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    Mount Wanda

    4.7 (20 reviews)

    Mount Wanda Photos

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    fungus seen from the trail.
    Terry T.

    The sign at the start of the Mt Wanda trail says it is about a mile and 650 feet of that has a 13% grade. If you make it to the top you will be rewarded with a panoramic view. Dogs and bikes are allowed to enjoy the trail. I went on a guided walk it was a wet day and it was an effort for me to hike. I did not make it to the top on this walk. It was nice to see a few flowers and fungus along the trail which was what I really was interested in. I have added reaching the top to my list of goals.

    Parking lot packed at 3pm
    Breanna T.

    Always a very peaceful " hike "when you're walking here. Right off the freeway off exit 9 in downtown! It's a pretty short trail when you're heading in and you turn right. It takes you out right by the backroads to a place you can park on the street next to this colorful tunnel. I'll update pictures when I go back :)! I usually see older people here never usually family's with their kids, maybe since they are just hiking and kids don't think it's fun LOL. Dogs and adults love it here , never any dog poop around either so very considerate surrounding citizens. This specific day I posted the parking lot, it was the most packed I've ever seen it. NO parking spots unless someone was leaving. You have a path to go up to the train tracks but it's very illegal to walk the train tracks so I NEVER head up the path. The path to the tracks are VERY steep and VERY unstable/ unsafe. I WOULD NOT recommend heading up there unless you potentially want to get hurt or worse in trouble with the cops for walking somewhere you're not supposed to be. Moral of the story I'm telling you for you to stay away and stay safe. You want to be able to go back home tonight. I've only seen a couple the other day walk the train tracks for the first time in my whole life & don't know if they made it out okay, a train was coming a little bit after we saw them. So it's safe to say it's not safe. The path to the right is much longer and I'm not quite sure how far it actually goes! Go have a look for yourself and enjoy !! Also many doggos walk with their owners ( leashed of course ). I hope to see your fluffy hound haha! Once again I will update more pictures when I return! Thanks for reading hope this helps !

    This is where I ended up after veering off the trail! Don't be like me.... stay on the paved trails!
    Shayla B.

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Awesome views of the beautiful rolling hills in the backwoods of Martinez! Mount Wanda, named after John Muir's eldest daughter, is a small mountain located in the Martinez hills. It is said that John Muir often walked this mountain with his daughters. It is a fairly small mountain that can be accessed through the John Muir Nature trail which is a loop that stretches 2.4 miles long and reaches an elevation of 580 feet. The trail is fairly easy and a great trail to help beginning hikers build their stamina. I found out about this trail while visiting the John Muir National Historic site, and decided to check it out one day. The trail begins just off of highway 4 on Alhambra avenue. There's a small parking lot located right near the entrance but it did fill up really quickly while I was there. The main trail is a dirt trail that begins to narrow after about the first mile in. This trail starts off with a gradual steady incline that will lead all the way up to the top of the mountain. There is a cross section where you can access another nature trail that will loop you back to the parking lot. On this trail, you must be careful as there are several areas of thick mud and many active beehives that are present. When you reach the top of the mountain, there's a cute little bench where you can take pictures or rest before you make your way back down. If you're afraid of bugs, you might not want to stay there for very long. At the peak, you will notice the beautiful view of the Benicia bridge and all of the rolling hills in the distance. Coming back down the mountain, you will notice another man made path on the left side. Stay on he main path and do NOT veer off to this left! I made this mistake and got lost and it was scary as hell! I might be exaggerating, but I believe that I saw a baby mountain lion in the brush when I got lost. The brush was thick and my feet got stuck in the mud several times. Had to crawl through barbed wire to get out... yeah it was not fun! If you start to see high brush and you are going down hill, turn around! Don't make the silly mistake that I did! Aside from me veering off and getting lost, I really enjoyed hiking this mountain. The loop to the top is fairly easy and a great hike to take your kids or your dog on! The hike should take no longer than an hour but it took me 2 hours since I got lost. I went around 3 pm, which probably wasn't the best time because it got pretty warm! I would suggest going early to beat the heat. The people on the trail were very friendly and most seemed like locals of the area. Overall, this is a great hike for just about anyone!

    The hiking path to the summit before it splits into different routes
    Pam F.

    What a wonderful hike, scenic, picturesque, not too strenuous, good exercise and historical. I went on the full moon hike that the John Muir Historical Site puts on every time there is a full moon. Lucky me, it just happened to fall on the summer solstice and the full moon was the Strawberry Moon, a rare occurrence. The hike was a bit difficult for me, I did get winded and had to stop a few times, but I am out of shape. It's a pretty simple hike for more experienced hikers, it does get a little steeper en route to the summit, but there is also a side path that will add 15 minutes to your hike to the summit. The rangers call it the nature path, it goes through the oak trees, the path is a bit narrower too. There seemed to be two groups that went on the hike, the one I was a part of was guided by the rangers and a smaller group that came on their own. For me, the hike was really picturesque I was able to take a lot of pictures with the sun setting, and then of the strawberry moon rising over Mt. Diablo, it was really beautiful. Bringing a flashlight, a light jacket, some snacks, and definitely some water would be a healthy idea. I wasn't as prepared as I would have preferred, but then this hike wasn't very well planned for me. I do recommend this hike to anyone and everyone who wants to experience seeing the full moon rise, and hear history from the rangers. It really is a nice hike. I'm looking forward to going back.

