Mount Diablo State Park

A Bay Area highlight, Mount Diablo might be in the shadows of grander mountains, but it sure doesn't scrimp on showing off the best of Northern California by offering one of the longest views of the earth's surface from atop a peak (the winner is Mt. Kilimanjaro). From the top of this 3849-feet peak on a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean, the Cascades, and the Sierra Nevada (some claim you can spot Yosemite, but I've never been so lucky). Hikers enjoy the Juniper Trail or the aptly named Summit Trail to reach the peak, while less able-footed folks can motor to the top. Along the way are waterfalls, wildflowers, campsites, a rock long ...

A Bay Area highlight, Mount Diablo might be in the shadows of grander mountains, but it sure doesn't scrimp on showing off the best of Northern California by offering one of the longest views of the earth's surface from atop a peak (the winner is Mt. Kilimanjaro). From the top of this 3849-feet peak on a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean, the Cascades, and the Sierra Nevada (some claim you can spot Yosemite, but I've never been so lucky). Hikers enjoy the Juniper Trail or the aptly named Summit Trail to reach the peak, while less able-footed folks can motor to the top. Along the way are waterfalls, wildflowers, campsites, a rock long considered to have satanic properties (or at least look a bit like the devil), and plenty of wildlife.

About the Expert

Michele Bigley is the author of Northern California: An Explorer's Guide and Great Destinations Kauai from Countryman Press.