt Diablo State Park itself: Can a summit be overrated? This one kind of was. My friends and I trekked about 8 miles from the Mitchell Canyon Ranger Station and arrived at the Summit around noon. The one thing that each and every one of us noticed was that the summit was filled entirely with families, kids, and cars. Now, I'm all for people embracing nature, but the whole touristy feel definitely detracted from what the summit could have been. I thought the view was really mediocre and definitely not that great of a sight even when I take all of the people around me into account. If you are looking for an amazing view that will satisfy a hiker's thirst, Eagle Peak or even North Peak may be a better option. You may be quite disappointed when you arrive at the top of Mt Diablo Summit because you'll probably be more claustrophobic than anything else. Have fun and prosper, read more

Hiked the summit trail the other day with some friends. We started around Rock City after driving up South Gate Road. The road up is windy and narrow, beware of bikers and oncoming traffic especially around blind turns. Parking is $10 at the North and South gates; $6 at the Mitchell Canyon and Macedo Ranch areas (though this will significantly add to the hike distance/elevation). Parking fee included a brochure/map of the park. The dirt trail itself is okay, cuts across the road a few times however it is well worn and, once you get started and find the signs, easy to follow. At most points it is wide enough to accommodate two hikers abreast, although there is very little canopy. There are a couple of restrooms with running water along the way and some signs noting historical/geological points. At the summit itself is a visitor center with a food vendor and observation deck. A beautiful view can be seen as well. read more

Nice views, but I'm not sure it was worth the car-sickness drive up and down. Beloved by cyclists and runners, so watch out for bicyclists who think they own the road. Plenty of picnic spots in various overlooks that looked lovely. read more

Made it to the top. Great view. Nice to be looking down on where I am normally looking up. The hours to enter the building are from 10-4 and I believe the bathrooms outside are the same hours. The view is great, don't miss out. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

360 degree view. Nuff said. Drive is fun too. But be aware of potential line at ranger pay station. And bring a picnic. Lots of sweet turn off picnic scenic areas. Binoculars good idea too. read more

Great views from the Summit. Too bad the observation deck is still closed, hopefully next time I go up, it will be open! Careful on the way up, as theres lots of bikers around the curvy roads. It is $10 to get into the park, and the museum is open until 4pm. If you, or in my case, my dog, gets carsick - this may not be the best road to drive. But once you are at the top, the views are amazing! read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

Nice views but felt anticlimactic after the hike up, plus there are gnats everywhere. They have a gift shop with reasonably priced snacks, cold drinks, and possibly ice cream (but that was sold out). Bathrooms are to the right (under) the lookout tower, pretty clean, with flushing toilets, paper and running water. Just bring your own soap or hand sanitizer. Unfortunately we couldn't find a good place to have lunch up there. There are several picnic tables, but they're on the lower parking tiers without any views. I think only two tables are shaded but they're surrounded in trees. There are several tiers of parking areas and the lookout tower has a museum with hands-on activities for kids on the ground level. The view from the tower is nice, except there were tiny gnats swarming the place. Also, it's not really a 360 degree view since the enclosed tower is in the way. We were just there on Sunday in the early afternoon and there were a decent amount of people but not as many as I expected. However, we were still eager to get back to the peacefulness of the trails. Although it was a long hike up, it wasn't too strenuous until the last mile. On the trails we didn't pass many people, and the views throughout the hike were just as good, if not better, than the summit. Overall, summit was a one-time must see and I appreciated the clean bathrooms and option to restock supplies. read more

Peaceful, lovely view, gorgeous sunset from the campsite and more. Love this place. Will go there again in near future. read more

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Great views, well kept trails. A little dry and hot-- I'd recommend not coming during the hot weather of late summer. The best thing though? There's a drinking fountain at the top of the summit and you can buy ice cream at the ranger station. This park has amazing views in all directions, so it's worth it to go at least once. Downsides: lots of straight up with no switchbacks; entrance fee expensive compared to other parks; yellow jackets all over drinking fountains. Sad it caught on fire. :( read more

