Summit Up

Hike the Summit Trail for Beautiful Views at Mount Diablo in the East Bay

01.19.2022
Mount Diablo Visitor Center in the East Bay

As an iconic Bay Area peak, Mount Diablo looks impressive from afar. But get up close and personal with this mountain to discover its many trails that provide outstanding panoramas of the bay and beyond. The 5-mile out-and-back hike on the Summit Trail is an ideal choice for hikers who want to pack good views into a moderate hike.

Summit Trail rolling hill views on Mount Diablo in the East Bay

Group of hikers taking a photo at the observation deck at Mount Diablo Sate Park

From the Sunset Picnic Area, walk up Summit Road a few hundred feet until Summit Trail appears on the left. This dirt trail leads hikers up to the site of the old Mountain House, an upscale hotel built in the 1870s. Though the hotel has since been removed, hikers can enjoy a picnic with the same view those tourists enjoyed 150 years ago.

Green rolling hills view of Summit Trail at Mount Diablo State Park

At the intersection with Summit Road, cross the street to continue along Summit Trail. The surrounding vegetation bears the marks of past wildfires, a stark contrast to the stunning panorama of the Santa Clara Valley.

Two hikers on a misty trail at Mount Dialbo State Park

Continue along Summit Trail as it crosses Summit Road one last time and enjoy the final stretch of wooded trail before emerging onto the peak. Here you’ll find bathrooms and a visitor center, but the real treat is the view from the observation deck. Over 21,000 square miles of California are visible, from the Golden Gate Bridge to Sacramento to Yosemite. The view is so legendary, it was once proclaimed to be the very best in the world, with one 1874 magazine claiming it “showed more of the earth’s kingdom than is visible from any other known spot on the globe.”

Once hikers have soaked up their fill of scenery, they can retrace their steps down the Summit Trail to return to the Sunset Picnic Area.

The Mount Diablo State Park entrance is located at 2675 Mount Diablo Scenic Blvd., Danville. From Hwy. 680, take Exit 39 to Diablo Rd. Turn left onto Mount Diablo Scenic Blvd. and continue onto S. Gate Rd. Continue to the Junction Ranger Station, then turn right onto Summit Rd. The Sunset Picnic Area is 0.2 mile down the road, on the right. A vehicle entrance fee of $10 will be collected at the front gate. No dogs.

Story and photos by Poe Casavant

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View

  4. Roaring Good Time

    There’s nothing quite like the majestic beauty of California’s redwood forests. Now, imagine experiencing those towering giants aboard a historic 19th-century steam train. Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton is home to some of the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines in America.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  2. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View
  3. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View