Curry
Point Trailhead,
Mount Diablo State Park,
California State Parks,
Contra Costa County
In brief:
4 mile out and back through grassland and chaparral, to the curious Balancing
Rock. Excellent wildflowers in spring.
Getting there:
From Interstate 680 in Contra Costa County, exit Diablo Road (exit 39). Follow
the green "parks" signs: drive east on Diablo Road (turn right to continue
on Diablo Road at El Cerro), then turn left at the (stop sign) junction with Blackhawk
onto Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard. Drive north on Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard,
which morphs into South Gate Road at the park boundary. Drive carefully uphill
on this narrow road (watch out for bicyclists) to the entrance kiosk. Then continue
about 1.5 miles to the broad flat parking lot on the right side of the road (the
Curry Point sign is near the start of the trail, but it's the first parking lot
past Rock City).
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.9 mile out and back hike is easy, with about 480 feet in
elevation change. Trailhead elevation is about 1745 feet. From this trailhead
you can climb or descend in every direction, so hikes can range from short and
easy to long and grueling. The featured hike dips to about 1579 feet, and the
high point is around 1850 feet.
Trailhead details:
Pay entrance fee at the kiosk (if staffed). No drinking water or toilet facilities
at the trailhead. There is a map under glass. Paper maps and pay phone are available
at the entrance kiosk, and there are restrooms at Rock City. No designated handicapped
parking. Trails are unobstructed, but poorly suited to wheelchairs. There is no
direct public transit to the park.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, and restaurants back near Highway 680 in Danville. The park has group
campgrounds and individual campsites. Visit MDIA's
website for more info.
Rules:
Most trails are multi-use. Some trails are open to equestrians and hikers only.
No dogs. Gates open at 8 and close at sunset. The park is open from 8 a.m. to
45 minutes before sunset.
The Official Story:
CSP's
Mount Diablo page
Mount Diablo Ranger Station 925-837-6129
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Download the park
map pdf from CSP's website.
• Mount Diablo (& Surrounding Parks) map, published by Mount
Diablo Interpretive Association, is invaluable (order at http://www.mdia.org).
• David Weintraub's East Bay Trails has a good map and descriptions
of a hike departing from this trailhead (order
this book from Amazon.com).
Curry
Point in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured
hike.
• View photos from this
hike.
Diablo's Curry Point Trailhead is a
popular staging area on the mountain's southeastern flank. With elevation around
1745 feet, Curry Point is almost halfway up the mountain, and it's a good starting
point for some of Diablo less grueling hikes. It's possible to hike to the summit,
but the two routes to the top have disadvantages over the preferred Mitchell Canyon
routes. Summit Trail follows along South Gate Trail for a few miles, and most
hikers will not be pleased with the attendant traffic noise. The other route;
Curry Canyon Road to Frog Pond Road, Alder Creek Road, Green Ranch Road, and then
Summit Trail, is a long meandering 10-mile round trip. Preferred Curry Point routes
explore the rock formations and chaparral of Knobcone Point, the sycamores, California
bays, buckeyes, maples, and coast live oaks of shaded Curry Canyon Road, and the
tiny ponds sprinkled through the grassland around Frog Pond Road. Hikers out for
a long out-and-back trek can start at Curry Point, traverse Blackhawk Ridge and
Oyster Point, and walk all the way to the park boundary on Black Hawk Road and
Oyster Point Road/Trail.
These broad fire roads to the south and east travel
through interesting 
and
varied plant communities. In winter manzanitas flower and the hills begin to green.
Spring brings copious wildflowers to the rolling hills. Even after most of the
grassland wildflowers fade in late spring, chaparral plants such as chamise and
chaparral pea bloom along Knobcone Point, and a few late blooming wildflowers
line the riparian corridors. In the stupefying heat of summer the plants fail
to impress, but in autumn maples, sycamores, and deciduous oaks put on a foliage
show.
For the featured hike, begin on signed multi-use
Curry Canyon Road. In spring, the grassy hills on the sides of the nearly
level wide fire road are dotted with lupines and Ithuriel's spear. There are unobstructed
views north to the summit, and glimpses of huge boulders south near Rock City.
After just 0.11 mile, Knobcone Point Road begins on the right at a signed junction.
Continue straight (Curry Canyon Road veers left) on Knobcone Point Road.
