If you do decide to go during the summer time, caution should be exercised for long hikes such as this: there’s little shade and little water along the way.

Essential Info

• Hours: Varies (Check Del Valle website)
• Cost: $2/person for trail permit, $6/vehicle
• Difficulty: Hard
• Time: ~8 hours.
• Length: ~14 mi. in and out
• Elevation Gain: 4550ft.
• Additional COVID-19 info (as of 2/2021): The West shore parking lot at Del Valle is closed but a small parking lot is available at the turn off leading to it. Water and bathroom facilities are closed. Go early!
• Water: Camps in the wilderness offer water, however a filter is recommended.
• Dogs: OK, $2/dog
• Website: Del Valle and Ohlone Wilderness

Getting There

Heading on I580 East, exit N. Livermore. Continue south where the road will transition into S. Livermore and then Tesla streets. After about 0.5 miles, make a right at Mines Road. Continue for approximately 3.5mi and continue straight onto Del Valle Rd. This road will take you to the main entry gate of Del Valle.

After the entry gate, proceed straight towards the West shore. After crossing the bridge, turn right. At the time of this writing, the West shore facilities are closed and you should park at the small parking lot at the turn off; it’s a short walk to the West shore parking lot. If it is open, you park in the main area. The trail head is towards the far end of the parking lot.

The Hike

From the West shore parking lot, look for the Ohlone/Sailor Camp trail head signs around the far end of the parking lot. The trail back tracks along the lot for a hundred feet, then switches back into a slight ascent.

The first segment is the Sailor Camp trail which is an intermediate hike to the Ohlone Trail. At the start of the Ohlone trail is sign-in sheet.

Along the way, water is available at Stromer Spring (use a filter!) and shortly after, Boyd’s camp offers an outhouse.

From there, the most difficult stretch of the trail descends into Willams Gulch and subsequently climbs out over an elevation gain of ~1450 ft.

Johnny’s pond marks the end of the ascent and a crossroads. Keep right around the pond to go to Murietta falls.

If the falls are flowing, you’ll cross a small stream that is the fall’s source. Look for a large boulder which marks the turn off to go to the falls.

As one last hurdle, there’s a steep, narrow descent to get to the base of the falls.

Trail Gallery

Related and Nearby

• Del Valle Arroyo Entrance
  • Intermediate hike to the top of the dam and along the east shore
• Brushy Peak
  • Intermediate level hikes with good bird viewing
• Los Vaqueros Reservoir
  • Smaller version of Del Valle lake with recreational amenities and hiking
• Concannon Vineyards
  • Restaurant and wine tasting
• Wente Vineyards
  • Restaurant and wine tasting
• Altamont Beerworks
  • Taproom

The post Murietta Falls: Lake Del Valle-Ohlone Trail appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

It’s been 5 weeks since the Bay Area shelter in place directive began. One exception to the rules has been outdoor hiking which has caused a flood of visitors to parks.

In response to the increased traffic and Centers For Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has modified its normal services. Some parks are closed, others remain open with their parking lots barred, and most retain access with caveats. Check the EBRPD Covid-19 Park & Trail Updates page before heading out to any of its locations to verify accessibility.

As a result, normally popular parks are now either closed (like Sunol Regional Wilderness) or jam packed with people trying to escape the confines of their shelters. The Morgan Territory Regional Preserve is a lesser frequented park in Livermore that offers hikers some relief from crowds. Note that large bold “Area Closed” signs apply only to picnics, restrooms, and other onsite facilities; in small print the sign clarifies that “Trails remain open”. Because of the reduced service, maintenance has ceased and visitors should dispose of any garbage (animal waste, etc.) at home. Read more at the EBRPD COVID-19 FAQ.

Morgan Territory Essential Info

• Hours: 8am-sunset
• Fees: None
• Dogs: Normally OK (Though COVID-19 rules stipulate on-leash at all times)
• Difficulty: Most trails are easy
• EBRPD Website: https://www.ebparks.org/parks/morgan/default.htm

Getting There

To get to Morgan Territory, take 580E to N. Livermore street. Proceed north on Livermore Street until it bends west and then turn left onto Morgan Territory Rd. This road will turn into a narrow, one lane road and proceed about 5.5mi to the park staging area.

Hiking

A popular route includes the Volvon trail (starts from the staging area) to the Valley View trail. From there you’ll be able to see neighboring Los Vaqueros reservoir, Round Valley Regional Preserve, and out to the Sacramento river delta (see panoramic photo below).

Round trip, plan about 3-4 hrs, and about 6 miles with slight elevation changes.

Alternatives

Livermore offers an abundance of (slightly more popular) alternates including:

• Del Valle Lake
• Los Vaqueros reservoir
• Brushy Peak

The post Morgan Territory: East Bay COVID-19 Spotlight appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Brazen Racing Series

On Sept 28th, 2019, the Rocky Ridge Half Marathon capped off a long series of half marathon trail runs organized by Brazen Racing that take place mostly throughout the rolling hills of the San Francisco East Bay.

The race takes place in Las Trampas East Bay Regional Park, making a craggy figure 8 path around the two major sections of the park: Over the Las Trampas Ridge skirting Alamo and the Rocky Ridge abutting the San Leandro Hills.

My phone’s GPS recording seems to be a bit off (or I went way off track). Officially, the race is 13.7-ish miles and 3900-ish feet of elevation gain.

The Race

In addition to the half marathon, the race also has waves for half marathon hikers, 5K, and 10K runners. Hikers started at 7am to give them a little extra time, Half marathoners at 8, 10K at 8:15, and 5K at 8:30.

For all the huffing and puffing up the hills, racers at least get the momentary distractions of Mt. Diablo and the San Ramon valley.

More Info

• East Bay Regional Park District Las Trampas website
• Brazen Racing’s Rocky Ridge website.

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