Category: Trail Status

State Park, Interpretive Association sign trail; signals East Bay-Contra Costa segment is finished

by maryincalaveras, posted in East Bay-Contra Costa County, Segments, Trail Construction, Trail Status

Even more trail goodness! This time Mount Diablo State in the East Bay – Contra Costa County segment.

In June – September 2015, Mount Diablo State Park officials, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, town of Clayton, and the trail council worked together scouting potential alignments & attaching trail signs on posts. We are grateful to Mark Sinclair of State Parks, John Mercurio, and MDIA’s Mike and Ruth Ann Woodring for completing the state park signing.

The result: newly open trail entering the park from the southwest via the Briones-Mt Diablo Regional Trail (managed by East Bay Regional Park District) and from the northeast via the town of Clayton (home to MCCT trail-co founder George Cardinet Jr.)

Hooray!! The MCCT is now continuous between Martinez (and Berkeley) to Antioch’s Big Break Regional Shoreline, the gateway to the Delta. This announcement marks the 2nd completed MCCT segment, with three segments to go (another completed segment is planned to come online in 2018.)

Busy trail junction in Berkeley with Meadow Canyon Trail, East Bay Skyline Trail, & Bay Area Ridge Trail

View the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail map free on ArcGISOnline. After checking out the map, plan your trip in this segment using East Bay Regional Park District’s interpark regional trails info. Happy trails!

Open now: 7 mile loop trail overlooking Pardee Reservoir

by maryincalaveras, posted in Camanche - Pardee, John Bull Loop Trail, Trail Construction, Trail Status

We appreciate all you do, EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District)!

John Bull Trail is now open in MCCT’s Camanche-Pardee segment near Valley Springs in the Sierra Foothills. EBMUD’s announcement:

In our continuing efforts to support our trail users, we added a new loop trail located one and a half miles east of the Campo Seco Staging Area. This new segment of trail branches off the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail (MCCT) to the northwest at Lawry Flat, winding through beautiful rolling hills above Pardee Reservoir. Pardee View vista point (open now) and the spur trail to the top of John Bull Peak (elevation 1053 feet) which will open later this year, offer spectacular vistas of the surrounding watershed landscape.

John Bull opening flyer
Click to open PDF

Visit our Camanche-Pardee segment for trail permits, maps, weather tips and safety guidelines. Share photos and comments here or on our FB page.

Independence Flat Loop Trail Highlights

by maryincalaveras, posted in Camanche - Pardee, Trail Construction, Trail Status

This map shows MCCT’s last area under construction by EBMUD. June 2nd, National Trails Days, is set to be an historic day! EBMUD estimates this trail’s construction will finally be completed.

Notable facts:

    • Over 1.16 miles of abandoned water ditch between Middle Bar and Big Bar will be developed as part of the new Independence Flat loop trail
    • This loop does not extend or connect east to BLM’s new Mokelumne River Whitewater Trail Big Bar Launch & parking lot at Hwy 49
    • New river access will be available along the trail. EBMUD will provide this information after the loop trail is opened. View the Google map below to learn more about river access using EBMUD’s Middle Bar Take Out located just across the river

Progress to Date:

    • Conversion of ditch remains to trail tread started in August of 2011, relying on hand tools and hard work. On average, the crew completes 150 feet a day.
    • The cross-country portion of trail is being built on 60% to 75% cross slope using a 1-ton mini excavator. With around 1,050 feet of the cross country portion complete, that leaves a balance of about 400 feet. Several gulch crossings were also developed.

Saturday June 2, 2012 – National Trails Day on EBMUD’s MCCT Trail

by maryincalaveras, posted in Trail Status


 Assist EBMUD Rangers in building a portion of the proposed 300 mile Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail near Mokelumne Hill, California. From our start location we will hike in about 1 mile with our tools and gear to the job site.Participants should be prepared for warm to hot weather and bring a bag lunch, hiking shoes/boots (no open top shoes), backpack, ½ gallon of water minimum, sunscreen, insect repellent, long pants (to protect against stickers. poison oak & ticks), binoculars, and camera for the event.

