Completed: May 20, 2023 | Elevation: 1,688′ | Trail: Maguire Peaks Trail | Distance: 5.9 (roundtrip). From Upper Maguire Peak Trail, roundtrip closer to 6.3 miles.
After completing our hike to Flag Hill near the Visitor Center, we drove out of the park and re-entered on Welch Creek Road. A single, narrow lane, it’s fortunate we didn’t encounter cars coming in the other direction. We decided to park near Upper Maguire Peak Trailhead, located near the 1.6 mile marker. There are two turnouts with room to park one or two cars on each one. It’s a good thing that we were the first ones there.
The trail started on the other side of the creek and followed a brook that runs through the steep canyon. It was overgrown with thistle, leaving me with the impression that not many people come this way.
When we climbed out of the canyon, we found ourselves on the side of the hill, with expansive views of the rolling hills. The trail headed down between the hills and eventually met up with Maguire Peak Trail. The first 0.84 miles – the section right before hitting the loop—was on a wide, gravel path, with gentle ups and downs, passing grassy fields and lightly forested sections.
When we arrived at the loop, we decided to go clock-wise and walked through a grassy clearing in between two hills. The trail was mostly level for the first 2.5 miles as we walked along the hill side. We walked along the flank of Maguire hill and then the trail started climbing as we went between two hills and then saw a bench right at the spur to go up to the peak.
Before tackling the peak, we sat down and enjoyed the sweeping vistas while eating our empanadas from Pampas Cafe. We could see the traffic on Highway 580, stretching from the bay to the Altamont Pass. Just beyond it, Mt. Diablo punctuated the horizon.
Fueled up, we grabbed our poles and hiked 15 minutes on a short, steep trail to Maguire Peak. The top was flat, crowned by some trees and bushes on one end. We had 360° views of the regional wilderness. The best part is that we were the only ones up there.
After descending, we continued on our loop, which was all downhill, and retraced our steps back to the car.
Two down, one more to go. Fortunately, our next hike to Vista Grande, farther down Welch Creek Road, was going to be a short one.
Find an overview of our Sunol Regional Wilderness hikes here.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
We had encountered very few people on the trail and loved the remoteness of this hike. We really did feel like we were in the wilderness, and the overgrown trails contributed to the wildness of the area. It’s crazy to think that we used to live so close to this area, even driving right through it, yet never discovered this park. It goes to show that sometimes it requires being more intentional, and having a Nifty Ninety challenge, to get out and explore.
Additional Info
- Parking along Welch Creek Road requires a permit that can be obtained at the park entrance located on Geary Road.