Diablo Foothills Regional Park

I entered the park from the Livorna Staging Area (which I had to myself!) January 30^th, 2016. The trail starts off nice and flat alongside a gated neighborhood, then forks through a small boggy area. If you fork right you end up in the neighborhood on Serafix Rd. Its a short distance, so when you realize you’re going the wrong way you can come right back to the trail and fork left to continue! Once I started uphill it became a little muddier with a small washout area down the center of the trail, but a good pair of hiking shoes aided in the climb.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how much of a challenge it would be to get back down the now steep, muddy hill. I made it up to the cattle gate, where the land seems to level off and dry out but could not find stable enough footing to open the gate and walk through.
I absolutely want to come back here and finish the hike I barely started, but strongly advise waiting until the ground is more firm and less muddy.

GOOOOOO!!! hike here! So pretty.

This is a beautiful park and an amazing little gem for this part of the area. Well maintained recreation area (dogs must be on leash in this area) once you’re past it, it’s off leash! Woo hoo!
I’ve only had the luxury of hiking here during the spring months. The scenario couldn’t be more amazing. Lots of trails to choose. Off leash for dogs (which is a must for me). Love coming here.

I love this park! Ive been trying to visit as many parks in the area over the past couple months and this is definitely one of my favorites so far. First– its free to park! Second– its not that busy and third– your allowed dogs (and off the leash). I also enjoy how many trails are throughout this area. They are all marked so easily its really hard to get lost. I printed out a map before I went since I wasn’t sure how much energy I would have. I did a couple trails and really just played in by ear. It was a gorgeous day and the hike was pretty easy so I was able to travel a fair distance. Cant wait to go back.

Back again this morning, it’s been too long.
This is a wilderness area that’s easily accessible from the suburbs of Walnut Creek. When the wide flat avenue lined with upscale ranch houses becomes a narrow hilly road lined with horse arenas, you know you’re almost there. The road ends at a small parking lot, or if you brought your own horse, there’s a large staging area to the right.
From here, you can either hike through Castle Rock Park, or go up the hill to the right. Either way leads you to an area filled with trees, grassland, squirrels, shrubbery, doves, poison oak :-(, hawks, and a direct route into Mt. Diablo State Park. Mountain bikers can take the many fire roads. The trails due west are harder than due south. The scenery is just as good both directions. Much prettier in the spring when the grass turns green, but then you battle mud from the rain and hay fever from the grass.
If you’re going south, you can see unusual rock formations to your left. You can actually hike to those rocks once you’re in the state park. I did that this morning, and saw five hawks sitting on Castle Rock for a long time. Wish I had brought the camera.
If you’re in love, and you’re both in shape, here’s an idea: hike to the end of the park (1−½ easy miles), and when you get to the fence at the state park, there are several picnic tables where you two can have lunch. Lots of shade. Not many people here, and those who come through won’t bother you. There’s also a place to park the horses if you rode them.
It’s not a park that knocks you out with tough trails or incredible vistas, but it’s a good local place to step out of the rat race and recharge yourself.

