Field Trips
Click here to see entries for EBCNPS Past Field Trips.
Sunday, February 12, 9:30 am, Mount Olympia at Mount Diablo State Park. Gregg Weber will return to the canyons above Clayton to see many late winter flowers, with possible performances by sun, sky and clouds. Winter blooms to look for include two species of manzanita, violas, Nemophila, and some early tidy tips and Mt. Diablo jewelflower. This is a strenuous walk with a 2300 foot elevation gain on the way out, and all downhill on the return trip. The round trip distance is about 6 miles, so the trip will take 6-7 hours. Bring lunch and water, and be prepared for a wide range of temperatures. The trip will proceed despite official predictions of rain, and we will decide on the day of the trip if the weather is sufficiently inclement before postponement. If there is a heavy rain the trip will take place on February 19 at the same time.
Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ignacio Valley Road. Continue on Ignacio Valley Road into the city of Clayton, where you turn right onto Clayton Road. Take Clayton Road past the first intersection with Marsh Creek Road; in about a mile, it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road and turn right onto Regency Drive. Go three blocks on Regency Drive, turn left onto Rialto Drive and follow it to the end. Regency Drive also ends at a trailhead, but that is for a different trail; be sure to turn left onto Rialto. Meet the group at the end of Rialto.
Sunday, February 26, 2 pm, Redwood Regional Park. David Margolies will lead a walk along the stream and on the slopes above Redwood Creek in this large East Bay redwood forest, looking at early flowering plants and the trees and shrubs of the redwood forest. We will also look for newts and rainbow trout in Redwood Creek. The whole walk is about 2.5 miles with steep uphill and steep downhill portions. Walkers who want to avoid the steep trails can return along the stream trail about halfway through the walk. Meet at the Redwood Gate parking area at 2:00 pm.
Directions: To get there from the northern East Bay, get on 13 South (go east on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, for example) and take the Redwood Road exit. From the southern East Bay, take 580 West to 13 North and exit at Redwood Road (immediately after the junction). Once on Redwood Road, go east (uphill). At the top of the hill you will cross Skyline Boulevard and then pass various equestrian facilities. Go down into the valley. About two miles from Skyline Boulevard, turn left into Redwood Regional Park, following the entrance road to the end to the parking lot. Walk takes place rain or shine.
Sunday, March 18, 9:30 am, Seafoam Loop and Black Oak Loop at Kennedy Grove, El Sobrante
Gregg Weber will be leading this trip to a botanically rich area in El Sobrante. In the shady areas under bay trees, there is more plant diversity than you would expect, with many common natives, and some unusual ones. This is a short 2.5 mile walk, with only a 400 feet elevation gain up to the ridge, and 150 feet elevation gain on Black Oak Loop.
Directions: From I-80, exit at San Pablo Dam Road and turn onto Castro Ranch Road in El Sobrante. From Orinda , follow Castro Ranch Road to El Sobrante. Go two blocks on Castro
Ranch Road, and then turn right onto Hillside Drive. Go about ½ mile to the end of Hillside Drive, and then turn left on Patra Drive and park near the trailhead. No entrance
fees. Do not turn into the Kennedy Grove park entrance on San Pablo Dam Road.
Sunday, April 8, 9:30 am, Toyon Canyon at Briones Regional Park
Gregg Weber leads this trip to a floristically rich area of Briones Regional Park. The canyon trail descends nearly 300 feet, and a 300 foot gain follows. However, the rewards may include unusual plants in flower such as Viburnum ellipticum, Eschschholzia caespitosa, Lomatium californicum, Helianthella castanea, and Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia, plus many more familiar plants such as coyote mint, Wyethia, clematis, hop tree, Dutchman’s pipe, and osoberry.
This trip will last about half a day, but more time may be allowed for extra wildflower viewing.
Directions: From west of the Bay hills, go east on 24 and exit at Pleasant Hill Road. Go north on Pleasant Hill Road 0.5 mile and then turn left onto Reliez Valley Road. Go 4-5 miles on Reliez Valley Road to its end at the junction with Alhambra Valley Road. Ignore the entrance signs on Reliez Valley Road and continue straight on Alhambra Valley Road to the first left turn, which is Briones Road. Go about 1.5 miles to the end of Briones Road and park on either side of the road. For the Pinole/Martinez area, just proceed down Alhambra Valley Road and follow the directions to the end of Briones Road.
