The waterfall Loop of Mt Diablo is categorized as moderate 8 mile hike. I would say that's pretty accurate. Park at the visitor center and get a paper map if you don't have a digital map. Fairly easy to follow all the markers. I wish they were all marked by numbers but they're not. The scenery is nice and lots of shade throughout the hike. Many of the roads are narrow and slippery. Hiking poles and good hiking boots are important. The waterfall was mini in beginning of December 2025 but there was a steady stream. Entire hike takes about 4-4-.5 hours to finish. Some steep inclines but not too grueling. Pay parking via QR code and a cc. read more

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I really enjoyed this hike, it had views, wildflowers, streams with running water, and was a good workout. I followed the All Trails version of the trail which took around 4 hours and was 8 miles. The hike was moderate to hard because there were some steep parts and parts that were rocky and easy to slip. I'd recommend hiking boots. To see the waterfalls I think the best time to go is Jan-early May but that's even pushing it. By May there are still wildflowers, but the brush is starting to turn brownish, and the water is drying up quick. Probably the most ideal picturesque time for this hike would be early March after a rain. I'd avoid it in the summertime unless you live in the desert and are used to hiking in high temperatures. read more

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There is no place on the planet as beautiful as Mount Diablo, especially the waterfalls during the spring.

Nice 5 mile round trip hike at Mount Diablo. There's parking with a permit at the base of the trailhead. It starts out nice and easy, lush and green during the end of January. It was a little muddy but luckily it hadn't rained recently here. The actual loop was picturesque, quite steep in some areas with some loose gravel on the descent. You cross a few small waterfalls and most of the path was in shade. Overall, gorgeous weather for a "winter" hike and it only took 3 hours :) read more

Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

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Absolutely love this trail. We have done this trail twice now. It's definitely a workout but very doable. This was our first hike for 2022 and it was awesome. The waterfalls were thriving. Just absolutely beautiful. Quite a crowd... I guess people were ready to get out and get their workout after the holidays lol. The only downfall with hiking it that day was with how muddy it was. Boy was it muddy. I slipped twice but made it out of there like a champ lol. It's about a 6 mile hike but not too strenuous. Just make sure to bring water, especially during Summer. read more

Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

This trail requires a good digital map. if you want to follow the specific waterfalls trail and you are not constantly watching the map you will get off track. The trail gets a hard rating in my opinion not because any one location is especially difficult, but because of the length combined with the periods of rather steep rocky climbs. No part of this trail is by itself hard. The scenery is beautiful and the geology is amazing. Read up on Mount Diablo geology and this trail will be even more rewarding. I did this trail starting mid afternoon on the first day of daylight savings time in 2022. perfect trail to start at 2:00 p.m. read more

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Love this trail! Dog friendly. Easy path for kids but it does go up hill. Small parking available too.

Nice place to hike With friends and family! Best way to start early walk for a beautiful scenery.

It was all dried up no beautiful wild flowers nothing to see. Quite disappointed very sad experience

One of my goals for 2017 is to hike more, especially since we've got so many amazing places to explore right here at home. We kicked things off with this Mt. Diablo hike on New Year's Day. There were six of us, five adults and a 10-year-old. We did a total of 7 miles, which I would qualify as moderate. Difficult if you are afraid of heights. If you've got a walking/hiking pole, I recommend bringing it. We had a couple among us that came in handy for stream crossing with some wobbly rocks, and the narrow path up and over the waterfalls. The narrow path is a single track, with a very steep drop down. It can also be slippery in places so my main piece of advice is to take it slow to reduce the risk of falling down the mountain to be lost forever. Keep your eyes and ears out for the larger falls, you'll have a nice view from the single-track part of the journey. There were also a lot of mini-falls and babbling brooks along the way. This hike is a good quad and booty workout, what with the switchback and lots of other climbing. (My Fitbit reported 149 floors.) It took us 2 hours and 45 minutes from the car and back, with a few pauses to snap photos. I would definitely return to do this hike again. read more