I’ve posted this review into Castle Rock Park Unilocal page as well.
Besides Diablo Foothills, Castle Rock Park is bordered by Mt. Diablo State Park and Walnut Creek Open Space, providing access to more than 18,000 acres of public lands.
Diablo Foothills offers abundant open land for hiking and nature study. The 1,060 acres of Diablo Foothills (DF) are bounded by two dramatic East Bay landforms: the Castle Rocks of Mt. Diablo and the undulating «camelback» ridges that form Shell Ridge. These ridges link the park to the City of Walnut Creek’s Shell Ridge Open Space and Mt. Diablo State Park, which together, at about 23,000 acres, represent one of the largest open space areas of the East Bay.
I’ve been passing through Castle Rock (CR) on my bike for over ten years on the way to Pine Canyon Stage Road Trail, the Diablo Foothills & Mount Diablo State Park.
If you are into hiking or cycling, you will discover a plethora of trails and fire roads leading from CR into DFs.
To start into DF from Castle Rock Park, you will park on the outside of the Park and walk in. Make sure to visit one the grandest and oldest, most beautiful oaks I’ve seen in California that’s located to your left, right past the restrooms. I will often stop there and lay on the picnic table underneath it. It doesn’t get much better than this if you are a Nature Lover. Week days are especially sweet to lay under this grand oak as there are fewer to no people/​families around playing, picnicing out on the expansive lawn.
Starting from Castle Rock, there are approximately 31 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Bikes are permitted only on paved and unpaved roads over eight feet in width. You will occasionally see bikers poaching the single track trails. Sorry, but on the weekdays/​early mornings, I’ve been known to do this as well. My philosophy though is to ALWAYS stop when I see hikers or equestrians and give them the right away. If I’m hiking, I always step aside and give cyclists the right of way. It’s just not worth provoking them into an argument. Rangers do sometimes patrol the single track trails and do cite the poachers. But that’s a very rare occurrence.
Close by and within Shell Ridge Walnut Creek Open Space Park, you will find Borges Ranch, a site on the National Register of Historic Places. A working cattle ranch complete with farm animals which provides a glimpse at life a century ago. Great place to bring the kids.
Within a half mile or so from CR, you’ll come upon Pine Canyon Stage Road Trail. There are at least seven or more creek crossings (dry in the Summer, Wet and Muddy in a wet Winter). This is a very shady and beautiful hike/​bike road in the Summer. You will come to a gate which is the Diablo State Park boundary. Right before the gate, during a bike ride, I also sometimes lay out on these picnic tables under the oaks to rest and take a breather. In my younger years (hehe), I’d be one of the many cyclists that I now see racing past this lovely area. The round trip from car to the State Park entrance gate and back is almost 3 miles.
Further up the road, once you’ve past most of the creek crossings, you’ll come to Pine Pond that in non-​drought years has perennial water that ensures the survival of green sunfish and mosquitofish.
Some of the wild animals and reptiles you may see outside CR Park in the surrounding foothills include:
Coastal black-​tailed deer, gray foxes, coyotes, Bobcats, Grey Fox, Raccoons, rabbits and California mountain lions (rare). California newts and many species of snakes including rattlers. See my Shell Ridge Unilocal review on information about what to do when you see one.
Turkey vultures, Wild Turkeys, Wild Boar, acorn woodpeckers, and scrub jays.
Golden eagles, various Hawks and peregrine falcons soar overhead.
OF SPECIAL INTEREST are the Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and Red-​tail Hawk nests found in the striking sandstone formations of the Castle Rocks. These Domengine sandstone formations occur through the central-​northern part of the Park to the East of Pine Canyon Stage Road Trail about a mile or so from the park entrance.
The vegetation of DF varies from grassland and oak savannah on the hills to riparian and oak woodland in the valley. Pine Creek flows through Pine Canyon and is within the Eastern portion of the Walnut Creek watershed which drains 150 square miles of central Contra Costa County into San Francisco Bay. Many folks don’t realize just how important our watersheds are to the flora and fauna of our of our area. If that last sentence sparks an interest in Watersheds, please read «A Place in Space: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Watersheds» by Gary Synder.
I highly recommend to the Nature Lover reading this review to obtain the «Mount Diablo State Park Trail Map — 6^th Edition» as well as the «Mount Diablo Guide.»
Can you tell I’m a devout Nature Lover? Hope I’ve inspired you to explore this very accessible treasure-​trove of Nature’s Beauty.

Nice twisty motorcycle roads. It was well worth the $ 10 bucks to get into the park. There were plenty of bicyclists. Better eat your wheaties first if your going to try and peddle up that beast of a hill to the summit.

