Short Secret

Mount Diablo Secret Trail

Some secrets you keep to yourself; others are worth sharing. It might be no secret that Mount Diablo offers some of the best views in the state, but the trails weaving around it? With so many choices it's hard to know where to begin. This short and sweet hike is just under 3 miles (round-trip) and goes down before coming back up. Along the way you'll traverse lightly used trails like Ridge View and Secret Trail, where chances are you won't see a soul. The views amaze quickly, with far-reaching western vistas greeting you part way up Diablo's flank. Hike in the morning and you might be treated to a mystical blanket of fog down below. The first of your secret trails is Ridge View, where a quick ascent leads to towering views of Rock City's sandstone sculptures. The steepest part of the trail comes up quickly. The good news: it's downhill. But: this descent is serious (wear good shoes). It leads to Wall Point Road, where you'll enter a world of green lush forests of live oak, madrone, and buckeye trees. Within 0.5 mile you'll reach the actual Secret Trail. You're still in the forest, crossing streams, and then making your way back uphill. That's the short and sweet of it: don't worry, you can share this secret!

Park on South Gate Rd., just south of the junction with North Gate Rd. You'll see a small paved road leading to BBQ Terrace group camp; just south of that on the eastern side of the road is a pullout. Park here. Walk up to the Summit Trail, and turn right heading downhill. Cross the road and start Ridge View Trail. This T's into Wall Point Rd., where you turn right. Go half a mile and turn right on Secret Trail. This connects to BBQ Terrace Rd., where you turn right and go uphill back to your car. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View