Perfect Picnic Spots: The summit of Mount Diablo
Heading up the twisty mountain road that winds up mighty Mount Diablo is enough to make you lunge for a thesaurus. How many ways can one say “hairpin curve” or “twisting road”? The coiling road, the enfolding curves, the — it’s twisty, people. Best to gaze out at the spectacular views, instead, and ignore the convolutions, because endless horizons await.
At 3,849 feet, Mount Diablo may not be the highest mountain in the Bay Area — that honor goes to Santa Clara County’s Mount Hamilton. But from the summit on a clear day, you can see all the way out to the Farallon Islands, north to Mount Lassen, south to Hamilton and Loma Prieta and see 40 of California’s 58 counties. You can catch a glimpse of early aviation history, too.
Commercial aviation was still new back in 1928, when a navigation beacon was placed atop the mountain. Charles Lindbergh had made his historic solo Atlantic crossing the year before. San Francisco Airport was celebrating its first anniversary, and Oakland Airport had just opened, when Standard Oil erected “The Eye of Diablo” on a steel tower atop Mount Diablo to help guide aviators to the Bay Area. And it was Lindbergh who flipped the Mount Diablo switch — remotely from Denver — illuminating a beacon that could be seen for 100 miles.
The beacon was moved to the top of the mountain’s historic stone Summit Building, when it opened in the late 1930s, and it remained brightly lit until Dec. 8, 1941, when the West Coast went dark in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Today, the building houses a visitor center and museum, where you can explore the park’s geology, its Native American history and diverse ecosystems. As you climb the circular stairway to the observation deck, check out the walls made from the park’s sandstone: Ancient marine fossils were embedded in that rock 16 million years ago.
Take in the incredible views, then head for the Mary Bowerman Trail just below — the trailhead is at the lower summit parking lot. Named for the botanist and co-founder of Save Mount Diablo, this easy, flat ¾-mile loop circles the summit, and the first portion, all the way to the Ransome Point Overlook, is ADA accessible. Then grab a picnic table near the trailhead and spread out your alfresco fare.
The picnic: Pick up a prosciutto-laden Mama Mia sandwich or a veggie Verdure at Walnut Creek’s Genova Delicatessen just a few miles from the park’s North Gate. Or detour to Morucci’s, the popular sandwich shop tucked near the junction of highways 24 and 680 — to grab a cult-fave 6¾, turkey, Caprese and pesto on ciabatta. Entering the park from the South Gate instead? Danville’s Domenico’s Delicatessen is a primo pick.
The details: Mount Diablo State Park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset daily ($10 vehicle fee), with vehicle access at the North Gate (1300 North Gate Road in Walnut Creek) and South Gate (2675 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd., Blackhawk). The Summit Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find trail maps and check for road closures at www.parks.ca.gov. Find museum information at www.mdia.org/summit-museum.
Extras: Save Mount Diablo offers guided walks on topics that range from wildflowers to newts and peregrine falcons. As for the famous beacon, it’s illuminated every year on Dec. 7 to commemorate the veterans who served.