Anthony Chabot Regional Park - MacDonald Trail

Summary: This hike is 6.6 miles with minor elevation gain, and many gorgeous views from a wide dog friendly trail. There is no fee to pay, and plenty of shade on a sunny day. It will make you want to explore the rest of the park, and those adjacent.

Pictures: (Once the slideshow is playing, click on it again to go to the Picasa album for higher quality pictures and more control.)


Details: You access this hike by Redwood Road from Oakland. I downloaded the PDF map from the park's website, and with a good navigator, it was easy to find the MacDonald Staging Area. We headed southeast on the MacDonald trail and took the Brittleleaf offshoot for a short one way hike to a great view. There are plenty of views from the trail, but the lookout at the end of Brittleleaf is a little special. There is a rocky outcrop there, and a bench. We retraced our steps back to MacDonald Trail, and continued to the end at Bort Meadow Staging Area. We then turned around and returned to the car. This makes a total of 6.6 miles. There is an extensive network of trails here. So, I know I will be back. I'm especially interested in hiking around Lake Chabot now that I have the brochure map in my hands.

How did I find this hike? I was looking for a dog friendly hike in the Bay Area, so I found this website that listed a few. I chose Anthony Chabot Regional Park, not just because it's first on the list, but because it is near the San Leandro Reservoir. Turns out this hike doesn't afford hoped for views of the reservoir, but it was rewarding in other ways. It's a great hike for vistas, and seeing other people with dogs. It's very accessible by road, and it isn't exactly getting away from it all. There are always homes within view on the parallel Skyline Drive. There are also quite a few Mountain Bikers, but the trail is wide and it wasn't a problem. The trail is partly shaded, so it was nice on a very sunny day.

Another reason I want to return is to try the hike recommended on the dog friendly trail guide. Apparently, we started at the wrong staging area. We wanted the Bort Meadow Staging Area, which I figured out after reading the hike description. There is a lot to see here, and it has the advantage of being close to home.

Mitchell Canyon Nature Trail

Summary: This is a hot hike in the Summer, but the Nature Trail is well shaded, and if you bring water you will be fine. There are signposted points of interest, and a guide available from the Visitor Center (and a wooden box at the trailhead) to educate yourself along the way. The trail is a wide fire road, and is easy until you get to the climb that starts after the Nature Trail, but we were tempted up the hill by the views and tolerable grade. It's 4 miles in and out, but you can make it longer.





Details: We were in the mood for a short hike in a new place, and it was cool in Vallejo. So, we dressed for cool. It's always a good idea to check the weather where you're going on the internet. I found it by searching Google for: "mount diablo hikes". That turned up a list of 7 popular Mt. Diablo hikes. We hit the trail head at 3pm, and it was a scorcher. Luckily, there is plenty of shade along the way from the Oaks that surround the trail/fire road.


Location: We partly chose this hike because we like going to Walnut Creek's beautiful downtown area either before or after our hike. This time we went to Pomegranate for a lunch out on the sidewalk. Actually, we often go there because the food is excellent, and so is the service. The hike begins at the end of Mitchell Canyon Rd. There are restrooms, water and a staffed visitor center where you can pick up maps, and advice. There is a $6 parking fee.


Pictures:
The Nature Trail meanders right up the floor of the valley between two rocky ridges that afford beautiful rocky views.






















At the end of the Nature Trail, there isn't a sign, but you can tell when the fire road starts to switchback up the end of the canyon. If you do go up about halfway, you will be rewarded with beautiful views. This looks back toward the beginning of the trail.








The pictures on the right gives you a good idea of how big the trail is. You don't have to worry about poison oak, unless you go off of the fire road. We did see a fair number of Mountain Bikers, and it looked like they were having a good time, at least on the downhill part. The trail is wide enough that there's plenty of room for everyone.




















Finally, some other vistas from the trail.