Save Mount Diablo recently opened two new public trails on Mount Diablo. These new trails open up a world of possibilities, creating new adventures in one of Mount Diablo’s most rugged and remote areas.
Visitors to Mount Diablo State Park can now enter Curry Canyon Ranch and enjoy access points that were closed to the public for nearly 100 years.
Get a Closer Look at Our New Trails!
New Trail Connections on Mount Diablo
Knobcone Point Trail dedication hike. Photo by Emily Sherwood
Since 2023, we’ve opened 3.17 miles of public trails on our Curry Canyon Ranch property.
These trails open up several new routes that were previously unavailable to the public.
Hikers and mountain bikers can now explore places like Knobcone Point and Cave Point, which at 2,080 feet is the highest point in Curry Canyon Ranch, and was a historic tourist attraction in the late 1800s.
Knobcone Point Road Trail. Courtesy of NBC Bay Area’s OpenRoad with Doug McConnell & Friends
Plus, for the first time in nearly a century, the Knobcone Point Road Trail now connects to Riggs Canyon Road in a much more direct and convenient route.
Ambitious adventurers can even travel to Finley Road from Curry Point via the Knobcone Point Road Trail.
Amazing Biodiversity at Curry Canyon Ranch
Knobcone Point Road Trail. Photo by Scott Hein
As you explore these new trails, you’ll be traveling through an exceptionally biodiverse piece of Mount Diablo, Curry Canyon Ranch.
We’ve cataloged more than 800 species in Curry Canyon Ranch, including 30 that are rare or threatened, such as the Alameda whipsnake and Mount Diablo manzanita.
The rare and threatened Alameda whipsnake, which isn’t poisonous. Photo by George Phillips
What makes Curry Canyon Ranch so high in biodiversity? It’s a remote area with few disturbances, plus it contains 12 of Mount Diablo’s 16 habitats, including
- Grassland
- Chaparral
- Live oak woodland
- California bay laurel forest
- Blue oak woodland
- Knobcone pine forest
- Riparian woodland
Some of these habitats are separated by more than a mile of sandstone cliffs, an area where peregrine falcons have been known to nest.
Hikers exploring the Knobcone Point Road Trail. Photo by Scott Hein
The property has five ponds and over 2.4 miles of creek, water sources that support the area’s abundant wildlife.
Curry Canyon is one of the last major private canyon entrances on Mount Diablo.
Thanks to our amazing Forever Wild campaign supporters, Save Mount Diablo purchased this property for $7.2 million in 2013.
The Knobcone Point Trail. Photo by Emily Sherwood
When Save Mount Diablo bought Curry Canyon Ranch, it was our largest and most expensive purchase ever. It had been at the top of our priority list since our founding in 1971.
Since its acquisition, we’ve been working to restore habitat on Curry Canyon Ranch and safely open trails throughout the property to the public.
