Best hike so far this year (maybe ever?!) today at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch!!!
We didn’t even get to explore a fraction of what this amazing park has to offer, but if you love hiking, don’t mind hills, are a bit fearless in terms of exploring unnamed/unmarked trails, can’t get enough of epic views, and have a pup who loves to romp (legally!) off-leash — well, have I got a hike for you!!!
We entered Black Diamond Mines at the main entrance on Somersville Rd. and parked at the lot where the road dead ends. The map was SUPER confusing (there are a bunch of trails close together, and it’s hard to sort out where you are), so we decided to wing it. We started out on the Stewartville Trail, but almost immediately encountered a turnoff for the Pittsburg Mine Trail. Hmm...stay on the wide, level, exposed, well-trafficked Stewartville trail (which looks like dozens of other trails we’ve hiked in the east hills) or turn onto the narrow, isolated Pittsburg Mine Trail, which seemed to head straight upwards as it immediately disappeared into dense brush?
Well, duh. The latter, obviously. 😉
Turned out to be the best decision EVER! The Pittsburg Mine Trail is definitely not for strollers or toddlers (my 4 year old had points where she had to scramble up the hills using her hands) or for people who freak out when they’re not entirely sure where they are. While I’ll call it a trail, it actually was more like a conglomeration of dozens of narrow paths that branched off and then reconnected (or not) as they traveled left, right, and up, up, up the hill. We didn’t see another human as we wove in and out under the canopy of trees, letting the kids or dog choose the trail at each junction (Why not? We had no plan!). We knew we wanted to get to the ridge, so ultimately we tried to steer up, but honestly, there is no way I could recreate the exact hike we took among all those winding paths. IT WAS AWESOME!
Eventually we did hit the ridge (and, I believe, the Ridge Trail), and were rewarded with incredible views and a fantastic picnic spot among the boulders. The vistas from the ridge were breathtaking. From one spot, we had a direct line to Mt. Diablo. From another, we could see both the Bay (and the wind farm on the far side — so cool!) and the broad expanse of the Central Valley.
At the ridge, we walked some distance on (I believe) the wider Chaparral and Ridge Trails (nothing was marked), before finding a small side trail that led us back to the start of the Pittsburg Mine Trail. The path was definitely challenging for the little one, but she enjoyed sliding down rocks on her bottom and made it unscathed. From the Pittsburg Mine Trail, we reconnected to the Stewartville Trail, and thus wrapped up the hike!
While the Pittsburg Mine trail was DEFINITELY not stroller-friendly, many of the other trails branching off from the central area above the parking lot appeared to be wider, with level tracks and a somewhat gentler grade (though still a lot of elevation gain over time). I think there are trails for everyone in this gorgeous park.
After our hike, we still weren’t quite done with our adventure. The park has a whole host of historic areas and mine shafts, as well as a cemetery dating from the early 19th century. We decided to take the short (but with a good elevation gain) hike up to the Rose Hill Cemetery for a bit of history.
The cemetery is a beautiful spot, but really, REALLY sad — it seemed like the majority of graves were for children or young mothers, and putting together the stories of these families from the headstones was just heartbreaking. I took the opportunity to remind my children how grateful we need to be for modern medicine (the cemetery guide said that many of the kids died from smallpox, scarlet fever, and rubella epidemics, all of which are vaccine-preventable today), then we headed off to raise our spirits with a picnic.
There are two large picnic areas — one right at the foot of the hill that leads to the cemetery, and one right next to the parking lot. They’re both nice, but the one further up the hill is definitely preferable. Both have restrooms — primitive, no flush ones, but clean and well-maintained.
There is no water available in the park, so bring plenty for yourself and your pup!
Overall, Black Diamond Mines is quite a hike (pun intended) from the South Bay — it took us over an hour to get there from San Jose — but it’s a great family adventure if you find yourself with a wide open day!
