Program offers expanded series of free guided hikes
Free excursions are planned for all skill levels in more than 10 communities
Save Mount Diablo’s free public hike program has been expanded this year to include new activities, interpretive family walks and guided hikes, including some in areas rarely open to the public.
Now in its fifth year, the Discover Diablo free walks and hikes, which will begin Jan. 23, will take place on one of Save Mount Diablo’s conserved properties or on a collaborating partner’s land that the group helped to protect in the past. Included are Mount Diablo State Park and East Bay Regional Park District and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation lands, with hikes and walks scheduled in Walnut Creek, Clayton, Concord, Livermore, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Danville and San Ramon.
Responding to a growing demand, the excursions now number 36 and w ill include climbing, mountain biking and bilingual hikes in Spanish and English. The popular fall tarantula walk will be offered twice, and a special family hike will celebrate the California State Parks centennial.
Also offered will be an
opportunity to visit the remote Del Puerto Canyon, possibly for the final time, as it is the site for a proposed reservoir in the Diablo Range east of Patterson. The area is rich in wildf lowers, wildlife including Tule elk, Native American sites and dinosaur bones, all of which soon could be under water, according to a Save Mount
Diablo spokesman.
The nonprofit has hosted monthly outings for the past five years as a way to explore the diverse lands with knowledgeable staffers and experienced volunteers and connect people to the land and nature, according to Ted Clement, executive director of Save Mount Diablo.
“It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo and the land, helping our communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard,” Clement said in a statement. “Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants, as that is what it will take to ensure the precious Mount Diablo natural area is taken care of for generations to come.”
Sponsored by the Martinez Refining Co., the 2021 Discover Diablo free public excursion series includes family hikes for people of all skill levels and will take place at open space on and around Mount Diablo and beyond.
With many entertainment and recreational activities closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been “a renewed appreciation for the outdoors in the last year,” said Ann Notarangelo, community relations manager for the Martinez Refining Co. “Our refinery has sponsored these hikes since 2017 in the hopes people will enjoy learning more about the mountain while spending quality time with family and friends.”
All excursions will obser ve social distancing and require masks in accordance with local health g uidelines. Hikes a nd walks are free but require reservations.
A schedule of hikes is at bit. ly/ Discover-DiabloHikes- Calendar. For more information or to make a reservation, call Denise Castro, Save Mount Diablo education and outreach associate, at 925- 947-3535, ext. 36, or 925-286- 9327.
To learn more about Save Mount Diablo, go to savemountdiablo.org.