Saturday, April 14, 9:30 am, Mitchell Canyon at Mount Diablo State Park
This year Gregg Weber will lead the hike up the canyon during the mid-spring abundance of oak woodland and grassland flowers, including buttercups, larkspurs, owls clover, blue dicks, Mount Diablo globe lily and other Calochortus. Bring $10 (?) for parking or your state parks pass. A couple of good books that describe this areas plants are Barbara Ertters updated Flora of Mount Diablo (from Mary Bowerman’s earlier version), and Yulan Tongs photo book on Calochortus.
Directions: From west of the Oakland/Berkeley hills, take 24 east and continue to the 680 interchange. Follow the lanes marked for 680 north, but then move immediately to the Ygnacio Valley Road exit, and turn right at the traffic light at the end of the ramp to go east. Stay on Ygnacio Valley Road for several miles (past John Muir Hospital, through suburbs, past the Lime Ridge entrance and a Cal State campus) to Clayton Road, where you turn right at another traffic light. Go through several intersections on Clayton Road, and then turn right again at Mitchell Canyon Road. Go to the parking lot at the end (there is a fee). Meet at the start of the trail near the visitors center.
Saturday, April 21 9:30 am, Burma Road at Mount Diablo State Park
Meet at 9:30 am at the Burma Road crossing of North Gate Road in Mount Diablo State Park. We will walk Burma Road from Camel Rock to Moses Rock Spring. We will see a variety of spring flowers and some uncommon plants as we pass through woodland, grassland and chaparral areas. There is a 1000-foot elevation gain on the way out, and downhill on the way back. The round trip is about 4 miles and should take about 4 hours, so bring lunch and water. We will not be deterred by rain and will proceed regardless of weather. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 if you have questions about this or other Mt. Diablo field trips.
Directions: Take the North Gate Road entrance to the park. State parks charge $10 for cars. Continue on North Gate Road for about 2-3 miles and park at the Burma Road trail crossing.
Sunday, April 29, 9:30 am, East Trail at Mount Diablo State Park
Meet across from the Divide Reservoir sign on Marsh Creek Road in Clayton. This trip goes through some very nice native plant habitat on the northeast side of Mount Diablo, with an interesting live oak forest. This walk has 1600 feet elevation gain on the way out, and downhill on the return. The round trip is about 6 miles. Figure on returning to the parking lot around 3-4 pm. Bring lunch and water. We will take 3 Springs Road, Olympia Trail, East Trail and Zippe Trail.
Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ygnacio Valley Road. Continue on Ygnacio Valley Road several miles from Walnut Creek into the city of Clayton, and turn right onto Clayton Road at
Sunday May 13, 10:00 am, Blue Oak Trail at Briones Regional Park
Gregg Weber will lead on this trail that includes views of some unusual plants, such as Myrica californica and Pickeringia montana (think pink), and Calochortus pulchellus in bloom.
We will see a lot of diversity in grasslands, oak woods of several species, chemise/black sage chaparral.
The Blue Oak loop has a 700 foot elevation change and quite a few ups and downs. The round trip is about 5 miles.
Directions: Take Highway 24 to Lafayette, and exit at Pleasant Hill Road north. Go about one mile north on Pleasant Hill Road, and turn left onto Reliez Valley Road. Stay on Reliez Valley Road for about 3.5 miles. The parking lot is on the left, after Withers Ave. Do not go into the park entrance farther north on Reliez Valley Road or you will miss the field trip.
Sunday May 20, 10 am, Mount Diablo State Park North Peak trail from Devil’s Elbow to Prospector’s Gap
Meet at the Devil’s Elbow parking lot at 10 am. This trial is packed with native plants and relatively few alien species. There may be Calochortus venustus, C. pulchellus, Chorizanthe membranacea, Hydrophyllum occidentale, Arnica discoidea, a few areas of Collinsia tinctoria, Clarkia concinna, plus native Cirsium (thistles), lupines, and Lomatium. There are also large areas of Quercus chrysolepis (canyon live oak). This trip will be most of the day, so bring lunch and water. We should arrive back at the parking lot around 3 pm. The trip leader is Gregg Weber, and you can call him at 510-223-3310 if you have questions.
