Mount Diablo: Wall Point
Another East Bay Casual Hiking trip today: this one to the trails starting at the Macedo Ranch trailhead, on the south-west flank of Mount Diablo.
We climb from the trailhead up onto Wall Point, a ridge which runs roughly northwest-to-south-east. Although the description for this hike describes it as “Remington plus,” referring to last week's intense uphill climb, it’s actually easier going. The climb is longer, but less steep and less sustained: there are occasional intervals where the trail flattens out and we get the chance for a breather.
It’s worth it when we’re up: the views open out over Alamo and down the valley to Danville and San Ramon. We can see the ridge above Remington Loop where we hiked last week; and behind us, the bulk of the mountain.
A connector trail, marked on the official trail map as "Secret Trail" but signposted on the ground simply as a connector, links Wall Point Road with Barbeque Terrace Road. (The overview map above, from the State Park brochure, the only online map I’ve found for Mount Diablo, doesn’t show the connector.)
Barbeque Terrace Road runs slightly downhill along the side of the ridge before joining Dusty Road--not too dusty today--and rejoining Wall Point Road for the return to the trailhead.
Six miles, about two and a half hours, and the “moderate” rating is about right; a good hike. Take exact change for the trailhead parking lot, which runs on the honor system but which is patrolled by the ranger station: $3.
Categories: Hiking
We climb from the trailhead up onto Wall Point, a ridge which runs roughly northwest-to-south-east. Although the description for this hike describes it as “Remington plus,” referring to last week's intense uphill climb, it’s actually easier going. The climb is longer, but less steep and less sustained: there are occasional intervals where the trail flattens out and we get the chance for a breather.
It’s worth it when we’re up: the views open out over Alamo and down the valley to Danville and San Ramon. We can see the ridge above Remington Loop where we hiked last week; and behind us, the bulk of the mountain.
A connector trail, marked on the official trail map as "Secret Trail" but signposted on the ground simply as a connector, links Wall Point Road with Barbeque Terrace Road. (The overview map above, from the State Park brochure, the only online map I’ve found for Mount Diablo, doesn’t show the connector.)
Barbeque Terrace Road runs slightly downhill along the side of the ridge before joining Dusty Road--not too dusty today--and rejoining Wall Point Road for the return to the trailhead.
Six miles, about two and a half hours, and the “moderate” rating is about right; a good hike. Take exact change for the trailhead parking lot, which runs on the honor system but which is patrolled by the ranger station: $3.
Categories: Hiking
