This is a this is one of the smaller wilderness parks in the city of Walnut Creek. This particular…read morepark is in divided into several sections. Some of them are very close to the East Bay Mud water treatment plant. I don't believe there are any facilities in this park, and I did not see any drinking water. The trails are well maintained however. And the signs appear to be correct. While this is not one of my favorite parks, it's a decent place to go hiking. I enjoyed my visit.

My daughter's choir was practicing nearby. While I waited for her to finish I decided to take a…read morehike and that's how I arrived at Acalanes Ridge. This is a nice hike near downtown Walnut Creek. Residential parking is easy, as is finding the trailhead. This path seems well-worn by hikers and dog walkers alike. If I find myself in Walnut Creek with time to kill in the future, I'll come here!

In 1974, Walnut Creek residents passed a measure to protect some of its open space for future…read morerecreation. If they hadn't done that, then Sugarloaf would be filled with McMansions. Instead, this former walnut orchard is a medium-sized preserve where you can get a breather. Or really exercise and get out of breath. It's not the great adventure that Shell Ridge is, but it's good enough. It doesn't take much to see it all. It's the workout, views, and break from the normal routine that count. Trails go up to the top of the ridge, where you have a gorgeous view of I-680 traffic. Turn around, though, and you have a better view of the city and Mt. Diablo. Sugarloaf has more amenities that add value. Next to the large parking lot is a large picnic area, which works well for 50 people. Surprisingly, you can also camp here, just make a reservation with the Parks & Rec office. Amphitheater that's rarely used. Be warned that there's little shade when you get beyond the walnut trees. Water is never far away, but be prepared. Enjoy yourself.

Sugarloaf Open Space was mentioned in a prior review as being one of "Walnut Creek's best kept…read moresecrets". I can agree with that HALF-heartedly; yes, it's very secluded and it's not a well known open space. However, it doesn't offer much as far as scenic views are concerned. There are a few decent views of other trails on the hills and Mount Diablo, but other than that... the only other thing that one might call "exciting" about this trail is that you can see the 680 freeway. Not sure about you, but that's not all that exciting to me. What Sugarloaf DOES offer is a mix of great short but heart pumping trails that will work those gluties. I started off on the Ridge top trail which began with a small but steady incline. The whole trail is a mix of hills that go up and down, but it's nothing strenuous. Those hills will get you though, and soon you will feel it all throughout your legs and backside. What made it a little more challenging for me was the high heat and minimal shade along the trails. I would recommend coming in the early morning to beat the heat because it will definitely slow you down. And with minimal shade, you will be making a few more water stops than usual. There are a few benches along the way, but they are few and far between. The Ridge Top Trail is a little over a mile long and ends behind the back of a residence. You'll reach the end when you see a gate and a private residence trail. Ridge Top intersects with many other small trails, most of which will take you back down to the entrance. I wanted to continue the hike and decided to take the Bottom Spring trail. The trail will take you along side the 680 freeway and it also ends behind a residential area. Warning: only about 1/3 of this trail is actually fully paved. The rest of it consists of very uneven terrain! I would suggest wearing good shoes for ankle support if you choose to hike this trail. However, I have to add that it was really quite boring... nothing really to see except for the 680 freeway. I wouldn't recommend taking the Bottom Spring trail unless you really want to explore, but it was really annoying because I had to slow my speed to watch where I stepped. One fun observation though, were all of the dragon flies that I saw. I must have seen about 20 of them roaming around and it was really neat. I didn't see the Sugarloaf to Shell Ridge trail until after I was done hiking, but that trail is probably way more exciting that the others that I tried. Overall, it's decent and there weren't many people at all on this trail... I'm talking only TWO other people, and one guy wasn't even hiking; he was just chilling on the bench. If you like super secluded trails, then this one might be for you. I would be open to coming back to hike the Sugarloaf to Shell Ridge trail, but otherwise I think I'll choose local options before Sugarloaf.

