Summit Mount Diablo, Hike The Mary Bowerman Trail Loop, And Identify Bay Area Landmarks
Continuing with our views of the Bay Area, we head over to Mt. Diablo to get a central view of the entire Bay Area.
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying once social distancing isn’t the norm any longer.
Mt. Diablo looking toward Mt. Tamalpais by Cody Tolmasoff
Social Isolation — Day 9
Today is one of those in-between weather days, threatening to rain and trying to be sunny. Clouds scattered everywhere. I was able to go for a quick walk this morning at the park across from my house, and the clouds dominated my attention. Since I’ve been talking about summits with good views, I imagine a drive up to the summit of Mount Diablo on a day like today. Often the view from the summit is level with clouds like these.
Mount Diablo is one of those peaks you see from nearly everywhere in the Bay Area. For the longest time, I thought it was the tallest in the Bay Area. It’s the 8th highest summit though, with Mt. Hamilton coming in first. I think because it’s so central and there isn’t anything around it, Mount Diablo really makes its presence known.
Getting up to the summit can be a tricky drive. The roads are good (much better than the drive up to Mt. Hamilton), but it’s a favorite ride for many bikers which can make the drive tricky. Be patient. Day use entry fee is $6 (at the time of writing) and parking can be tricky on a nice day. Be sure to bring some water with you if you go hiking, you are high enough that you’ll need more than you think.
There are a couple of hikes around the summit. The one closest to the summit is the Mary Bowerman summit loop, just under a mile. Be sure to bring some layers as the weather can change dramatically up here. I’ve done another loop further down (that goes around by Juniper campground, Deer Flat road, and Summit trail), but that one is a lot longer than it looks on the map with a lot of elevation gain and loss. Beautiful hike, but we ran out of water about a mile short of the summit.
Have you enjoyed the view from Mount Diablo?
Destination Mt. Diablo Summit
Summit Mt. Diablo
Hike the Mary Bowerman summit loop
Identify Bay Area landmarks from the observation deck
Summit Mt. Diablo
The first time I made it to Mount Diablo State Park, I was really surprised at how big the park was. Driving to the entrance was a long enough drive, but once we made our way into the park, it took a while to drive up to the top. The park speed limit is important to mind, many of the trails cross the roads, and this is a favorite destination for cyclists. Take your time driving around up here.
Mount Diablo has quite a lot to offer, beautiful hiking trails, campgrounds, outdoor climbing areas (mostly sandstone), horse trails, bbq & picnic areas, and beautiful views. I look forward to exploring the area more.
Hike the Mary Bowerman Summit Loop
Personally, I like to earn my view from summits like this, especially after a long drive. Before heading into the visitor center, take the opportunity to hike the Mary Bowerman Summit loop. Head down from the main parking area a little way and find the trailhead on either the left or right side, it’s a loop. Part of the trail is dirt, some of it is paved, and some is wood planking.
The hike is mostly flat, and you get a good view all around the summit. It’s just under a mile, so it’s not too bad of a hike for any skill level. Once you are finished, head back up to the Visitor Center. Don’t forget to ask the Ranger for a Junior Ranger book too.
Identify Bay Area landmarks from the observation deck
The Visitor Center has a ranger station (with some snacks to buy), and some small exhibits showing flora and fauna from around Mount Diablo. You can find some spots to sit and rest in here as well.
Making your way up, you also find the actual summit of Mount Diablo (inside the building). At some point, it was decided to build this structure on the actual summit of the mountain, and for years it was covered up. Keep making your way up through the building and you will arrive at the observation deck on the roof. You can see the Sierra’s to the east and the bay to the west. On a clear (non-hazy) day you can make out quite a lot around the bay.
Cody Tolmasoff is an author and publisher for Adventuring.in. He is a recovering programmer and a San Francisco native, raising two daughters, and regularly finding new adventures around the SF Bay Area. This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book, 52 San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Adventures, Day Trips With Your Kids!
Find him on Twitter @codyo, and read his most recent title Adventures in Getting Out on Amazon, filled with advice on successfully getting your family out for day trip adventures.
Originally published on Medium on 22 March 2020