Mt Diablo Pre-Spring Poppies

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Now’s the time to climb up Mt Diablo for the Pre-Spring show of poppies! The slopes are swathed in orange all along North Gate Rd up to the Junction Ranger Station. With the recent rains, you can hear and see the wonderful flow of water rushing along the creeks and drainage areas-it’s absolutely divine!

North Gate Rd from the Mt Diablo State Park North Gate Entrance Station to the Junction Ranger Station is 6.5 miles with an average grade of 6%.

north gate rd

Gorgeous flow of water along the creeks!

mt diablo flowing creeks

North Gate Rd towards Burma Trail.

north gate rd

Upper North Gate Rd to Diablo Ranch.

north gate rd

Fields of poppies-WOW!

field of poppies

North Gate towards the Junction Ranger Station.

north gate rd

Garmin Stats:
39 Miles with 2884′ of elevation gain-ride start from Martinez
Max elevation: 2114′
Max grade: 11%
Terrain: Extremely hilly
Weather: Sunny and warm with temps ranging from the low 50’s to the low 70’s with NW winds.

Click here to view the interactive route map & elevation profile