CONTRA COSTA, ALAMEDA, STANISLAUS, AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES—Explore some of the East Bay’s premiere hiking and natural areas with Save Mount Diablo in 2026, including places normally closed to the public.
The Discover Diablo outings series offers guided hikes, themed walks, and other outdoor activities: mountain biking; rock climbing; meditation in nature; plein air painting events; and property tours.
New this year are a Green Ranch rove, and a Spanish language hike at Pine Canyon.
We’ll also be continuing much-loved events in 2026 including
- rock climbing at Mount Diablo State Park and Pinnacles National Park,
- stargazing with the Mount Diablo Astronomical Society,
- our Mitchell Canyon medicinal herb walk,
- our LGBTQIA+ hike with Branching Out Adventures,
- Pinnacles condor hikes, and
- our tarantula treks!
All events are free to the public. Trailblazers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to choose appropriate outings from our extensive offerings.
Save Mount Diablo is offering a total of 37 excursions in 2026.
The 2026 Discover Diablo free public hikes and outings series will begin on January 25 with Mary Bowerman’s 117th birthday hike.
The Discover Diablo program began in 2017 to connect local communities to the spectacular natural world of the Mount Diablo area and to build awareness about land conservation.
Hikes and outings take place at Save Mount Diablo’s conserved properties or on park lands in the Diablo Range.
These include Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation, Contra Costa Water District, Stanislaus County Parks, and National Park Service lands.
Discover Diablo hikes are guided by experts steeped in the natural history and lore of the region, who both educate and entertain while emphasizing the breathtaking beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer.
Save Mount Diablo hopes the Discover Diablo series will spark a passion for the Diablo Range and deepen people’s connections to the land and nature.
Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, stated, “It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo, and the land, helping our communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard. Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants, as that is what it will take to ensure the precious Diablo natural areas are taken care of for generations to come.”
There is something right for anyone to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo and within its sustaining Diablo Range, so be sure to hit the trails in 2026 and find your own individual inspiration!
RSVPs required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes and outings will open one month prior to each hike’s date.
See our schedule of upcoming hikes and outings; view and RSVP online on our Discover Diablo web page.
You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverDiablo
Summary: CONTRA COSTA, ALAMEDA, STANISLAUS, AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES—Discover Diablo is Save Mount Diablo’s free public hikes and outings series, offering an annual schedule of guided walks; hikes; and rock-climbing, mountain-biking, meditation, and plein air painting outings open to all trailblazers.
The 2026 Discover Diablo free public hike series will begin January 25. Discover Diablo offers 37 events throughout 2026—either taking place on a Save Mount Diablo property or hosted on a public agency’s land.
Join Save Mount Diablo in exploring some of California’s most beautiful wild lands and open spaces.
Who: Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and sustaining Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources.
To learn more, please visit our website.
What: Save Mount Diablo’s 2026 Discover Diablo annual free public hikes and outings program. Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s series of free guided hikes; walks; and mountain-biking, rock-climbing, meditation, and plein air painting outings, shares a taste of Diablo’s wild lands in just a morning, evening, or afternoon.
When: An annual program that offers 37 free public events in the outdoors throughout the year.
Where: Contra Costa County (Walnut Creek, Clayton, Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Danville, and San Ramon), Alameda County (Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton), Stanislaus County (Patterson), and San Benito County (Hollister and San Juan Bautista).
How: RSVP required on Eventbrite or on our website. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes and other events will open one month prior to each event’s date.
Visit Save Mount Diablo’s website to view the Discover Diablo hikes and outings calendar for a schedule of upcoming events.
Why: In support of Save Mount Diablo’s mission, the Discover Diablo free public hikes and outings program seeks to build awareness of local land conservation efforts and convey the importance of protecting open space for habitat and recreation. We intend to reach audiences from all over the Bay Area.
Image Credits and Captions:
- Discover Diablo hikers searching for condors on our Pinnacles condor photography hike. Photo: Scott Hein
- People enjoying our Discover Diablo hike looking for newts at Briones Regional Park. Photo: Emily Sherwood
- Exploring a vertical world through rock climbing with Discover Diablo. Photo: Sean Burke
High-resolution photos are available upon request. Contact lkindsvater@savemountdiablo.org.
Questions about hike program details and RSVP information:
Kendra Smith, Save Mount Diablo
MEDIA CONTACT:
Laura Kindsvater, Senior Communications Manager
C: 925-451-8376, lkindsvater@savemountdiablo.org
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