SUNDAY DRIVE

Monument Peak

What you see: The view from 2,594-foot Monument Peak can give you unrepeatable moments. When you reach the crest, you see two worlds. To the east are wildlands that extend for miles across the most remote regions of Santa Clara and Alameda counties. To the west, far below, is the floor of the Santa Clara Valley and south San Francisco Bay.

Location: Monument Peak rises from Ed Levin County Park, a short distance from Interstate 680 in Milpitas.

Worth the drive: Most resist venturing outside the 10-mile bubble from where they live. Another approach is to climb or visit all of the Bay Area’s highest peaks. Monument Peak is one of the most overlooked, a great alternative to the overpopulated Mission Peak nearby to the north.

The hike: This is a great winter trek, a climb of 2,300 feet on the way up, a round trip of 7.5 miles. On cool days between storms, the air can have pristine clarity over the top of the inversion layer that often hovers over the bay.

Trail synopsis: You can start from several trailheads, but the best is the Tularcitos Trail, near the dog park north of Sandy Wool Lake. You walk 0.2 of a mile to the Agua Caliente Trail, turn left, pass a gate and then walk another easy 0.5 of a mile to another gate. Then you start the climb (with a few drops into ravines and climbs out), and rise 900 feet in a mile to the Monument Peak Trail (actually an old road). Turn right, and it’s about another hour to the top. A 0.2mile spur leads to the summit.

The summit view: Below and to the east is Calaveras Reservoir, to the north is hidden San Antonio Reservoir, and beyond in a 180-degree turn to your right is miles of Ohlone Wilderness, watershed lands and the north flank of Mount Hamilton. To the west, plunging below is the South Bay and the wall-to-wall people on the valley floor.

Map/brochure: PDF available at website, brochure at visitor center.

Cost: $6 per vehicle for park entrance.

Dogs: OK on leash on trails north of Calaveras Road, and off-leash at a designated dog park near the lake.

Contacts: Ed R. Levin County Park, (408) 262-6980, https:// www.sccgov.org/sites/parks.