Lauren's Locales: Daring Mt. Diablo's Trail

By Lauren Bonney

Take advantage of the lovely Indian Summer you have left and go explore the outdoors in Mount Diablo State Park. Located between Clayton and Danville in the East Bay, this state park offers great hiking, off-road bike trails and beautiful views.
Visit Rock City, where visitors can clamber atop sandstone boulders and into wind caves, which are formations created by thousands of years of the battering elements. The caves are fun to explore and hikers can picnic in the cool shade that they provide. Wander up to Sentinel Rock, the highest point in Rock City, and take in the view; it is considered by some to be the best location to watch the sun go down over the valley.

Visitors to Mount Diablo can hike, drive or bike to the summit to enjoy the famous view, as well as the visitor center and museum. If you look to the West on a clear day, you can see beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and all the way to the Santa Cruz Mountains. To the north and east you can view the Central Valley as well as the peaks of the Sierra Nevada that rise up in the distance.

Contact Lauren Bonney at lbonney@scu.edu.