Save Mount Diablo expands free Discover Diablo hikes and outings program for 2022
Hikers trekking through Curry Canyon Ranch in May 2021. Photo by James Fong.
By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
Explore some of the East Bay’s premiere hiking spots with Save Mount Diablo in 2022, including areas rarely open to the public. The Discover Diablo hikes and outings series offers guided hikes and themed walks; mountain biking, rock climbing, and trail running events; and property tours, all free to the public. Trailblazers of all ages and skill levels are welcome.
In response to growing demand, Save Mount Diablo is offering hikes as well as new activities in the series for a total of 36 excursions. New offerings will include a plein air painting walk and a trail run.
The ever-popular tarantula walk will be offered twice, and we are offering three meditation hikes in 2022. We will also be offering rock-climbing and mountain-biking events, and bilingual hikes in Spanish and English.
Generously sponsored by the Martinez Refining Company, the 2022 Discover Diablo free public hikes and outings series will begin on January 22nd.
“Through the Discover Diablo series, people are fortunate to be able to explore and discover the beauty of Mount Diablo with experienced guides,” said Ann Notarangelo, Community Relations Manager for the Martinez Refining Company. “Our refinery has sponsored these hikes since 2017 in the hopes people will enjoy learning more about the mountain, while spending quality time with family and friends.”
The Discover Diablo program was started by Save Mount Diablo in 2017 to connect local communities with the amazing natural world of the Mount Diablo area and to build awareness about land conservation.
Hikes take place on one of Save Mount Diablo’s conserved properties or on a collaborating partner’s land that Save Mount Diablo helped to protect in years past. These include Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation 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. All Discover Diablo hikes are subject to, and will honor, all applicable COVID-19–related restrictions then in place for our area.
According to Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, “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 Mount Diablo natural area is taken care of for generations to come.”
There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo, so be sure to hit the trails in 2022 and find your own individual inspiration!
RSVP required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes and outings in March onward will open two months prior to each hike’s date.
See our full schedule of upcoming hikes and outings; view and RSVP online here: bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar
You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverDiablo
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SMD Discover Diablo hike
