Ok so you've decided you want to bring your kids to Mount Diablo State Park. Here's some tips and more information to help you plan your visit.

Popular Destinations

Field trips generally go to 3 locations in the Mount Diablo State Park. 

1. The Summit features the outstanding view of the Bay Area, the Summit Visitor Center, and the Mary Bowerman nature trail. 

2. Rock City is a great site to study Native American grinding holes, learn about park Oak trees, or climb the wind caves. 

3. Mitchell Canyon affords opportunities to study wildflowers, birds, geology, and tarantulas during the season.

Map and Directions to these destinations are available here.

Transportation

The roads in the Mount Diablo State Park are narrow, winding, and difficult. Parents provide transportation for many organized field trips to the summit or Rock City. If a group would like to use a school bus, the Park requires prior approval and a pilot car. School buses are appropriate for Mitchell Canyon.

Preparation

Be sure to review expectations of the visit with your kids, behavior in the park, and safety matters in advance of the trip. Be aware of seasonal safety planning such as extreme temperatures, and fire danger.

• Mount Diablo State Park Safety Information

• Weather and Air Quality

• For the latest information on Park closure, road conditions, or fire danger, call 925-837-2525, or check the Mount Diablo State Park Website.

Leave the Park as You Found It

Help protect our park to preserve it for future visitors and for the future of wildlife that live here.

Here are a few things to remember:

• Respect wildlife. All plants and animals are protected. While you look and enjoy the sights:

  • Do not touch or try to remove the plants from the park.

  • Do not feed or try to pet the animals.

• Stay on the walking trails to prevent erosion or damage to the landscape.

• Carry out what you bring in.

• Follow the instructions provided by the rangers or docents in the park.

When we take good care of our park, we keep it safe and beautiful now and for the next hundred years.

Thank you for doing your part to protect our natural world.

School Groups/Educational Tours are available from California State Parks
Please contact Park Interpreter Sharon Peterson via email (Sharon.Peterson@parks.ca.gov) for information regarding School Group Programs and/or Education Tours. Permits are required for groups, and due to the fact that these groups often arrive in oversized vehicles, information must be provided to drivers in advance of their arrival that will help make the roads safer for all visitors at the park.

Coming Soon to Mitchell Canyon

Mount Diablo Interpretive Association (MDIA) official Park partner, is leading a campaign to raise funds to build a New Education Center in Mitchell Canyon.

The new education center complex will educate park visitors about the natural and multicultural history of the mountain, communicate safety information, provide access for visitors with disabilities to outdoor exhibits and the visitor center, and create multiple spaces to accommodate K-12 classes and interpretive presentations.

We are just as excited as you are to begin construction and develop inspiring new exhibits that will educate and engage for years to come.

Back to Learn