Although this is officially part of Mt. Diablo State Park, it’s a looong hike if you want to get to the mountain from here. Best to just enjoy for an hour or two, exploring the meandering, wide trails. The area is not very crowded, so you’ll have a great opportunity to experience the sounds of nature. Even a short distance from our car, we felt like we were out in the wilderness.
I came here recently with my Mom. We didn’t have a lot of time, so we just made a short trail loop. I hope next time to check out Little Yosemite or maybe to head to the Castle Rock area, which has beautiful, interesting rock formations.
The parking lot is very dusty, which at the wrong time of year might make the nearby picnic tables unpleasant for eating. I don’t recall seeing any bathrooms or porta-​potties, so be sure to prepare for that.
If you’re walking the trails, watch out for mountain bikers, who can often come up on you very quickly without bothering to give a head’s up.

Great trails and an expansive park. Spent my first visit at the west end on routes leading to Castle Rock. Did not disappoint! The rock formations are amazing and the views beautiful along the way. It features diverse landscape scenes despite the dryer season (hay-​like grass everywhere).
Take a picture of the maps at the ranch entrances. This is a must! Google Maps doesn’t offer much help for navigating within. The local maps are accurate and will keep you sane. This park is huge and has plenty to return to. Excited for the next route!

You could not ask for a more scenic and open area than Diablo Foothills Regional Park, Such spectacular hills and nice views of Mount Diablo next door. Took about one and a half hours to hike the main parts of this regional park, but lots of great sights to see and photograph. Do watch out for horse dung here and there, as there are some folks who ride their horses
There are two ways to go in: The south side via Livorna off I-​680 and the north side through Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area.

Very nice trails. There are many parts where you can take your own mini adventure up to the top of the closest hill. The trail I went on (the Little Yosemite Trail) was relatively moderate. By no means will you be out of breath by the time you finish walking the 3 – 6 mile trail — the length of the trail depends on how many detours you take.
The area is mostly shady, with an ample amount of overshadowing trees. There are some parts that are in direct sunlight, but it does not really affect the difficulty of the trail.
The only con was the generous amount of horse and cow dung along the path. Mostly dried, the dung will not stick on your shoe. However, there is the occasional fresh heap of poo that you will need to watch out for.

We only just drove UP this hill let alone BIKED it! Talk about some inspiration… there were men and women of all ages peddling up this viscous mountain in the heat. Hats off to all of you, beautiful people.
Also, don’t pick up the pinecones on the trails… Let’s just say we had an earwig infestation. HAHA!

Less known compared to Diablo State Park. Actually they are next each other and you can also experience East Bay hike here. This park is also strenuous and no shade. But really fun hiking here.

Lovely place to spend your afternoon. They have trails, volleyball, baseball field and basketball court.

I went on a hike here after work with some friends. On the plus side, the parking is free, it is close to Walnut Creek, and the scenery is decent.
We only did a 5 mile out and back hike, starting about 6:30 — 7:00. I can’t comment on the day time temperatures. It was great for an evening hike though because of the wide trails.
On the minus side, the paths are wide, you won’t feel lost in nature, and it is a popular spot for bikers. There was also a decent amount of traffic considering it was a Tuesday night.
Extra bonus: there are blackberry bushes next to the trail in spots.

nice off leash area. the main trail has an ample amount of shade and there is a creek that my dogs love to run in (although parts of it are drying up now).

