Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Northern California. Exploring Mountains, Valleys, and Seashore онлайн

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To Reach the Trailhead Take the Ygnacio Valley Rd. off-ramp from Hwy. 680 in Walnut Creek and proceed 3.8 miles east on Ygnacio Valley Rd. to Oak Grove Rd. Turn right on Oak Grove Rd. and then turn left onto North Gate Rd. in 1 mile. When you reach a junction with Mount Diablo Scenic Rd. at park headquarters 8 miles later, take Summit Rd. 5 miles farther to the summit. Park in the large lot where the lanes divide near the top. It is also possible to approach from the south by taking Diablo Rd. from Hwy. 680 in Danville east for 3 miles to Mount Diablo Scenic Rd. Turn left and proceed up the narrow, twisting road for 6 miles to the junction with Summit Rd., on which you continue 5 miles to the summit. There is a day-use fee of $10 per vehicle.

Description Be sure to pick up an interpretive brochure at the visitor center before you start. Beginning by the picnic tables across the road from the parking lot, the first half of the hike is paved and passes through a small sample of the oak woodland plant community, offering exceptional views north of distant Mount St. Helena (ssss1) and northeast across the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Buttes (ssss1). Mount Shasta would be visible 240 miles away were it not blocked by the curvature of the earth. Closer to the north is nearby Eagle Peak (ssss1). The rocks around you are greenstone and chert, the uppermost layers of what is known as an ophiolite suite, a group of rocks and minerals found close together wherever ancient seafloor is exposed.