Start/End Point: 96 Mitchell Canyon Rd, Clayton, CA 94517
Start: 1130
End: 1930
Total Time: 8h (6h45m moving), Avg 29m28s / mile. Hiked a bit slower today and spent a good amount of time at visitor center at the top and took some calls there as well.
Route Up: Mitchell Canyon Start, Eagle Peak Trail to Eagle Peak, Bald Ridge Trail to Summit Trail, Summit Trail to Visitor Center
Route Down: Second Parking Lot Start, Juniper Trail to Deer Flat Rd, Deer Flat Rd to Mitchell Canyon Fire Rd, Mitchell Canyon Fire Rd to Mitchell Canyon Start Point. Route down was quite easy and not as much work “on the brakes” as I was expecting. This would also be a much easier route to take up as needed.
Distance: 13.79 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,753 ft
Wind: Not much wind until higher ridges
Temp: High 67, Low 57 for the Day. On Trail High 67, Low 60. Comfortable weather overall.
Hydration: Approx 1 gallon on the way up. Refilled at Visitor Center. Approx 1/2 gallon on the way down. 2 Rehydration Sachets. Had some gatorlyte to pre hydrate.
Food: Standard trail snacks (jerky, nuts, etc.).
Trail: Good condition overall
Navigation: All Trails and paper map as back up. Very well signposted and clear trails, very easy to navigate your way around.
Difficulty: Challenging but enjoyable.
Highlights / Misc:
- The Eagle Peak section is probably my favorite. You go through tunnels of vegetation that have a lot active butterflies so you get full on Disney Princess vibes (reminded me of the Jackass Trail on Mount Sizer). At the Summit of Eagle Peak there were a pair of hummingbirds that put on a bit of a show. Still a fair few wildflowers blooming along sections of the trail.
- Golden hour is really beautiful. The The yellow hills really come alive.
- There are trails for everyone. There is even a wheelchair accessible 0.2 mile concrete trail with a lookout point at the visitor center. Lots to see and do apart from the trails, will definitely be going back to explore more.
- I suggest getting a proper map for all the trails, the printouts and online pdf don't have enough detail. You can order a Trail Map of Diablo State Park
- Rolled my ankle my previous attempt so was happy to go back and complete. We've been very lucky with the mild June weather so am enjoying getting out there when I can.
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