It was a gorgeous Saturday, and my hiking buddy had routed out a new adventure hike for us: Black Diamond Mines.\u00a0 This Regional Preserve is an East Bay Park, comprised of rolling hills and scattered oak trees near Antioch, California.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
We purposely chose a date in March to explore Black Diamond Mines.\u00a0 It turned out this was the perfect time to hike this area for multiple reasons: wildflowers, lack of rattlesnakes, and decent temperatures. \u00a0 Because of the lack of tree coverage, I could see how this area would be a difficult hike in the heat of summer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
From where we parked our car, we trekked up and down multiple hills, opened gates, passed among herds of cows, and visited abandoned mine shafts.\u00a0 There were multiple sites of old mining towns with literature posted about these sites.\u00a0 I don\u2019t consider myself a history-buff, but it was all very interesting.\u00a0 The park map we acquired at the trail head was helpful, but the crossroads on the hike weren\u2019t marked perfectly.\u00a0 We struggled with directions at some intersections.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This hike is most suitable for adults and young strong hikers.\u00a0 It might not be a good option for really young children due the length of the hike and the overall terrain. \u00a0 Exploring the mine shafts is fun, but it is quite a trek to get to these locations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you decide to go on this hike, I would make a few suggestions of items to bring:\u00a0 a head-lamp, a decent hiking GPS service to assist you, and plenty of water. \u00a0 Be sure to map out your hike before you go.\u00a0 And, be sure your cellphone is well-charged. \u00a0 Our hike drained our batteries, mostly because we were using our phones to assist with mapping our location.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
We covered about thirteen miles on our trek, and we loved every minute of the hike. \u00a0 Depending on where you live in the San Francisco Bay, it may take some time to drive there, but it is well worth the effort.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Laura D<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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It was a gorgeous Saturday, and my hiking buddy had routed out a new adventure hike for us: Black Diamond Mines.\u00a0 This Regional Preserve is an East Bay Park, comprised of rolling hills and scattered oak trees near Antioch, California.\u00a0\u00a0 We purposely chose a date in March to explore Black Diamond Mines.\u00a0 It turned out … <\/p>\n