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Donner Trail Waterfalls Loop Great trail if you're looking for a moderate hike on Mt Diablo Elevations - You will hike approx 1,200 feet up on this trail and goes halfway up the mountain. The first half mile is flat but the next mile up Donner Creek Rd is all uphill battle. Once you hit Falls Trail you'll climb a portion but the rest of the Falls Trail and Middle Trail hike is fairly flat with a few small up and down portions. Suggestion- As you head up Donner Trail, stay left and take Falls Creek Trail up the hill. The terrain is loose gravel on portions of Falls Trail and easier to climb up thru the loose gravel than sliding downhill and off the cliff. Lol. Waterfalls -Great trail during the rainy season but If you live in the East Bay, you know how much rain we get in the summer. Terrain-The terrain on the first leg of the trip is on a fire road that is muddy in the spring. Once you start climbing up the Falls Trail trail you'll hit a tight trail with loose gravel and a steep drop-off. I'd definitely suggest hiking boots for this adventure. Parking - Good luck parking at the end of Regency Drive. Lol. Parking is limited and in a neighborhood that does not appreciate tourists. The Mitchell Canyon park entrance is a short hike away from the trail head and the suggested place to park. read more

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This was a pretty fun loop except the waterfalls are not as spectacular during these California droughts. I purposely hiked the day after rainy day just for the falls, but that could be a terrible choice. The main road from the trailhead was pretty muddy, Walked on grass for a bit just to avoid the mud and puddles. My shoes were just muddy and pieces of grass were stuck to it, just gotta clean them up with rocks later on. The rest of the trail via Falls Trail and Middle Trail was pretty fun. Not muddy at all, but the trail is fairly narrow, and could be dangerous if you fall. So please be careful. I did read in some trail reviews that poison oaks and poison ivy are on this path, so watch where you're going. Parts of this trail were pretty steep, a bit scary when you're coming down, some people did bring walking sticks, they would have been helpful. I think we passed by 3 "waterfalls". The quotes are really to say they are barely bigger than a front yard pond waterfall. California drought made waterfalls so pathetic that even a good rainy day can't quite save them. The views of the mountain and trees and how you're so far away are the only reasons you should go on this trail. Forget those mini falls! Oh and horses do walk on some of these trails, poo warning. read more

Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

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That last section to get to that cluster of 4 falls in the southeast corner is kinda treacherous, i.e., narrow and steep with some good drop offs. It's still a fun little hike, but it's a solid intermediate level. Wasn't expecting that. The lower sections are nice for kids, and the 1st waterfall is easy to get to, but the trail to the higher ones are harder and maybe not so kid friendly. read more

Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park - Waterfall Loop Trail - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

An easy hike with scenic views. Here you will find paths for hiking, running, and biking. From Regency Gate, I hike to the trail marked Donner Cabin Site. From there I hike Donner Canyon Road South along the water until I meet back up with the main trail which takes me back down the hill to Regency Gate. MapMyRun maps the loop at a little over 3 miles and takes me just over an hour. The two times I mapped it I did it in an hour and three minutes. The route I described is my preferred route. There are others you can choose from, but I like the solitude that my route provides. My extended route starts and ends as my preferred route does, but adds an additional 2.5-3 miles (roundtrip). From Regency Gate, I hike to the trail marked Donner Cabin Site. From there I hike Donner Canyon Road South along the water until I meet back up with the main trail, but instead of turning right and following the trail back down to Regency Gate... I turn left and hike until I see the Boundary Park marker. At Boundary Park maker I turn left again and continue up the hill. Going up is easy, but coming down proves to be a little more hazardous as the loose gravel makes falling a possibility. Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park is my new favorite place to go. Open 7 days/wk from 8am to sunset. You can find me here 2-3 days/wk. This is my new 'secret' hideaway. read more

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Good place for hiking in spring when it's not too hot yet. Not too crowded. It was a challenge to go up to the top. I enjoy seeing the wildflowers flourishing around such as Foothill Shooting Star, Milkmaids, Blue-Dick, Indian Warrior, Indian Paintbrush... read more

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Not very challenging and the 'waterfalls' are quite small. They're little more than small streams of water. For the adventurous, take this detour on your way to the summit. read more