This is a strenuous but rewarding work suitable for those 14 and older. Advanced registration required. RSVP with Ranger/Naturalist II Steve Diers

West Calaveras Rotary: Handshake

by maryincalaveras, posted in Business Partnerships, Camanche - Pardee, Images, Trail Status

The Trail Council provided a trail update yesterday at the invitation of the esteemed West Calaveras Rotary meeting at La Contenta Golf Club in Valley Springs. We highlighted what’s happening in their backyard along the Camanche-Pardee Reservoir shores. Here’s the short presentation:

Along the James Bar Trail near Valley Springs

Mitigated Negative Declaration for last piece of Camanche-Pardee segment

by maryincalaveras, posted in Trail Construction, Trail Status

East Bay Municipal Utility District released its notice of intent to adopt a mitigated negative declaration for the Middle Bar Segment project this week. They released the Negative Declaration too. The Middle Bar segment represents the one remaining piece of our Camanche-Pardee segment, and is located  from just below the hwy 49 bridge to the Middle Bar bridge.  Read the Cover Letter and Notice of Intent or check out the mitigated Negative Declaration and on file at EBMUD’s offices until 6/9/2011:

5883 East Camanche Parkway
Campo Seco, CA 95226
Contact: Kent Lambert 209-772-8340

A Kodak moment: MCCT opens for business in East Bay-Contra Costa

by maryincalaveras, posted in Diablo Foothills Regional Park, East Bay-Contra Costa County, Trail Status
an early 1990s photo with Mt. Diablo in the background

Diablo Foothills Regional Park will always hold a special place in our collective MCCT heart — for it is the first of the East Bay Regional parks to publish their website map showing the MCCT passing through it.

We’re so thankful and excited travelers will soon be able to hike from Martinez or Berkeley to the Antioch Bridge or Brentwood, following MCCT trail signs for almost the entire way.

MCCT invited to present to CA State Recreational Trails Committee

by maryincalaveras, posted in Funding, Publicity, Trail Status
Presenters l to r: Jennifer Tripp, Maryanne Vancio, Mary Boblet, Laura Thompson

California State Parks holds an annual Trails & Greenways Conference that brings in all the major trails managers and builders from around the state as well as the various and dedicated interest groups who use and maintain them. It truly is a great learning experience.

4 of the state’s major trail organizations were invited to speak on their trail’s progress and challenges at the annual CA State Recreational Trails Committee meeting held in conjunction with this conference last year.

Pacific Crest Trail — Jennifer Tripp with the Pacific Crest Trail Association reported on the founding, partners and length of this National Scenic Trail and the mission of the Association.

Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail — Mary Boblet with Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail Council reported on the organizational structure, location, goals, partners, and challenges of completing this 300 mile long route.

San Francisco Bay Trail— Laura Thompson from the Association of Bay Area Governments reported on the partners, funding and challenges with this trail.

Updating recreational trails near Contra Loma Recreation Area

by maryincalaveras, posted in East Bay-Contra Costa County, Trail Status

Do you visit this park located in the East Bay Regional Park District? In the next couple months the MCCT alignment through this area will be signed. If you have any suggestions or concerns about trail use here, please consider reading this notice and attending the upcoming public workshop. Thanks!

From the East Bay Regional Park District website: The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is preparing a Resource Management Plan (RMP) to guide future management of land and water resources for Contra Loma Reservoir and Recreation area. The East Bay Regional Park District manages recreation at the park under agreement with Reclamation. The Contra Costa Water District and the City of Antioch manage water and the Community Park under separate agreements.

Reclamation hosts its second RMP Development public workshop on Thursday, March 3, 6-8 PM at Prewett Family Park and Community Center (4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531). Workshop participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Learn about the process and timeline for Contra Loma planning and environmental review
  • Understand how community input has helped inform the process to date
  • Provide input on possible future actions and how they relate to uses, including recreation
  • Identify opportunities for improving resource management and recreational experiences at Contra Loma

“This monster is destined to become a hiking masterpiece”

by maryincalaveras, posted in Camanche - Pardee, Hiking reports, Publicity, Trail Status

What an awesome quote from Dean Fleming’s Calaveras County’s Sierra Lodestar article on local hiking trails. Continue reading his report on three pages, here, here & here.