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Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
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15 reviews for Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Hidden gem with incredible history! Hard to believe between 1860 and approx. 1900, there were five mining towns on the east side of Mt. Diablo. Black Diamond refers to coal which was mined. Only a few piles remain. All structures are long gone but 80 miles of mines were carved out in the hills! A few remain for tours but most were sealed off.
I ride my Mtn. Bike back here. Tough trails but stunning beauty. Personal favorite is backside of Stewartsville. It's about two miles from the parking lot. A plaque shows were town & mine existed. Nothing there now but trees & rolling hills. You have to see this place to comprehend it really existed. Tough hike/ride up "the Wall" but worth the effort.
Don't miss the short hike to check out the Cemetery! Headstones show how tough life must have been by dictating almost to the hour how long individuals life lasted. Six years, four months and 14 days.
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This park is really cool and definitely a place people should check out.Its nice to have something like this so close.The park is beautiful and there is so much to see.
To the rolling beautiful hills that surround you, would think you were you somewhere elsewhere.There is alot of history from the miners that used to live in this place that was once a small town.Theres a beautiful cemetery that rest s on a hill over looking the rolling beautiful hills of the bay area.Its very peaceful and serene.
This place is great to just escape if you need to time by yourself,explore and have a great overall workout while your at it.
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This place was super cool....and it was great to see it with my nephew Kyle and his cub scouts!
They have a cool cemetery you can hike up to and apparently there is a ghost that haunts it --- there's a good story behind it so ask about it during the mine tour!
We went on the Hazel-Atlas Mine Tour which was very enlightening, educational and really cool. They say its about 100 feet deep and its quite expansive inside....they keep it preserved like it was back in the day when it was a functional mine where they would mine for silica sand (stuff used to make glass bottles and such).
The tour guide was very knowledgeable despite it only being her 2nd week on the job, and she was from Trinidad!
Once inside the tour, they give you hard hats and flashlights and its very well lit inside.
Some things to keep in mind is that there are age restrictions for kids so they must be 7 or older and the groups cap out at 15 so you should really book ahead or be mindful of when the tours start.
You can find more info on their website: http://www.ebparks.org...
Although we didn't do too much hiking, I did see that there are trails for hikes as well as for horseback riding and for mountain bike riding.
Its quite an expansive park and has lush rolling hills and even an old school windmill and barn area that looks like a picturesque place during the "Little House and the Prarie" years, as if you've traveled back in time.
It was a bit chilly but I think in the summer it must get pretty warm and even more beautiful when the flowers fully bloom!
Definitely a great place to explore, check out and enjoy!
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This is a absolutely great park all year. Biking, hiking or walking you can have a blast even if you only go to the main entrance area. From a picnic to a full-on hike up to Somersville or out to who-knows.
There are fun single tack trails for those who like to blend away into the hills or jeep trails for those who want a comfortable distance from nature.
There are guided mine tours that take you as much as 800 feet into the mines originally carved out in the 1920s.
There is even the Rose Hill Cemetery that is just a mile or so up the hill on the west side from the entrance.
Came out to spend the afternoon hiking and when we drove up we were surprised to see the parking lot full. Turns out the mines were open for a free tour so we took advantage of that. We got a hard hat and flashlight and walked through the mines which were breathtaking. I would definitely go back and see them again.
Hiked around for another 2 hours on a beautiful, sunny, chilly day. Although there were a lot of people out the place is so huge that we didn't really run into too many. Hiked from the mines to the cemetery and back around to the parking lot. Not too strenuous but you can definitely make it harder. I would definitely go back!
Love this park as there is lots to see. It offers lots of trails through all different types of vegetation from grassland to forest. Also check out the mine tour which is really cool. Worth the drive.
It's beautiful here. The mines were closed for a retrofit when we visited last month however, the paths were all open for hiking! Some of the views are absolutely spectacular.
I think we walked 100 miles here. Bring lots of water b'cuz its hot and you are out in the open - totally exposed to the elements.
I want to visit the old cemetary on my next visit. I am told that you can still hear the galloping of horses carrying buggies at night. VERY cool.
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Such a gorgeous park year round.
History
Caves
tons of trails
What else can ask for?
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This is a great place to take your dog out for a good long hike since they allow them off leash. In addition to hiking you can also mountain bike and horseback ride here. There is a nice mix of terrain for any fitness level and on our recent Sunday trip it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Cows graze in the open grassland while just over the hill is a wooded canyon. After you're done hiking head on over to the nearby In and Out as a reward.