Beautiful! Despite the steep trails and the fact we somehow got off the trail and ended up hiking an extra 4.5 miles, the hike was extremely beautiful and peaceful! Throughout the hike you are either hiking along a creek or coming across several waterfalls. This is a must hike if you are anywhere in the East Bay! read more

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Moderate hike - maybe not for every beginner, but definitely not a challenge for an experienced hiker. The hike was okay up until we reached waterfall trail. It is a 1.24-mile trail to Middle Trail from Donner road. One of us had good trail shoes on but one of us had on running shoes, which was probably not a good idea. Waterfall trail is very narrow that only allows for single file hiking throughout. The vistas are amazing but the combination of steep drop and narrow trail is very intimidating. There is a lot of loose rocks, so we were doing a bit of sliding even with trail shoes. We had a crazy experience that included a massive nose bleed and hungry crows at the highest point on the trail; bring cold water and be prepared to defend your life against nature. read more

Great hike, but not easy. Definitely an intermediate level, with a lot of up hill. I've done the whole thing before, but I'm six months pregnant, so I didn't want to push myself too hard. My husband and I got to the first waterfall, about 45 minutes in, and decided not to continue. After the first waterfall, the trail gets steep, and more precarious. It's also mostly in the sun, as the first part is mostly shaded. The waterfalls are spectacular right now, especially with all the rain we've had recently. The trail has some significantly muddy sections, so don't wear shoes you aren't okay with getting messed up. The views of the mountain are amazing, and being local, it's so easy to get to. read more

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Awesome hike!!! A little difficult to find the right trail but there were so many people out there were got on the right trail fairly easily. The Trail Apps don't match the trail names so you're better off asking people which way to go. When we went the water was high and there was no way to cross the streams without going knee high in the water. Great views and a lot of Falls. Definitely seasonal though. We went in February and there was plenty of water and wildflowers. We brought our dog but I learned after the hike dogs aren't allowed. We saw other dogs out there - not many tho. We parked on Regency which was packed. Probably added a half mile to our hike just to get to the car! Round trip was about 7.2 miles. Took us about 3-3.5 hrs but we took a lot of pics and also got lost early on the way and had to double back some. read more

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First time to hike in Mt. Diablo, waterfall loop trails is my starter. 6.5 miles half day hike good with friends, not kids friendly cause we saw how struggle parents carry their kids and carts walking downhill cliff... Not much water in this season but the views looking downhills are gorgeous! I will definitely come back for eagle peak & Diablo summit some time :) 1 star missing cause the trails diverse frequently and signs are just somehow confusing for me. Follow your intuition and exp :) read more

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Inaccessible! at least via Google maps driving directions. The road is gates as private halfway up. Maybe good if walking to the trailhead from the peak parking lot. read more

Great hike. Came here right after some heavy rains, and the waterfalls and creek was flowing nicely. The hike I would describe as intermediate. Not for beginners, but not really an ass kicker either. I've been on much more intense hikes. The highest elevation is right in the middle of the hike, which is how I like them. The trail map at the beginning is a little confusing, but there is an app you can download and your GPS will follow the trail. Downloading the app is recommended, as it is not entirely obvious which trail takes you up to the falls. Be careful, Middle Trail which takes you to Falls trail is VERY infested with poison oak, and the trail is narrow, so it can be difficult to dodge it all. We washed with Tecnu when we got home just to be safe. Other than that, it is a stunning hike with very impressive views out to the town of Clayton and all the way out to the delta. I came here looking for wildflowers, and, honestly, it didn't really scratch that itch at all. Some Blue Dicks and some Tritelia and a larkspur or deliphinium here and there, but, other than that, not really impressive on that front. read more

Beautiful, easy hiking trail, totally worth the hike! Not only beautiful views as you journey up the mountain, the mountain & trail is surrounded by a nice variety of plants, trees, & nature to appreciate. Highly recommend the trail during rainy-wet season to see the falls! read more

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Amazing trail after the heavy rains. Use an app like AllTrails because it can be a little tricky to find the trail heads for the waterfall portion. Difficulty is about 2.5/5 an avid hiker will find it easy, a novice will find it challenging but doable. Enjoy! read more