My favorite hike in the Bay Area (so far)! The grand loop consists of the Juniper Trail, Summit…read moreTrail, North Peak Trail, Bald Ridge Trail, Meridian Ridge, and finally Deer Flat Road. 6.8 miles with a total elevation change of 1,800 feet sounds like a lot, and it is (especially if you're used to flat trails). Definitely bring water and snacks for energy. Driving to Mt. Diablo is easy enough. Entering via South Gate, there is a $10 vehicle entrance fee. Going up the mountain itself can take up to 30 min, with avoiding bikers going both up and down the roads. I managed to find one of the last spots at the massive turnaround at Juniper Campground at 11am. I definitely recommend coming early just to find a spot. There's also bathrooms at the campground. Since the "trail" is a loop you can either start on the Juniper Trail and go clockwise or start on Deer Flat Road and go the opposite way. We chose to go clockwise and ascend ~700 ft up to the peak. There's a cool info center at the top detailing the mountain's history and wildlife of the area. The rest of the hike was descending 1,800 feet down and re-ascending 1,000 feet to make it back to our car. Honestly, I don't know if one direction would be easier than the other, but if you want pics at the top you might want to start at Juniper Trail first so you're not too sweaty at the top. The weather was nice for the first half of the hike, no clouds and barely any wind. But the second half was around the other side of the mountain so winds picked up. Definitely bring layers!

I haven't been to Mt. Diablo since I was a kid, so it was a blast from the past coming back! You…read morecan drive all the way to the summit, so my friend and I decided to hike the "grand loop," which covers ~7 miles and goes around the whole mountain. We were fortunate enough to have a very clear day, and you can see for miles and miles all the way around the mountain. Views were amazing. It was an eighteen hundred foot elevation gain, so no joke, but only about 400-500 per mile for the 3.5 miles that went uphill. Definitely was steep at points but very doable, even for those who aren't in the best hiking shape. Not sure I agree with my dad, who claims the views from the summit are some of the best in the world, but it was definitely well worth a visit, and I really enjoyed getting the 360 degree view throughout the course of the hike! A few tips: set your GPS for the juniper campground to get you to the nearest parking lot. I recommend going clockwise so you can end on a high with the summit (and a downhill!). The trail is hot always the best marked, so I recommend downloading a free app such as AllTrails to make sure you don't lose your way!

Hidden gem - full sun trails…read more This hidden gem as a small car park so it is not the ideal spot for large gatherings that you may want to organize. However it is a great point for some beautiful trials that I recommend you undertake in late fall or winter as they are in full sun and it feels very hot. Epic views from the top worth your while.

"Cute Little Park--just ask for TP"…read more This is a surprising little gem with fun, interesting trails. There are two levels of parking. The lower parking is just a few spaces, near the restroom. The upper area has far more. There are several gorgeous trails, especially in the springtime. The day that I visited I went up to Mulholland Ridge Open Space. It's a bit of a steep hike but completely doable. For those interested in geocaching, there are several geocaches in the park. They have restrooms on the lower level, but they're pretty rustic. They appear to have no toilet paper. Other than that, they're really great restrooms.

Beautiful walk in the middle of the city. Can cut through from downtown to other areas of town.read more

I've been Yelp friends with Jennifer N for years. She an avid traveler and hikes everywhere…read more Me? The Four Seasons is how I camp. So when I look for a trail to walk about, I turned to Jennifer's reviews. Creek Walk is perfect for me. Flat, paved, sometimes shaded, and actually quite beautiful. A good mix of the great outdoors and suburbia. The walk has helpful signage and virtually impossible to get lost. While I'm not big on ruffing The Great Outdoors, Jennifer and I share the the same obsession going to the gym. According to check-ins, she's got to be the Duchess of every 24 Hour Fitness in Contra Costa County! 5 stars for my Yelp pal!

Tice Valley park is a fun little family park! Please note the field is not usable. It is under…read moreconstruction. The playground is older but still fun and very useable. We love to go here and o ur little lasts about 30mins to 1 hour. The trails all around the park are really wonderful. Go check it out!

I ride a mobility scooter. When the parking lot is full the cars park in front of the path to go…read morearound the park. That leaves only one accessible entrance open near the bathrooms. Why don't they make the two handicap parking spots there with a clear pathway between so that entrance is always available?

Super park Perfect for a quick hike outdoors with kids !…read moreRock formations are unique and the scenery is pretty

Fun area to explore especially with kids. Wind caves and giant rocks to climb. There's a trail to…read morefollow called Travel Through Time. Easy but rocky. Not for flip flops. Clean public restrooms nearby.

I camped here in March. It was cold but we were lucky to have clear skies and an amazing view. We…read morebooked site 13 for reference. The sites are close but the site next to us wasn't booked so we didn't have any issues. Sometimes people will picnic in your campsite if you haven't set up yet so you may have to ask them to leave. This happened to us but they were nice about it :) Clean bathrooms and not too many bugs in the winter/spring, besides ants. There is a tarantula migration season in the fall though. We brought our dogs but just keep in mind many of the trails don't allow them!

Very beautiful place to camp but the only complaint is the wind was non stop and insanely harsh. I…read morewould still go again to be honest.