    View from the trail of the water and Martinez and Benicia
    Lisa J.

    Awesome hiking spot! Beautiful views and usually a nice breeze even on hot days. The view from the top is incredible. Several different routes so you never get bored. Good parking. Lots of mosquitos in the evening so if you go to catch the sunset, you'll want bug spray. Great exercise too when you're sick of the gym!

    View of Mt. Diablo from Mt. Wanda's summit

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great hike. If you go straight up, it's about 1 mile uphill then a half mile loop and 1 mile down. You can continue on and explore more.

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great hike! Make sure to bring water! Watch out for snakes during the summer months.

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    9 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Mount Wanda

    Our guides were enthusiastic and gave short history lessons about John Muir and his family.

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    Carquinez Regional Shoreline - Nedjedly Staging Area - trailhead beyond fence

    Carquinez Regional Shoreline - Nedjedly Staging Area

    4.3(3 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    This is a large staging area with plenty of rooms for cars. Keep in mind that on the weekends it…read moredoesn't open till 8 a.m., so if you're an early hiker you'll have to wait. However, the ranger opened the gate promptly at 8. The whole area is well-maintained. I only saw a few bits of trash. There are several trailheads right off the parking lot, making this a very convenient location. There is also a rustic restroom there. I did not see any drinking fountains. There were lots of trail maps in the parking lot.

    Although I probably couldn't pronounce "Nejedly", I know it's the name of the staging area for a…read moremoderate hike with views of Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, west delta, and Mt. Diablo. There is no fee here to park in one of two parking areas: Shaded lower parking area and a bigger upper parking lot with room for trailers. There's also a bathroom and some picnic tables too. If you're coming here to hike something like the Franklin Ridge Loop Trail, the trailhead is on the west end of the upper parking area. You'll notice buckeye, oaks, and eucalyptus trees along with wildflowers. One thing that was pretty interesting about this place was how empty it was; that feeling was intensified by the cemetery just adjacent to the staging area. This would be an interesting hike or bike ride after the sun set.

    Photos
    Carquinez Regional Shoreline - Nedjedly Staging Area - Lower parking lot

    Lower parking lot

    Carquinez Regional Shoreline - Nedjedly Staging Area - Always a beautiful hike no matter what time of year it is.

    Always a beautiful hike no matter what time of year it is.

    Carquinez Regional Shoreline - Nedjedly Staging Area - Potty

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    Potty

    Castle Rock State Park

    Castle Rock State Park

    4.6(429 reviews)
    52.1 mi

    Have long eyed the Castle Rock State Park and glad we finally went! The park charges a nominal…read moreparking fee ($10 at time of writing); the parking fee is waived if you have one of the supported passes. Check their site for more info: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=538# We really enjoyed our hike here. The space is beautiful, and the trails are well-maintained. The trailhead had plenty restrooms as well. We made it up to Goat Rock Lookout, back down, then detour to the waterfall. It took ~1.5 hours in total, which was perfect for a end-of-day hike before the park closes at sunset. The view up at Goat Rock Lookout was breathtaking!

    If you're looking for another place that has breathtaking views surrounding the whole Santa Cruz…read moreMountains (but don't want to go all the way to Portola Valley), Castle Rock State Park is the place for you. This place is usually my go to when the weather is just perfect and you want good views of the mountains viewing the Monterey Bay and the Santa Clara Valley. In addition, the park is even open during the cold winter season, where it occasionally will snow (because of how high the elevation is, the main base is situated at about 3,200 feet above sea level). This place has been my go-to park for hiking for a while, because of its terrain. At the same time, it's also been because of how much snow they get when cold fronts come into effect. They are also open year-round, so definitely swing by this state park when you do get the chance to! It's a decision you'll never regret.

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    Castle Rock State Park - Love it

    Love it

    Castle Rock State Park
    Castle Rock State Park

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    Mt Diablo Summit - Stairs to the observation deck

    Mt Diablo Summit

    4.3(89 reviews)
    14.0 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Mt Diablo Summit - There's a stairway up to the museum. If you are looking for the restrooms, they are in the opposite direction across the parking lot.

    There's a stairway up to the museum. If you are looking for the restrooms, they are in the opposite direction across the parking lot.

    Mt Diablo Summit - My Godfather and Thuy

    My Godfather and Thuy

    Mt Diablo Summit

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    Mount Wanda - hiking - Updated May 2026

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