Memorable backcountry camping. When I think of my favorite places to go camping in this area, Black Diamond Mines comes to mind first. Beautiful California ranch land and chaparral.
Stewartville Backpack Camp: Just about 3 miles from parking lot. A hot (I went in the summer), memorable walk. I was amazed to think that folks did this every day. Unfortunately, you must pack in all of your water. There is a stagnant little horse trough at the site, but I wouldn't recommend you filter that water for drinking. This walk takes you to the site of the Stewartville mining town, along the miner's trail. The camp site is on the border of the town, now an empty field. At night we heard coyotes. Also cows. Boy, cows are really noisy eaters and they seem to eat grass all night long.
Visitor's Center and main area: There's an interesting cemetery and the mines themselves are fun to check out.
Black Diamond Mine is also a rattlesnake preserve or something. I saw my first ever rattlesnake here, while walking along the trail.
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A fascinating area that is probably best visited in the spring and fall because it gets very hot here in the summer and there are very few trees to hide under. Mostly used for cattle grazing, but the mines are open now and are supposed to be bigger. I did the Stewartville Van Tour and we saw tons of wildflowers then ate lunch at the picnic area. A lot of rich history here about the coal mining era with three townsites to visit besides the mine.
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We did a long hike here at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve on Mon. 12/31/07. This is probably my 3rd time here but it must be hella big because every time there's always something new that I haven't seen. This park is not named for black diamonds but Coal Mines.
It took 1hr20 min to drive from Fremont to this park. Since it was Mon. we didn't have to pay the $5 entrance fee. The $5 entrance fee is when someone is there at the kiosk & Seasonal, weekends only.
We parked at the Park Office parking lot where there's a lot of parking. 2 pit toilets (separate m/w) available. There's another parking lot up the road closer to the Rose Hill Cemetery.
We hiked the River View Loop trail, River view trail, Lark trail, Carbondale trail, Saddle trail, Stewartville trail, Corcoran Mine Trail (steep), & acorn trail. I think we must have done over 10+miles. Hiked w/ breaks & lunch from 9:30a-4:15p.
Highlights:
Views of the Delta, Central Valley, & the Sierra w/ snow capped tops. Cool.
Also checked out Prospect Tunnel where you can walk 200 ft of the 400-ft tunnel, bring a flashlight since it's dark inside, can be warm in the winter inside there. "This tunnel was driven driven in the 1860s by miners in search of commercial-quality coal" from the park brochure.
Hope to check out the Hazel-Atlas Mine Tour available weekends March-Nov, from their website:
"From the mid-1920s to the mid-1940s, the Hazel-Atlas Mine produced silica sand to make jars, bottles, and other glass items. Today, tour participants can take a 400-foot walk into the mine to see mine workings, ore chutes, the shifter's office (mine boss), and ancient geological features. Because of its size and the need for safety, visitors will be taken in only on guided tours, with a limit of 15 persons per tour (minimum age seven years, parental participation is required). First come/first served tours lasting 45 minutes to an hour are offered at noon and 3 p.m. weekends only March through November. Arrive at least an hour early to have time to get to the mine entrance and to ensure a spot on the tour. The tour costs $3 per person, and tickets can be purchased at the Greathouse Visitor Center. Hour-long, advance-reservation tours are offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. on weekends March through November. A 10 a.m. tour is available on weekends (March through November) to groups of 10 or more by advance-reservation only. For advance-reservation tours, call 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757, option 2, then 3).
School groups (third grade and up) and other organized groups (10 persons minimum) can take a mine tour on weekdays. Advance reservations are required: call (925) 757-2620 for information. "
Recommended.
Website:
http://www.ebparks.org...
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Update: On Sun 4/6/08 I was able to check out the Hazel-Atlas mine for FREE on their Grand Re-Opening weekend. It was Great because it was FREE & since we were there by 9am & nobody in the booth we got in FREE too, normally it's $5 on weekends.
They make you wear a hardhat they provide & let you borrow a flashlight. That was nice. Docents were available for answering questions. The visitor center was closed due to renovation or something that's why it was FREE.
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Great tours! Good for children....love it there!
Awesome park with a ton of trails, history, nature, mining, and informative rangers and naturalists. This is a great place to explore in the fall or spring.
I counted bats here- woo! hoo!
