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!.

As a reminder, even though you’re outdoors, please do not intermingle with other households and try to keep a safe distance. Northern California has been doing a good job at keeping infection rates low. Let’s keep it that way! Seek out less popular parks (like Morgan Territory) and visit during early morning hours to make for a safer, lower stress experience.

Wildflower Season Related

• East Bay Regional Park District Wildflower guide (PDF)
• Morgan Territory
• Las Trampas
• Crockett Hills

The post Wildflower season – Beat the Covid-19 blues 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!.

Bear Gulch – High Peaks – Old Pinnacles Loop trail

This trail will bring you through the highlights of Pinnacles. Starting out in Bear Gulch, you’ll go through the Bear Gulch caves, emerging at the picturesque Bear Gulch Reservoir.  Then you’ll ascend into the High Peaks amongst the uniquely eroded spires that give Pinnacles its name and are frequented by the endangered California Condor. From the peaks, you’ll descend to the Chaparral trailhead where the hike flattens out. You’ll then pass through the Balconies Caves along the Chalone Creek on your way back to the Bear Gulch trailhead.

Pinnacles National Park  Essential Info

Length: 10 miles
Time: 6 hours
Total Elevation Gain: 3400 feet
Difficulty: Hard (Steep and narrow. Length and elevation gain)
Entrance Fee: $25/vehicle, $20/motorcycle, $12/walk-in
Hours: East side is always open, West side entry gate is 7:30am – 8:00pm. Exit is always open.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm
Map: http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/pinnacles-map.jpg
Other: Bring a flashlight or headlamp (recommended, so you’ll have both hands free) for the caves.
Pets: Not allowed on trails

Getting There (East Entrance)

Pinnacles National Park is located about 80 miles south of San Jose to the east of Salinas. Between, the East and West entrances, the East side is the main entrance with the main visitor center and 24 hr access. Because the trail described here is a loop, it’s possible to start out from the west entrance at the Chaparral Trailhead.  From the East Bay, it takes about 2 hrs w/o traffic one way. Start out early as the parking lots at the various trailheads fill fast. I would generally advise to arrive by 8AM. Note that there is no road through the park and you cannot drive directly from the east to west entrance.

From the East Bay, take 680S to 101S. About 30 miles depending on where your coming from.

From 101S proceed another 30 miles south to Highway 25, just after Gilroy. Exit Highway 25 going east towards Hollister.

Proceed another 40 miles along Highway 25 to Highway 146. Google Maps may route you through some local roads, but sticking to Highway 25 is probably easier.

Take Highway 146 west into Pinnacles National Park east entrance.

Stop at the Visitor’s center to pay the entrance fee, then continue along 146 further into the park. At the intersection, take the left hand side towards Bear Gulch.

The Trail

Checkpoint: Start

The Bear Gulch trailhead provides a great starting point with a parking lot and restroom facilities.

Taking the Bear Gulch Cave trail, you’ll pass by many sheer cliff walls which make Pinnacles a climbers paradise.

The caves are extremely dark and narrow! A headlamp will help you see while using both hands to help stabilize yourself. Large backpacks will have a tough squeeze through some sections.

Checkpoint: Bear Gulch Caves

Piled boulders provide a disconcerting ceiling as you weave your way through the darkness.

Checkpoint: Bear Gulch Reservoir

Emerging from the darkness, you’ll be greeted to one of the most scenic views in the park.

Judging by the aggressiveness of the squirrels, this is a popular spot to have a snack amongst the towering pinnacles and serene waters.

To continue on the trail to High Peaks, you’ll want to stay on the same side of the bridge as the caves and proceed on the Rim Trail that leads upwards into the peaks.

Checkpoint: High Peaks

As the name implies, the trail brings you to the top of the Pinnacles National Park where you can great great views of the both the volcanic structures and sweeping panoramas across the lowlands.

There’s various trails that criss-cross in High Peaks.  This guide stays on the High Peaks trail at the first Juniper Canyon trail intersection. It then turns onto the Tunnel Trail which leads back to the Juniper Canyon trail towards the Chaparral Trailhead. This route has a little more elevation gain and tight spaces, but leads you through a closer view of the pinnacles. We were fortunate enough to come across a perched condor midway.

The tunnel trail will begin a descent back down from the peaks but still afford some views of the north-west  regions of the park.

Along the descent on Tunnel and Juniper Canyon trails, you’ll start seeing an increasing variety of wildflowers.

Checkpoint: Chaparral Trailhead

The trailhead offers another great opportunity to take a break, refill on water, and use the restroom.

Checkpoint: Balconies

From the Chaparral Trailhead, take the Balconies trail towards the Balconies Caves/Cliffs.

At the intersection, you can choose either the cliffs or the caves. For this article, we chose the caves.

At the end of the caves or cliffs, proceed along the Old Pinnacles trail to return to the Bear Gulch trailhead.

Conclusion

We’ve held off from doing Pinnacles National Park for a long time due to the distance from the East Bay. Having seen all the unique and wondrous views on this loop trail, we’ll be back to explore the other trails and see if we can glimpse condors in flight!

Similar Hikes

Can’t make it out to Pinnacles? Try these alternates:

• Sunol Regional Wilderness Flag Hill
  • Eagles and Turkey Vultures ride the thermals above a prominent rocky outcrop.

The post Pinnacles National Park – Loop starting at Bear Gulch appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

See our Little Yosemite, Flag Hill, and Eagle View Trail posts for some of the our regular hikes!

View

Flowers

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