NorCal Dog Trails: Morgan Territory

Near Mt. Diablo
Trip Type: Trail Run
Elevation: 1200 - 2300
Distance: 8 Miles
Surface: Dirt
Vegetation: Pasture

This weekend Lori was competing in an orienteering meet in at Morgan Territory. No dogs were allowed on the race course, so Presto and I took the opportunity to check out the trails around the park. Spring is definitely the time to explore the east bay hills. Instead of being coated in brown, mostly-dead grass, bearing an assortment of thorns and spines resembling a medieval armory (think morning stars), the landscape is covered in fresh green grass and wildflowers along with the spotty groves of oak trees that provide some shade here and there.

Getting There:

Head East on 580 to Livermore. Exit at N Livermore Ave and head north. After the 90-degree turn hit a right on Morgan Territory Road and climb the windy, 1-lane-ish road to the staging area just over roads highest point.

Climbing above the fog on the way to Morgan Territory. That's Livermore down there.

The Route:

I started out on the Coyote Trail, which drops about 600 feet through a shady canyon in about a mile, then climbed back up 400 feet on the Stone Corral Trail. [This added some variety to a route that's mostly on open firetrails, but adds gratuitous climbing. An alternate route over the Volvon Trail would save that back-climb and afford some nice views out into the Central Valley. This would also be legal on a bike, while the Coyote Trail is not.] Then I rolled another 600 feet downhill on the Eagle and Bay Creek Trails to the lowest trailhead in the park. Obnoxiously, the gate here was padlocked shut and I had to climb over while Presto snuck under the barbed wire. This would be less than ideal with a bike and/or larger dog... The Bay Creek Trail doesn't quite meet up with the trailhead for the Raven Trail so you need to walk a short distance on the Road. (About 100 meters). The trailheads in this part of the park aren't marked well, so don't fall for the fake turn-off just before the real one. Look for the large (also padlocked! A*holes!) gate, not the old gate over a dis-used road growing lots of underbrush. On the trail take the first right to climb 1000 ft up to the highest point in the park at the intersection of the Raven Creek and Highland Ridge Trails. This minor peak offers great views of Mt. Diablo, the Berkeley Hills and the Central Valley. Take the Highland Ridge Trail to the CYMA and cruise on back the parking area with only some minor back climbing. I shortcut this route by about a mile and skipped a couple hundred feet of back climb by cutting down an open grassy ridge on a use-trail where the CYMA trail was just a few hundred yards below the Highland ridge trail. In summer this might not be a great option though, depending on how well armed the grass is... All told just over 2000 feet of total climb in 8 miles.

I didn't take my camera with me on this run, but here are some pictures from the park on a different trip by mountain bike. Enjoy.