Easier way to complete this route is to start at Bear Creek Staging Area and travel counter clockwise. The final 3 plus miles from the Overlook Staging Area is mostly downhill and mostly shaded.
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Great loop, completed in 4:55. Bring ample water and download course prior to hike - there are a couple intersections that could leave one vulnerable to a wrong turn. Enjoy!
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Good shade, amazing plant diversity and hardly anyone here most of the time. You’ll need a permit from EBMUD but it’s well worth it
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Great for quick access to nature with not a lot of people. Beware, lots of poison oak everywhere.
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Mostly exposed hike in EBMUD Pinole Valley Watershed. Signage at the trailhead clearly displays the trails for this hike. 7.7 miles and about 1200 ft elevation gain. Clockwise hiking deals with the steepest parts late in the hike; counterclockwise climbs early in the hike. Woodrat Trail in JMLT is lovely. If Martinez weather is cool and overcast, this is a great hike to “beat the east bay heat”.
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