Knobcone 
Point
Road, open to equestrians, cyclists, and hikers, begins a gentle descent, with
occasional clusters of coast live oak providing some shade. A few gray pines can
be spotted along the trail. At 0.68 mile, Devil's Slide Trail begins on the right
side of the trail at a signed junction. Continue on Knobcone Point Road.
The trail makes a brief climb through mixed woods,
where you might see Mount Diablo fairy lanterns in May. As the trail crests, it
meets Black Hawk Road at a signed junction at 0.83 mile. Continue to the left
on Knobcone Point Road.
Knobcone Point Road keeps a mostly level course
as it wanders into chaparral. Chamise, black sage, sticky monkeyflower, manzanita,
ceanothus, pitcher sage, yerba santa, and chaparral pea accompany gray and knobcone
pine. Climbing along the ridge, the trail offers wonderful views of distant rock
formations to the right. There's a rustic picnic bench off the trail on the left,
just before Knobcone Point Road begins a slow climb through chaparral, with very
little shade. You may see a few madrones, coast live, and blue oaks, but the previously
mentioned plants dominate. A signpost marks a faint dead-end trail on the left.
As you climb along Knobcone Point Road, look back to the northwest for outstanding
views, and a recap of the hike so far. You may even be able to see your car at
the trailhead. The trail levels out, and views diminish as the slopes leading
to Knobcone Point rise up on the right. Oaks shade the fire road. At 1.76 miles,
marked by a parks sign, the trail reaches Balancing Rock on the right side of
the trail. The formation is comprised of a huge boulder, perched on a smaller
rock. You can turn around here if you want, but walk a bit further to the park
border, at 1.96 miles. The boundary is somewhat signed, but a fence stretched
across the road and a dead-end fire road on the right also mark the transition.
From here, there are nice views of more rock formations to the south. When ready,
retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: 3.92 miles
Last hiked: Friday, May 11, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
popular staging area on the mountain's southeastern flank. With elevation around
1745 feet, Curry Point is almost halfway up the mountain, and it's a good starting
point for some of Diablo less grueling hikes. It's possible to hike to the summit,
but the two routes to the top have disadvantages over the preferred Mitchell Canyon
routes. Summit Trail follows along South Gate Trail for a few miles, and most
hikers will not be pleased with the attendant traffic noise. The other route;
Curry Canyon Road to Frog Pond Road, Alder Creek Road, Green Ranch Road, and then
Summit Trail, is a long meandering 10-mile round trip. Preferred Curry Point routes
explore the rock formations and chaparral of Knobcone Point, the sycamores, California
bays, buckeyes, maples, and coast live oaks of shaded Curry Canyon Road, and the
tiny ponds sprinkled through the grassland around Frog Pond Road. Hikers out for
a long out-and-back trek can start at Curry Point, traverse Blackhawk Ridge and
Oyster Point, and walk all the way to the park boundary on Black Hawk Road and
Oyster Point Road/Trail.
and
varied plant communities. In winter manzanitas flower and the hills begin to green.
Spring brings copious wildflowers to the rolling hills. Even after most of the
grassland wildflowers fade in late spring, chaparral plants such as chamise and
chaparral pea bloom along Knobcone Point, and a few late blooming wildflowers
line the riparian corridors. In the stupefying heat of summer the plants fail
to impress, but in autumn maples, sycamores, and deciduous oaks put on a foliage
show. 
Point
Road, open to equestrians, cyclists, and hikers, begins a gentle descent, with
occasional clusters of coast live oak providing some shade. A few gray pines can
be spotted along the trail. At 0.68 mile, Devil's Slide Trail begins on the right
side of the trail at a signed junction. Continue on Knobcone Point Road.
just before Knobcone Point Road begins a slow climb through chaparral, with very
little shade. You may see a few madrones, coast live, and blue oaks, but the previously
mentioned plants dominate. A signpost marks a faint dead-end trail on the left.
As you climb along Knobcone Point Road, look back to the northwest for outstanding
views, and a recap of the hike so far. You may even be able to see your car at
the trailhead. The trail levels out, and views diminish as the slopes leading
to Knobcone Point rise up on the right. Oaks shade the fire road. At 1.76 miles,
marked by a parks sign, the trail reaches Balancing Rock on the right side of
the trail. The formation is comprised of a huge boulder, perched on a smaller
rock. You can turn around here if you want, but walk a bit further to the park
border, at 1.96 miles. The boundary is somewhat signed, but a fence stretched
across the road and a dead-end fire road on the right also mark the transition.
From here, there are nice views of more rock formations to the south. When ready,
retrace your steps back to the trailhead. 