Featured hike
Mile:
0.0: Start at the park and ride lot, and walk along the side of Franklin Canyon Road toward the railroad trestle. After about 200 feet, turn left just past the John Muir National Historic Site sign, walk up a few steps, and turn left.
0.6: Junction. Turn right onto John Muir Nature Trail.
1.3: John Muir Nature Trail ends at a signed junction. Turn left.
1.4: An unsigned fire road departs to the right. Bear right.
1.5: A fire road feeds in from the left. Continue straight.
1.6: Take an unsigned path left, to Mount Wanda's summit.
1.6: Hilltop. Retrace your steps back down the path to the fire road, turn right, heading north.
1.8: Junction with trail heading right. Continue straight.
2.0: Previously encountered junction with John Muir Nature Trail. Continue straight/right and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
2.6 Back at the trailhead.
Getting there:
• Most directions instruct you to exit CA 4 at Alhambra Avenue (exit 14), turn south, then turn right (immediately, if you're traveling east) onto Franklin Canyon Road, and make an immediate left into the parking lot. I'm not crazy about CA 4, and prefer to reach Mount Wanda via the following directions:
• From CA 24 in Contra Costa County, exit Pleasant Hill Road (exit 9). Drive north on Pleasant Hill Road about 2 miles, then stay to the left on Taylor, which feeds into Alhambra Avenue in Pleasant Hill. Continue north on Alhambra Avenue about 3 miles, then, just before the junction with Highway 4 (you'll see a railroad trestle), turn left onto Franklin Canyon Road. Make an immediate left into an unmarked lot.
GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude
Longitude
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Read about this hike in more detail and view photos at http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/wanda.html
© 2019 Jane Huber/Bay Area Hiker