This is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Being from around the area, it’s no surprise hearing someone talk about some sort of adventure on Mt. Diablo. Mountain bikers of all levels love to go up for a spin, horse-​back riders dot the trails, and hikers ranging from 5 year olds to 80 year olds stroll around the infinite amount of trails zig-​zagging all over. It’s a fantastic place to spend your weekend.
Driving up the mountain from the Walnut Creek entrance can be windy, but I’ve experienced worse. The roads are wide making it easy to share the road with a passing car or biker. There are ample spots on the side of the road to stop and look at the gorgeous view, whether you’re looking at Walnut Creek or Livermore. The entrance fee is $ 10, but I gladly pay it every time. If you’re a newbie to the area, ask the park rangers for a good starting place on the trail or an awesome picnic spot; they’re always so sweet and helpful. They also give you insight on the wildlife in the area. I read that one Unilocaler saw a huge tarantula when she went. No need to fret. Mt. Diablo is known for their great tarantula mating season in the early fall! Park rangers even offer free tours to catch a glimpse of the little suckers scurrying around.
There are a few other little things that add to the rich history of the mountain, my favorite being Borges Ranch. The public ranch lies at the base of the mountain and dates back to the early 1900’s. They have a petting zoo type thing involving sheep, goats, chickens, and sometimes pigs that kids go crazy for. Educational programs are also offered. The ranch complex includes a blacksmith shop, farm equipment displays, a barn and the original house available for group reservations.
My absolute favorite part of the mountain is Rock City. Natural limestone rocks and caves dot the landscape, creating perfect opportunities for kids and adults alike to roam around and climb on. You’ll see that many visitors have left their mark scratched into the surface of the rocks. Be warned, flip flops will do you no good here! Tennis shoes are the only way to go. I’ve never seen anything like Rock City in my life before; they’re truly one of a kind.
Everytime I see Mt. Diablo, I know I’m home! Can’t help but share the beauty of it with all you Unilocalers in the area.

Mt Diablo is a really nice place to come hiking. It has some great trails with amazing veiws of the whole valley. I have been hiking here several times and there is always somewhere new to discover.
Most of the trails are moderate to advanced, and some parts are shaded by trees. If you come here, you should definitely check out Rock City. Its a really cool little area of the mountain that has these big rocks that you can climb on. One time I invited my cousin and aunt to come up from the Napa Valley for the day and we had a picnick up there. My cousin has a 2 year old daughter and she had so much fun climbing around on the rocks. We took lots of pictures of her playing and it was a really fun day trip.
But anyways, back to the hiking. I really just love how awesome I feel when I am standing up on this mountain and looking at the veiws. It really is breathtaking. I always get a great work out when I come here and feel refreshed.
Its like $ 6 or $ 10 to get in (I cant remember exactly) and it takes a while to drive up the mountain to where you can begin hiking, but its so worth it, just for the awesome views. Plus, pretty much any state park is going to have some fees to get in, so pretty standard. Be careful driving up the narrow windy road though, because there are always bikers on this mountain.
I dont recall seeing any bathrooms on this mountain. At least not where I have been. So bring t.p. and hand sanitizer in case you «have to go»
I know that there are campgrounds, but I have never camped up here. Basically just hiked a few times and played around at Rock City. But I love it here and will continue to come here for awesome hikes.

$ 10 to park inside, $ 30 for a night of camping, nice views of green/​brown hills and rocks somewhat priceless.
The 15 MPH drive up to the summit was pretty nice and makes you wish the speed limit was much higher, but for the safety of the many road bikers, it’s a blessing.
The general map doesn’t really show much, just where the look out points, camp sites, and some trails are. I wish it was more detailed show some more hiking trails, but for an extra $$ you can have that map.
The camp grounds vary in size, parking size, but they all should have the basic bathroom, fire pit or fire stove, and benches.
Rock City was pretty cool, various rocks, hills, and trails all over the place.
Likes:
Amenities are for all camp sites
Look out points
Dislikes:
Pricing and their parking fees
not much detail for map
having to pay add’t for better maps

We did a 7.7 mile hike at Diablo Foothills Regional Park on Sat 2÷9÷08. I thought it was just ok.
We started at the Livorna Staging Area which has FREE parking, but no bathrooms.
We did the Alamo Trail-​Briones to Mt Diablo Reg Trail-​Buckeye Ravine Trail-​Stage Rd trail-​Stonegate Trail-​Foothills Trail.
Trail signs are lousy, we got turned around at one point. No shade so don’t go on a hot day.
Views of Mt Diablo, Castle Rock, & «camelback» ridges that form Shell Ridge are Good and make it worth going.
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