I've been to the summit, but only by walking up Mt. Diablo. If you want, you can drive to the top instead, but whether or not that is worthwhile is up to you. My starting point for this hike was Mitchell Canyon, as a note this is one of the longer hikes up to the top ~7 miles each way. Even if the starting grade seems OK, soon you will feel like you have been on a stair stepper for hours, and you kind of are on one in effect. The path winds up with enough switch backs to make the climb passable. Despite being in the Easy Bay, there is a decent amount of shade on the path up, but don't try this hike in the summer unless you like being roasted. The views on the way up are great, where you don't have trees in the way. As you keep climbing there are occasional benches or picnic tables, but you can stop where you need. Also, there is a station about half way to 2/3 of the way up where you can get some water, sit at a picnic table and use the bathroom! From there, you have the final slog up to the top and start seeing more people. When you finally get to the top you are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, another place to fill up on water, and a gift shop and museum. There is even some ice cream for sale! At this point climb to the top of the station, take some pictures and eat lunch before heading back down. The view is amazing, unobstructed in all directions. Funnily enough, the trip back down is just as rough as the trip up; I recommend bringing poles if you have them. The rocks on the trail are a bit loose and will shoot out from under your feet! Also, if your shoes are not tied tight enough your toes slam against the front and will give you a blood blister and the dreaded purple toenail. Be warned, take the time to tighten up your laces! As nice as this hike was, it is not for beginners and it is no good in the height of summer. However, Mt. Diablo being in my back yard (almost) rocks! read more

The summit has some truly amazing views but getting there can be a pain. There is an interactive educational area for children. Remember to take some quarters for the view finders and a warmer jacket in cool weather, it can get quite cold and windy up there. There is no restroom at the summit, before you get to the top there is a picnic area that has restrooms and incredible views if the top is too busy. The worst part about the Mt. Diablo Summit is the drive there. It is a twisting turning drive and can be slow depending on the drivers. There are also numerous cyclists which can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. read more

A beutiful place in the bay area! great for Hiking biking etc... The summit has one of the most amazing views .Only a little over 2 miles up and 4 miles round trip its the perfect bike or hike . bring some cold water and your set . only $10 bucks too . well worth the tiny price . read more

Mt Diablo is the mountain in the East Bay by Walnut Creek/Danville/San Ramon. I've been to the top of Mt Diablo several times which is about 3850 feet elevation (the tallest peak in the area). We were always lazy and so every time I've been with friends, we drove to the top. There is a small fee I believe and plenty of parking. If you have never been, it can be fun on a clear day as you can see a long way in all directions. To the west you can look across the Bay and see San Francisco and barely make out the Golden Gate Bridge. Look to the north and you see the bay turn into the Delta and look to the east and you can see out to the Central Valley. To the south is Pleasanton not far away and the hills beyond, which blocks the view of Fremont. There is a building at the top with an observation deck and informational displays to educate you about everything you ever wanted to know and then some about Mt Diablo! Pack a picnic lunch and eat at the top or at a picnic table along the way. Be careful though because if you or your passengers get car-sick easily, the windy road down may make ya have to pull over and lose yer lunch! Tip: Don't forget to bring your binoculars! read more

Hubby and I were here to watch the sunset. We entered the Mt Diablo State Park from the South Gate entrance in Danville. We paid a $10 entrance fee. They accept credit cards which is a good thing because we realized at the moment that we had no cash in hand. We then drove up around 6 miles of extremely winding road to the summit. I am not exaggerating when I say that the road looked so dangerous with blind spots at every turn and no railings. I literally couldn't drive at more than 15mph. The driveway is however extremely scenic with a lot of vista points. Once at the summit, one can get an almost 360 degree view of the bay area. Looking at the entire place from up above gives a totally different view of the place far away from all the buzz. One can see tiny buildings and houses surrounded by lots and lots of hills. There are restrooms up here. The observatory deck and visitor center at the summit are open only until 4 pm but the viewing area is open until sunset. We opened the moon roof of our car and sat there viewing the sunset. We saw a few deer grazing near the road on the way back. It was like being in a totally different world up there. read more

Mt Diablo Summit - Observatory deck. - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

