With early, heavy rain, wildflowers are already blooming on and around Mount Diablo and across the Diablo Range. Here are 12 of our favorite spots to visit now and in the coming weeks and months.
1. Mitchell Canyon in Mount Diablo State Park
Bird’s-eye gilia (Gilia tricolor ssp. diffusa) in Mitchell Canyon at Mount Diablo State Park. Photo: Scott Hein
For many locals around Mount Diablo, this is a fan-favorite trailhead. At the interpretive center at the start of the trailhead, there’s a native plant garden and cool stuff for kids to touch and ask questions about.
Trails offer a wide variety of wildflowers, stunning ancient oaks, lots of birds, and interesting geologic features.
2. Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Chaparral and Manhattan Trail
Black Diamond Mines was once the largest coal mining operation in California, and you can still experience the life of a miner in the visitor’s center.
From March through November, you can also tour the mines (tours require advance reservations, but tour tickets are only $5 each, and the visitor’s center is free. A $5 parking fee may apply).
Now nature largely has restored itself to spectacular beauty and ecological health. Look closely and you might spot entire hillsides covered in wildflowers right now!
3. Contra Loma Regional Park
Red maids (Calandrinia menziesii) among a few mustard plants at Contra Loma Regional Park. Photo: Laura Kindsvater
Wildflowers are popping out all over the place at Contra Loma right now! A leisurely stroll around the reservoir will give you a good vantage point to spot a lot of them.
Contra Loma also has lots of good places to picnic, and many species of birds to enjoy. You might spot an American white pelican or a great blue heron.
4. Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
Mount Diablo globe lily, a wildflower only found on and around Mount Diablo, at Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. Photo: Scott Hein
Visit the morning side of Mount Diablo. The regional park sprawls across more than 5,000 acres, with trail connections to Round Valley Regional Preserve, Los Vaqueros Watershed, and Mount Diablo State Park.
Its ridgetop views makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.
5. Round Valley Regional Preserve
Hardy Canyon Loop, Round Valley Regional Preserve. Photo: Scott Hein
Round Valley has big, wide-open meadows as well as blue oak–studded hills to climb. Several tree-lined creeks cross the park, including Marsh Creek, which kids like to explore during the months when streams are running.
In addition to beautiful wildflower displays, Round Valley offers good habitat for the endangered San Joaquin kit fox.
6. Henry W. Coe State Park
A lush recovery after wildfire at Henry W. Coe State Park. Photo by Bruce Hamilton
Visit the largest state park in northern California! With 87,000 acres of terrain, there’s plenty of opportunities for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and botanizing.
It’s less than a two-hour drive from Mount Diablo State Park. Check out what’s blooming right now at Henry Coe!
7. Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve
Flag Hill Loop, Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve. Photo: albedo20 / CC BY-NC-ND
Sunol Wilderness feels remote, but is only 20 miles from Pleasanton or Fremont. The park is home to spectacular spring wildflower displays, intriguing rocks, and Alameda Creek.
The visitor’s center has animals that kids can interact with and settlers’ costumes they can try on. Sunol is also home to lots of interesting bat species.
8. Ohlone Wilderness Regional Preserve
Fiddlenecks and lupines at Ohlone Wilderness Regional Preserve. Photo: Scott Hein
To get into the Ohlone Wilderness, you need to hike or ride your way in on horseback. The centerpiece of this near 10,000-acre park is Rose Peak, which is just 32 feet lower than Mount Diablo.
Surrounding the peak are grassy ridges covered in flowers in the spring. Keep an eye out; you may see golden eagles, mountain lions, and tule elk.
9. Pinnacles National Park
Cream cups at Pinnacles National Park. Photo: Tom Hilton / CC BY 2.0
Come see the wildflowers bloom at California’s newest national park! While you’re there, you might spot a California condor—the condors that recently visited Mount Diablo came from Pinnacles.
10. Del Valle Regional Park
View of the lake at Del Valle Regional Preserve. Photo: SelfieCity / CC BY-SA
This park has awesome wildflowers and a fairly new visitor’s center. You can also rent boats and paddle around on the lake there.
It’s easy to rent a cabin or a reserve a campsite at Del Valle (reservations open four weeks prior, which means it’s a good place to go if you’re planning an overnight trip with short notice).
11. Del Puerto Canyon
Butterfly mariposa lily (Calochortus venustus) at Minniear Day Use Area. Photo: Floyd McCluhan
Feeling adventurous? Visit the less-traveled Del Puerto Canyon, which burned in the 2020 wildfires. Make this a scenic road trip, by taking Del Puerto Canyon Road to get there, or Mines Road. Want to hike? Park at the Frank Raines or the Minniear Day Use Area.
12. Mines Road
A loop from the back side of Mount Hamilton over to Mines Road or Del Puerto Canyon is one of the best routes to see wildflowers blooming.
For more information about wildflowers in the Diablo Range, check out our Spring on Black blog post.
Do you have another spot nearby where you love to see wildflowers? Let us know in the comments below!
This blog post was updated on April 25, 2024.
Top photo: Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) at Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve by Scott Hein
