Save Mount Diablo expands free Discover Diablo Hikes and Outings Program for 2023
Discover Diablo hikers exploring in Del Puerto Canyon. Photo by Sean Burke.
Begins January 21st
By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
CONTRA COSTA, STANISLAUS, AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES— Explore some of the East Bay’s premiere hiking and natural areas with Save Mount Diablo in 2023, including places rarely open to the public. The Discover Diablo outings series offers guided hikes, themed walks, and other outdoor activities: mountain biking; rock climbing; trail running; meditation in nature; plein air painting events; and property tours. All are free to the public. Trailblazers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to choose appropriate outings from our extensive offerings.
In response to growing demand, Save Mount Diablo is offering a total of 36 excursions. The ever-popular tarantula walk will be offered twice, and we are offering two plein air painting walks, two meditation hikes, and a trail run in 2023.
We will also be offering rock-climbing outings, mountain-biking events, and bilingual hikes in Spanish and English.
Generously sponsored by the Martinez Refining Company, the 2023 Discover Diablo free public hikes and outings series will begin on January 21.
“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.”
Discover Diablo hikers checking out the view from Bob Walker Ridge in Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. Photo by Jennifer Willen
The Discover Diablo program was started by Save Mount Diablo in 2017 to connect local communities with the spectacular natural world of the Mount Diablo area and to build awareness about land conservation.
Hikes and outings take place on one of 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, Stanislaus County, 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. 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 associated natural areas are taken care of for generations to come.”
There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo and within its sustaining Diablo Range, so be sure to hit the trails in 2023 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 schedule of upcoming hikes and outings below or view and RSVP online here: https://savemountdiablo.org/what-we-do/educating-and-inspiring-people/discover-diablo-hikes-outings/
You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverDiablo
Questions about hike program details and RSVP information: Denise Castro, Education and Outreach Associate, Save Mount Diablo C: 925-286-9327, dcastro@savemountdiablo.org
the attachments to this post:
SMD DD Del Puerto Canyon (Sean Burke)
SMD DD Bob Walker Ridge hike (Jennifer Willen)
2023 Discover Diablo Hike Poster_Page_2
2023 Discover Diablo Hike Poster_Page_1