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There is so much to enjoy on a hike to the summit of Mt. Diablo -- rare plants, soaring raptors, streams and waterfalls (in season, of course), and views to make you feel like a conquistador or conquistadora. I enjoy, wait, no, LOVE Mt. D so much that I moved here just to be closer. That said, here are some pointers to prevent a summit hike from being the worst idea you ever had. A common starting point is Mitchell Canyon -- indeed, I have been there several times when unsuspecting new visitors roll in asking where is the summit (Hint: not in a canyon). From that starting point, if you are not some Olympic fitness god/goddess, give yourself at least 6 hours round trip for hiking: 4 to summit and 2 to descend. These times are good for starting points similar to Mitchell Canyon, such as Regency Gate. I have also hiked to the summit from other places that are lovely if you have about 3 hours, such as from Curry Point. An added benefit to the shorter routes is that you skip the heartache of the north and east ascents -- some of the inclines on those trails may make you wish you'd never been born. If you go "East Bay commando" (i.e., hike in the summer), please wear a hat, sunscreen, and bring more water than you could imagine needing -- you'll need it as even a relatively mild day (in the 80's) makes all that rock just cook. You can refill your containers at the summit, and make sure to do it, because, really, you cannot carry enough to avoid some mild dehydration on the way up, and you sure as heck do not want a full blown case of dehydration as your reward for completing the hike. If you go in the spring/early summer, wear light-colored, long pants and long sleeves. This makes it much easier to spot and brush off the ticks you'll pick up on parts of some trails. The ticks are more of a thing when the vegetation has gone berserk with the winter rains and is both overgrown and moisture-filled. Be on the lookout for tarantulas and snakes -- not for your protection, but theirs. The male 'rants use the roads looking for love from as early as July up to November. The snakes like to sun themselves in the openings created by the roads. I have almost stepped on both types of critters quite a few times. They're just like kids: "If I stay reallll still I'm invisible"! They are quite vulnerable and even a small wound can mean a death sentence for them. BTW, the rattlers on the mountain are North Pacifics, and like true Californians they are amazingly mellow. As the Californiaherps.com site says: "The truth is that rattlesnakes are almost always defensive, not offensive, when they encounter humans, wanting nothing more than to escape, and the least heroic thing someone can do is to automatically kill them". Now, if you are directionally challenged, I highly recommend buying a map from the Interpretive Association (http://www.mdia.org/site/). All proceeds go to protect the mountain, and remind yourself that you have paid a thousand times more money for lots of stupid crap that you don't even know where it is anymore. Harumph. With all this info, you should prepare to be amazed, healed, uplifted, delighted, and just generally rocked. There is literally no other place on earth like it. read more

This was a nice drive. We saw bikers riding up and down this mountain and can't believe how they are able to do it. It is both steep and long. The road was a little difficult to drive on and we crossed paths with a baby coyote. The peak has such a beautiful view and was worth the half and hour drive to the top, at least once. There are lots of picnic spots along the way. Enjoyable but tiring with kids. read more

I'm sure. T would have beautiful if it weren't for the cocky, inept ranger at the entrance. Me: oh man, I can't believe I came up here without $10 Ranger: humph Me: it's almost 4:00, any other options, only gunna take a look a around Ranger: yeah, go back down to the city and use an ATM ...pure bliss read more

Beautiful place!! But wow does it take a LONG time to get there. I was doing multiple hikes throughout mt. diablo so by the time I was ready for the summit I made the decision just to drive there from Curry point. It took forever it seemed like and the roads were quite narrow. If I were to go again I think I would forgo the smaller hikes I did earlier and just start at juniper campground and complete the loop. Overall a must-see in the bay area! read more

Highly recommend hiking the 13 mile loop! We started on Mitchell Canyon Road amd looped to the Back Creek Trail. It's 7 miles to the summit. Very exhausting, but so worth it. Amazing views. Great Half Dome practice. It is one helluva beast, and the descent is just as hard as the incline. read more

A neat little spot at the can either hike or drive up to the top of the mountain where you can enjoy the sights. There is a nice little information center where you can get refreshments and use the facilities before heading back out the way you came in. The views from here are amazing. It's reported that you can see all the way west to San Fran then south too Yosemite and north to Mount Shasta. unfortunately on the day I went it was a little muggy so the sight distance was cut down a bit. read more

Really nice! I'd say an intermediate level hike. Lots of sun exposure, nice tower at the top (although you could also drive up) with a great view. read more

Usually guarded when visting state parks on how one is received by staff. Was very impressed with personal staffing the center. Very friendly and informed. courteous and helpfull. Made for a pleasant day in Walnut Creek and to the summit thanks! read more

It's a long drive up, and you share the road with cyclists and hikers. The cyclists are careful, aware of their space and your space, and it seemed all the people using the road were quite respectful of each other. To do otherwise would be dangerous. I admire people who cycle or hike all the way up. I wouldn't do it. We also couldn't do it, we hike with our dog, and dogs, even on leash, are not welcome on trails, only in parking lots and paved areas. We started at Mitchell Canyon entrance, paid 6 bucks, got a map to the summit and then drove up. We paid another 4 dollars on the way to the summit. It's a beautiful view, there's a little visitor center. Skip the ice cream that everybody mentions, it's a two dollar squished Good Humor bar. The only thing that prevents this experience from being 5 star is not being able to take our dog on the trails. I understand why, it doesn't mean I like it, but I do honor the rules. read more

A cool hike that takes you from one weather extreme (warm at the base) to chills at the top. The ultimate hike is to attempt it with shorts for comfort anda thick hiking socks. Don't try to jog it, because you could twist an ankle on the dense foliage and shrubbery. Nice scenery, and my arrival at the summit coincided with midday, with max temps there. Killer views, but bring a picnic and Powerbars. read more

Kinda decent views here, especially on a clear day. Bit of a long drive to get there, though: need a faster road! Also rather crowded; the parking lot fills quickly. All told, though, an inspirational spot. read more