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!.

Lake Del Valle – East Shore to Heron Bay Essential Info

Length: 4 miles
Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate (some steep areas)
Dogs: OK, off-leash OK
Cost: Free (At the arroyo staging area, main entrance costs $6/vehicle).
Website: https://www.ebparks.org/parks/del_valle/
Alltrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/del-valle-heron-bay–2

Background

Lake Del Valle is the result of the damming of the Arroyo del Valle. Currently, the earthen dam trickles a stream that flows to the Shadow Cliffs recreation area that empties into the Arroyo Valle. The Arroyo Valle joins the Arroyo de la laguna and then merges into the Alameda Creek (which sources from the Sunol Regional Wilderness) and eventually flows into the San Francisco Bay just outside of the Coyote Hills Regional Park.

Built in 1968 as part of the South Bay Aqueduct project which serves Alameda and Santa Clara counties, the East Bay Regional Park District has maintained the recreational facilities since 1970. Water from the Sacramento/San Joaquin delta is pumped into Bethany Reservoir located in Tracy where it then flows to Patterson Reservoir just east of Livermore. From there, water flows to Lake Del Valle and down to San Jose.

Getting There

The East Shore trail begins at the Arroyo staging area which is not the main entrance. 

From I580 E, exit North Livermore. Take North Livermore south till it becomes South Livermore and turn Right onto Concannon Blvd.

At Arroyo Rd, make a right. Follow the road. You’ll pass by a golf course, the Wente Winery restaurant and the VA Palo Alto Hospital areas.

Make a left into the Arroyo Staging area.

The Trail

The Heron Bay Trail has two distinct loops sections which branch and return from the East Shore trail. This hike only does the northern loop. Adding the southern loop would tack on about 3.5 miles to the overall distance and about another 2 hours.

Checkpoint: Start

From the parking lot, find the trailhead and proceed through the grassland below the earthen dam that makes Lake Del Valle possible.

You’ll quickly cross a small bridge over the Arroyo Del Valle.

Checkpoint: Arroyo Del Valle Bridge

From the bridge, get your glutes ready as the trail begins its primary ascent to the top of the dam.

Checkpoint: Overlook

After the ascent, a small bench about 100ft further down the trail provides shade underneath an oak tree to take a rest and admire the views: the lake to the south or the livermore valley to the north.

Once your legs have recovered, remain on the East shore trail and proceed along the ridge.

Checkpoint: Loop Return and Bald Eagle Viewing

The East shore trail will intersect the Heron bay trail twice. At the second intersection, take the Heron bay trail and loop back to the beginning.

Throughout the hike, be on the lookout for the distinctive white head of bald eagles which are reportedly nesting in this section of the lake.

Since 1996, bald eagles have been sighted at Lake Del Valle. They’ve also been sighted at Los Vaqueros (Livermore) and Chabot Lake (Castro Valley) in the east bay.

Checkpoint: Lake View

The Heron bay trail returns slightly above lake level offering a closer perspective of the water. In the early morning, you’ll often hear and see fish leaping or lazily drifting in the shallows.

One final ascent along the trail will bring you back to a familiar bench and tree at the overlook. From here, return to the staging area by retracing the East shore trail downhill.

Lake Del Valle Alternates

Within Lake Del Valle, there are many other spectacular hikes such as the East ridge and Ohlone trails (reports coming soon!).

Near Livermore there’s also:

• Los Vaqueros Reservoir
  • Similar to Lake Del Valle but less crowded. Operated by the Contra Costa County Water District.
• Sunol Regional Wilderness
  • Little Yosemite
  • Flag Hill

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