This by far was one of the hardest trails I've ever hiked. The incline is insane! The entire trail…read morewas uphill, I was breathless. But the views the entire time made me just as choked up. It costs $10 to get into the park, gates open at 8AM. There's a 12 mile hike, loops the site. And an 8 mile hike to the Summit (round trip). At the top there's a museum inside which has an exhibit and gift shop. I got a cute T-shirt for $18, they also had a showing of the history behind the summit and how it came to be. We saw a couple deers, baby coyote, various species of birds, lizards, and butterflies. During this time of year, majority of the trail was dead. I rarely saw any hikers, mostly bikers! Most visitors drove up to the summit for pictures and views. The hardest part was definitely going up to the summit! We cut our time by half on the way back down. It was steep, so we temple ran our way down. Really fun! I highly recommend going early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the heat. Not a beginner friendly hike! Challenging. Trails not shaded. Park rangers are very friendly. Maps are also provided at entrance.

The Mary Bowerman Trail near the summit of Mount Diablo is a short .20 mile accessible trail. There…read moreis one accessible parking spot right at the start of the trail. The trail is paved and has a short incline.

The waterfall Loop of Mt Diablo is categorized as moderate 8 mile hike. I would say that's pretty…read moreaccurate. 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.

I really enjoyed this hike, it had views, wildflowers, streams with running water, and was a good…read moreworkout. 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.

This has been on my want to hike list for a long time and I finally got to do it on a perfect day…read more The weather was great, overcast and cool. We hiked it so fast and the views were spectacular. I can't wait to hike this in the spring with all the flowers in bloom. There are so many surrounding trails and I want to do them all! Lots of bathrooms throughout the trail. There is a visitor center at the top which you can drive to also. Please come and creat your own adventure.

My God-father lives nearby, and he thought this would be a nice little distraction from the…read morebustling cities below. He was right. The drive up was intense. It's been a while since I drove roads similar to this, so it wasn't too bad, up. Hopefully down is OK too. There is a small entry fee (per car), but also a senior discount. So we only had time for the Summit. There are more Yelp! listings for other parts of the park. OK, so I was not prepared for the breathtaking views! It was a slightly hazy, or was it smoggy, day... But the views were still fantastic! If the views were not enough, there is a visitors' center in the light tower at the summit. Inside is lots of information, a Rangers' Station, and several informative and/or interactive displays. And there is camping in Mt Diablo too! To make things even more interesting, we took a different route down. I don't like backtracking, so this was a bonus... And i wasn't too bad.

We walked a couple of trails, explored the old coal mine, and checked out the cemetery...really…read morefascinating to see how far back those tunnels inside the caves go. The visitor center had a ton of great information and history.

Exploring the California State Parks list online a number of years ago, I liked the description and…read moremap of Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. It was neat in that there were historical building(s), a cemetery, and different parts of mines in addition to the natural landscape, plants, and animals to observe. I visited a few different times in 2018 plus or minus a year. One time I brought my friend Jinsol along and another time I brought family (my mom and dad). The park volunteers/workers were friendly when we encountered them. We appreciated the map(s) of the park, it helped with exploring. Some sites were more readily identifiable than others. My mom had difficulty on some of the steeper trails, though my dad faired well. Some parts of the mines had information displayed though were not open on my visits. One of my visits was during a heat wave, while the remainder were during relatively average weather conditions. Shade was sparse, though present, during the heat wave. Even in the shade however, the heat seemed to spread. On a different occasion I slipped and fell on a pathway that had a small section that was temporarily dominantly mud. A place requiring my full attention for traversing the trail system.

Used to take my kids to this park all the time they loved it and always drained their energy…read morerecommend to all moms

Review #184 - 2019…read more While we were waiting for my nephew to play his basketball game, I decided to take my daughter & niece to the nearest park which was less than five minutes drive from the school. We showed up around 4:15 PM on Saturday, July 20th & there were a lot of people there. It appeared that there were a few different kids's birthdays going on. It's a really nice size park. There was a soccer field, baseball field, two separate playgrounds & plenty of covered picnic tables. The only thing missing was a basketball court; which since my son was watching his cousin play, wasn't a very big deal. They had plenty of benches as well, some under the shades & some in the open. Even though it was 91 degrees out, it was still windy so I didn't mind the partly shaded benches since I needed a little bit of heat to keep warm from the wind. My 14-year old niece enjoyed the swings for a good half an hour. I'd definitely come back & have a family picnic here, even if it's a little out of the way. However, the bathroom could use some cleaning.

I love this park- I spent a lot of time walking and doing yoga here during Covid. This park helped…read morekeep me sane during that period I haven't been in a while, but I wanted a nice place to walk my foster dogs. I love that it's cooler and shaded here verses going on walks at other places. I always find something new and stunning when I go. We usually go during the week and never have trouble parking

"Secret gem with beautiful gardens."…read more I had no idea this park existed until recently. I had a pleasant time walking around the grounds and checking out the trees and the other plants. There's also a community garden, very close by. I had a nice chat with a gardener there. You rent out a space for a small amount per year. There doesn't appear to be many facilities. But parking is plentiful. I would've liked some brochures but I did not see any. I guess they're online only

Beautiful! Free parking!…read more Dog friendly! Just gorgeous! Amazing rock formations! Also, poison oak. Be aware. Open spaces like this make me happy. All of the reviews are spot on. Whatever kind of hike you want to do you will find it here. Note- once you start to enter Mt. Diablo there are no dogs allowed.

Free parking , clean bathroom and multiples trail connecting (you can even connect to Mt.Diablo…read morestate park ! Must visit and revisit

3 hours on the lime ridge South loop…read more Amazing short hike on lime ridge. Trail was dry and clear. Views are amazing. You'll get a lot more out of this hike if you read up on the geology. This open space is absolutely covered with earthquake faults. Find a interactive geology map and vou'll be able to track your footsteps over the faults. Watch out for bikes because thev are speeding around. But bike riders were ultra friendly. A bit startled by gunshots toward the end of the hike, but I'm assuming, based on the lack of law enforcement. there is a shooting range somewhere nearby. For this hike there are tons of parking places around the Gulf Club.

"Just okay." I have…read morehiked many of the Lime Ridge trails around Treat boulevard. The trails are usually well-marked, and well maintained. There is little if any trash on any of the trails. Thanks to the park rangers and making its team for doing a great job. Most of the trail are on plain, unpaved dirt roads. They're okay, but there are better options. I like Shell Ridge better. Keep in mind there are no facilities in the park. At least, I have never come across any. On the other hand, everything is free. So overall, a good asset to our community.

I've ventured to many of the East Bay parks with this group. Love exploring the miles and miles of…read moretrails. Sometimes it's green, lush, and hilly and other times we're surrounded by redwoods or marshes. Very friendly group. Hike at your own pace, but usually you find someone else that hikes the same pace as you do. Such a great way to get the heart rate going and to keep in shape.

Awesome casual hiking group. I find the pace is quite rigorous. The idea is to just fall in with…read morepeople who go your speed. The leader does not "wait" for people. Make sure you get a trail map and then start with group. Most people finish at different times. Lovely people. Love this group!