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This a little-known route from the Briones’ Pine Tree Trailhead up the Vaca Creek Trail to JMLT's Almond Ranch. We started from Briones, but immediately cross Alhambra Valley Rd to the Vaca Creek Trail. After we were up on the ridge, we were explored JMLT’s Almond Ranch, Mt Wanda, and Sky and Dutra Ranches. We did hike 11 miles, 1700 ft of climbing
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Mount Wanda Hiking and Exploring - Named after his eldest daughter, Mt. Wanda is 326 acres of oak woods and grasslands. The Muir family never used it for fruit production, but as an escape for the daughters to take nature walks with “Papa”. Explore the hills where John Muir hiked with his two daughters, Wanda and Helen. Mount Wanda is open daily sunrise to sunset. Please come prepared, as no water or toilet facilities are available. Pets are permitted on a leash. Bicycles and horses are allowed on fire roads only. To access Mt. Wanda, travel ¼ mile south from the visitor center on Alhambra Avenue to the trail head parking lot next to Franklin Canyon Road.
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Mount Wanda and an adjacent homestead belonged to John Muir, and the naturalist and his family lived here from 1890 until Muir's death in 1914. Both properties, on the southern edge of Martinez, are now managed by the National Park Service. One hundred years ago this was a remote region that featured good access for Muir's trips to Yosemite. Now it's an oasis in a morass of urban sprawl. His home sits on the north side of CA 4, and Mount Wanda (named after one of his daughters), sits on the south side. From Mount Wanda's summit there are sweeping views of Mount Diablo and Northern Contra Costa County's rolling hills, as well as unobstructed Buttercups Ranunculus californicus along the trailvistas of industrial Martinez and some huge new homes on those surrounding hills. I suppose we should be thankful Mount Wanda has been preserved. This 325 acre parcel could easily have been developed as "John Muir Estates." If you can turn a deaf ear to the noise, and look past the smokestacks, Mount Wanda is delightful. You can touch trees that stood during Muir's tenure, and gaze over grassy hills dotted with the same annual flower display he admired year after year.
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