Waterfall Loop at Mount Diablo State Park - This trail is amazing right after the heavy rains!! - Hiking Near Me - Clayton, California

My favorite place to hike on Mount Diablo! Sooo beautiful. And an easy hike as well. Always see so many turkeys and flowers. So many waterfalls. But you have to come at the right time of the year when it has been raining. read more

Great trail. TONS of poison oak in the actual waterfall section: very narrow trail and its all around. (even hanging down in some places from above) Be sure to treat yourself and anything of yours with Tecnu or, alternatively, color safe bleach works great to bind to the oils too. Quite popular on a spring weekend when there is flow. Expect a crowd. read more

A real nice view great trails. Just watch out for the mountain lions spotted an adult one 10 ft away from me hidding on the bushes on hetherington trail, the growling was intennse! Will definitely come again! read more

This is a beautiful hike in the Spring. Not much water falling in May but still green and lots of wild flowers. On the Mount Diablo Falls Loop website, it says dogs are OK leashed. When you arrive at the Regency gate in Clayton, there is a sign that says no dogs. Something should be corrected with this conflict! We had a dog. read more

Great trail with some beautiful views of the mountains with very few people. The downside is that there is not too much shade, so bring a hat it can get super sunny. It is a free trail but you have to do street parking and there is no designated way down so it is fairly steep. It could definitely use some stairs I could see someone eating it on the way down. read more

No water in the waterfall. The signs are a bit confusing. Steep hills wouldnt recommend for first timers. Stay on trail unless you're an avid hiker. It's definitely hot so bring water and hot shade is scarce. The heavier the pack the harder the climb. Walking sticks would be advised just because it'll help with the hills and coming down. read more

Been going on this trail summer or winter...the trail is windy and can be difficult for some but leads you to one of the most unique locations on mount diablo read more

The hike starts at Regency Gate at the end of Regency Road off Marsh Creek Rd in Clayton. It is a residential neighborhood, so parking is an issue. Plan to walk several blocks in the neiborhood before you get to the trailhead called Regency Gate. This hike is actually called the Falls Trail Loop not the Waterfall Loop. You can get to it by one of two ways: hiking up Donner Canyon Road Trail south until you hit the intersection of the Falls Trail or turn right on Cardinet Oaks Road Trail from Donner Canyon Road, and a few hundred feet turn left on Middle Trail which meets up with Falls Trail. You'll loop around the Falls Trail until you meet up again with the Donnor Canyon Road Trail back to Regency Gate. I highly recommend you take the Cardinet Oaks Road turn to Middle Trail. You'll reach the falls faster and it is mostly shaded. Keep in mind, you'll be unshaded on the way back, but I'd rather climb a mountain in the shade and descend it in the sun. I did this hike yesterday on President's Day. It was extremely busy. It was my first time on this trail; I found a review online somewhere that made the hike seem fast and easy. Words such as, the Middle Trail is a steep climb, but the Falls Trail is rather level. Not true! All trails were steep in my opinion. Both the Middle Trail and the Falls Trail were very narrow in places with steep inclines that with one false move, you could fall a deep descent down the side of a mountain. The trail, as stated earlier, was well-traveled that it was sometimes difficult to pass others coming in the opposite direction because of how narrow the trail is. There was one section on the Falls Trail where I chose to crawl up the incline in fear of losing my footing on the loose small pepples and rocks that made it slippery. Just beware. It is not an easy hike. Having said that, it didn't keep people away. In fact, we passed by at least two class trips of kids hiking it with their parent chaperones, and quite a few people with babies strapped to their backs. But the best part was the water. We did see the falls -- big and small. And the sound of the rushing water was soothing and inviting. You cross the rushing stream two or three times. Navigating the crossing was easy. This hike, surprisingly has no switchbacks. Whether you go to the left or to the right, it's uphill all the way. Make sure you turn around often on the climb up to enjoy the view. There are no restroom facilities, so plan accordingly. The falls dry up in late spring/early summer. So now is the time to go. The wild flowers are just beginning to bloom. We did not encounter any mud like some trail descriptions included. Enjoy this hike, wear sturdy shoes (hiking boots), and go slow when needed. read more