Completed: May 14, 2023 | Elevation: Mission Peak – 2,517′, Monument Peak – 2,594′ | Trail: Peak and Bay Area Ridge Trail (Out & Back) | Distance: 11.5 miles
Getting to the top of iconic Mission Peak is probably one of the Bay Area’s best known hikes, yet this was my first time summiting it and possibly Chris’ although he couldn’t quite remember. I suppose this says a lot about our limited range of exploration despite how long we’ve both lived San Francisco, and a reason why challenging ourselves to accomplish the Nifty Ninety peaks in one year has been really good for seeing parts of the Bay Area we’d otherwise not consider going to.
While reaching the top of Mission Peak is more popular, it is not the highest peak in Mission Peak Regional Preserve. That distinction goes to Monument Peak, tucked farther back, near the border with Ed Levin County Park. Our goal was to tackle both in one long hike. Although there are multiple ways to achieve this, we chose the more widely used route following the Peak Trail from Ohlone College.
Anticipating a long day, we arrived at the parking structure a little after 8:00 A.M. I wasted about 10 minutes trying to find the ticket machine. Fortunately, it was easier to follow signs to the trailhead, a short distance up a paved road. We started gradually through a bright yellow field of head-high mustard before the trail turned sharply and continued climbing, hugging the side of the hill, before leveling off for a bit.
Past the “pond” that had completely overflowed from the rains and submerged part of the trail, we entered a patch of forest which provided a brief respite from the sun. Back out in the open, we kept ascending and at 2.5 miles, having gained more than 1,500 feet, reached a major junction (there’s a toilet here). The peak was now less than a mile away.
We walked up a steep, rutted section and then traversed the slope before turning to follow the ridge line up to the top. Upon reaching the summit we were greeted, by a line of people waiting to get their photo taken next to the Mission Peeker. I only learned about this pole’s interesting history and purpose after the fact. Fortunately, I don’t think I was the only person oblivious to all this as I didn’t see a single person look through the many knob-like attachments. Definitely amazing views to be had but the sheer number of people ruined the ambiance for me.
After our obligatory photo with the Mission Peeker, we continued our hike and left the crowds behind, crossing the peak and coming down the other side onto the Bay Area Ridge Trail. We walked past Mount Allison and between rolling green hills. Just before 5.5 miles, we came to a junction and made the mistake of following the Bay Area Ridge Trail/Monument Peak Trail sign towards some communication towers. It didn’t take more than 5 minutes before we realized that we had gone the wrong way and should have stayed straight/left on the trail. Coming back onto the main trail I almost stepped on a baby rattlesnake.
From here was it less than half a mile to the top of Monument Peak. There was no fancy marker, just a slab of concrete and a cluster of rocks, however, the absolute lack of people and equally amazing views made it a much better experience. We took a break and ate our lunch while enjoying the peace and solitude.
Refueled, we retraced our steps back to the foothill of Mission Peak.
We decided to circumvent Mission Peak by taking Grove Trail, which we discovered was not signed. We found ourselves down by McClure Spring before realizing we had gone too far and had to back track. The first section of the trail felt more like a cow path with lots of ruts and some standing water. It was slow going over the uneven surface. Eventually the trail leveled off and entered the woods where we got to walk in the shade for several minutes. We came across the skeletal remains of a small mammal. It wasn’t more than 10 minutes later that I stumbled across an animal skull.
We thought we had avoided all manner of uphill by taking the Grove Trail only to find that we had to go up a steep section to connect back to the Peak Trail. Good thing it was short. The rest of our hike back to the car was uneventful. We made pretty good time and finished just after 2:00 P.M. I had planned on it taking longer so was happy that we still had a good portion of our Sunday afternoon left.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
I’m thrilled that we were finally able to check these two peaks off the list, especially given that hiking to Mission Peak seems to be one of those quintessential Bay Area activities. The 360° views were amazing. To the north we could see all the way past San Francisco to Mt. Tam. It also wasn’t as hard as I expected. Other than the steep section at the end, the ascent felt pretty gradual. This is definitely not a hike for the summer given how exposed most of the trail is.
Additional Info
- We parked in the parking structure, which was close to the trailhead and had the advantage of keeping our car cool. It cost $4.00 for the day. The ticket machine is located in the northeast corner near the stairs.