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Overview
Mount Diablo State Park is located near Walnut Creek, in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.
Birds
Notable Species
Mount Diablo is one of the best sites in the Bay Area for the chaparral specialties of coastal California: Wrentit, California Thrasher, and Bell's Sparrow. Its canyons also attract large numbers of migrant passerines in spring and fall.
Rarities
Townsend's Solitaire is a rare winter visitor. Black-chinned Sparrow nests irregularly in recently burned areas. Green-tailed Towhee has been recorded a few times in spring. There is one old record of Pileated Woodpecker wandering away from its usual habitat in coastal redwoods.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
"to do"
Other Wildlife
In 2005 the mountain's endemic wildflower, the Mount Diablo buckwheat, presumed extinct since it was last recorded in 1936, was rediscovered at an undisclosed location within the park.
Typical mammals include Coyote and Mule Deer.
Site Information
History and Use
Many of the park's roads and buildings were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
Areas of Interest
From the park's main entrance, South Gate Road switchbacks its way up the mountain to the observation point at the peak. The first parking area after the entrance is at Rock City (just before the road junction and ranger station). This is a good location for oak-forest species like Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, and Acorn Woodpecker, as well as migrant warblers like Hermit and Townsend's. After the junction the oak forest peters out into pure chaparral. Any of the numerous campgrounds and fire trails from here to the summit can hold such species as Wrentit, California Thrasher, Bell's Sparrow, and California Quail. The observation point at the summit has tremendous views of the Bay Area and the Central Valley; keep an eye out for Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, and White-throated Swift.
Mitchell Canyon on the north side of the mountain is one of the best migrant traps in the Bay Area. Mid-April and September are the peak of migration. Follow the trail south from the Mitchell Canyon parking lot; the floor of the valley along the creek is best for migrants, while the side trails (to Black Point and up White Canyon) hold chaparral species like California Thrasher, Bell's Sparrow, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Typical migrant warblers include Townsend's, Hermit, Audubon's Yellow-rump, Orange-crowned, Wilson's, Nashville, and Black-throated Gray. Other species found in migration include Cassin's Vireo, Hammond's, Dusky, and Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Calliope, Black-chinned, and Rufous Hummingbirds. Common Poorwill calls from the canyon on summer nights (June-July), but note that the parking lot closes at sunset.
Access and Facilities
Exit I-680 in Danville for South Gate Road and access to the peak. For Mitchell Canyon, take Mitchell Canyon Road south from Clayton Road in Clayton.
South Gate Road is open 8 am to sunset; Mitchell Canyon sunrise to sunset. There is a fee for parking and vehicle access.
Contact Details
Tel: 925-837-2525
