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Mary Bowerman Trail (formerly the Fire
Interpretive Loop Trail)
Rating: Easy
Trailhead: Access on north side of road beside small picnic
site where Summit Road splits into two one-way routes just past exit to Lower Summit
Parking Lot. Drinking water and toilets at lower summit parking lot.
Trail Statistics: About one mile flat
loop trail encircling the summit of the mountain. Allow half hour without stops. Description:
The
first one third is paved and is wheelchair accessible up to the Ransome Point overlook.
The Fire Interpretive Trail is a short loop trail encompassing
the microclimates that encircle the summit. |
Western or Foothill
Wallflower
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easy trail offers spectacular views as well as a journey through time. Discover how nature
has created and altered this peak.There are 14 stops, following the Mary Bowerman
Trail Guide (pdf file) which can be obtained at the Summit Store or picked up at
the trailhead. This will guide you through the diverse flora, fauna, geology and weather
which embraces Mt. Diablo’s summit. You
will be introduced to chamise, yerba santa, California native juniper, scrub oak and
poison oak. Being careful not to step on the
sagebrush lizard as you skirt the summit, you’ll come across Devil’s Pulpit, a
great red-colored chert monolith, made of chert. Greenstone, an altered submarine volcanic
rock laid down on the ocean floor over a 100 million years ago, is the most common rock
exposed on the summit of the mountain. Banded red chert, blocky greywacke sandstone and
patches of shale are also present along the route. |
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Hiking Trails