Rock City
Large granite formations on the slopes of Mount Diablo
Although the name sounds like the kind of place where I'd want to move, especially
those bleak days where San Francisco sometimes feels old and stodgy,
Rock City is a series of stone formations midway up the western slopes of Mount Diablo. It was near the apex
of a loop coming from the Macedo Ranch parking lot in Danville beginning with a climb to BBQ Terrace, a coast
down South Gate Road to Rock City, and then the final rush along the Wall Point fireroad back down to the car.
Photos
Click to expand
This is most of the way up the steep and steady slave grind to BBQ terrace, looking back down.
There's the Wall Point Ridge in the background, where we we'll be at soon.
So far the ride was hot, steep, and kind of boring.
Alright, here we are along South Gate Road. Whew. That canyon down there is where we came from, and the Wall Point
trail is on that ridge to the left in the distance.
Except for a few brief ascents it's pretty much downhill from here.
To the Right the hillsides are sloping toward the peak of Mount Diablo...
...well here it is. A little futher down South Gate Road, to the left, is a clear view of the summit.
Here's rock city. There's a lookout at the top of the big rock where you can climb.
The rest of the rocks slope left up the hill, where there is lots of carved grafitti around the picnic area.
This is along Wall Point Road, following the apex of a ridge offering splendid scenery down both sides.
The second shot shows one brief uphill stretch, but after that comes screaming downhill.
The setting sun just made all the views better. What a pleasant summer evening. Okay it's fall, but it still
feels like summer.
Maybe Rock City isn't the most exciting geological formation that I've seen, but the fast and scenic drops along
the Wall Point fireroad was a surprise hit that made the day.
(b. October 14, 2002)
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Alright, here we are along South Gate Road. Whew. That canyon down there is where we came from, and the Wall Point
trail is on that ridge to the left in the distance.
Except for a few brief ascents it's pretty much downhill from here.
To the Right the hillsides are sloping toward the peak of Mount Diablo...
...well here it is. A little futher down South Gate Road, to the left, is a clear view of the summit.
Here's rock city. There's a lookout at the top of the big rock where you can climb.
The rest of the rocks slope left up the hill, where there is lots of carved grafitti around the picnic area.
This is along Wall Point Road, following the apex of a ridge offering splendid scenery down both sides.
The second shot shows one brief uphill stretch, but after that comes screaming downhill.
The setting sun just made all the views better. What a pleasant summer evening. Okay it's fall, but it still
feels like summer.