Directions: Take 680 to the Diablo Road exit, and go east on Diablo Road At Green Valley Road, only one lane goes straight ahead. After Green Valley Road, go on and do not turn at the Diablo Country Club sign. In about a mile, turn left at the Mount Diablo State Park sign. Continue to the end of Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard, which becomes South Gate Road as it enters the park. Pay the $10 gate fee at the entrance station (or have your state parks pass visible). Continue to Junction Ranger Station, and turn right. About ¾ mile past Juniper Camp’s large parking area is a small parking area at Devil’s Elbow, where we will meet at 10 am.
Sunday, June 10, 9:30 am, Mount Diablo State Park, Falls trail, Middle trail, Bruce Lee Spring trail, Wasserman trail
This is a moderate round trip of 5 miles with 1200 feet elevation gain on the way out. It will be mostly downhill on the return trip, and we expect to be out 4-5 hours. Bring lunch and at least 1.5 liters of water. We will start on Clayton Oaks trail, and proceed from there to Bruce Lee Spring trail, lower Donner trail, and on to Wasserman and Falls trails.
Expect to see Monardella douglasii and Collinsia tinctoria in flower, along with several paintbrush species, Clarkia biloba, Sedum radiatum, Campanula exigua, Silene californica, Pickeringia montana, Asclepias californica, and lots of common plants. We should arrive back at the parking lot around 3 pm. The trip leader is Gregg Weber, and you can call him at 510-223-3310 if you have questions.
Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ignacio Valley Road, and continue on Ignacio Valley Road several miles into the city of Clayton. At the intersection of Ignacio Valley and Clayton Road, turn right at the stop light onto Clayton Road. Stay on Clayton Road past the first intersection with Marsh Creek Road; in about a mile, Clayton Road becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road to Regency Drive, where you turn right. Go 3 blocks on Regency Drive, and then turn left on Rialto Drive. Go to the end of Rialto Drive and park. Do not go to the end of Regency, because that is a different access point.
Sunday, June 17, 9:30 am, Mount Diablo State Park, Knobcone Point Road and Blackhawk Ridge Road
We will go through woodland, grasslands, chaparral areas, with Pickeringia, Salvia, Arctostaphylos, Garrya, Calochortus splendens, and lots of oaks and Clarkia rubicunda. This can be a very hot walk, so dress for heat and bring at least 1.5 liters of water, and lunch.
The road loses about 500 feet down to a creek, and then gains 700 feet to the top of the loop, with elevations reversed on the way back. We should arrive back at the parking lot at 4 pm. The trip leader is Gregg Weber, and you can call him at 510-223-3310 with questions.
Directions: Take 680 to the Diablo Road exit, and go east on Diablo Road. At Green Valley Road, only one lane goes straight ahead. After Green Valley Road, go past and do not turn at the Diablo Country Club sign. In about a mile, turn left at the Mt. Diablo State Park sign. Continue to the end of Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard, which becomes South Gate Road as it enters the park. Be prepared to pay the fee (now $10?) at the main entrance station, or have you state parks pass ready. Continue for about a mile, and park at the large parking area at Curry Point, where we will meet.
Sunday, July 15, 10:00 am, Redwood Regional Park, trip to focus on sedges and late-fruiting plants
We will see about 5 species of sedge. Learn some basics of sedge ID and morphology (sculptural shapes of plant parts in botany). A copy of the Field Guide to Intermountain Sedges and also the key from the 2011 Jepson Manual will be available for reference. We will take Redwood Peak trail, French trail, Starflower trail, Tres Sendas trail, and Stream trail.
Directions: Get onto Skyline Drive in the Oakland hills, either from Highway 13 from the north or 580 from the south. From 13, the most direct route is the Joaquin Miller exit, and then take Joaquin Miller Road to Skyline. Turn left at the light for Joaquin Miller and Skyline, and follow Skyline north (mostly uphill) as you go to the Chabot Space Science Center roughly a mile north of Joaquin Miller Road. Turn into the driveway for the Space Center and park either in the lot or in the parking garage, which is free. Ignore the no trespassing signs as the do not apply to park or science center users. Gregg Weber is leading and you can call him at 510-223-3310 if you have questions.