Mount Diablo and Vasco Road Loop
State: California
Location: Mount Diablo
Length, Round Trip: 70.9 miles
Ride Type: Loop
Best Season: Year-Round
Difficulty: 4
Trail Information
The Mount Diablo and Vasco Road Loop ride leads riders on a extensive tour of the far East Bay. This ride starts right off with a climb of Mt. Diablo via South Gate to the junction with North Gate Road. After this challenging climb, there is a fun descent into Walnut Creek. The section of the ride between Walnut Creek and Clayton is the busiest section of the ride but it is fairly short. Traffic gets lighter once you reach Marsh Creek Road. After the initial climb on March Creek it is mostly downhill and you will frequently have a nice tailwind. Once you reach Vasco Road, you will see plenty of windmills but where there are windmills expect either punishing headwinds or glorious tailwinds. In this case, you should be prepared for strong headwinds on Vasco Road, before you pass through Livermore and finally back to Blackhawk. You should bring large water bottles or a hydration system, if you’re riding in the summer heat. This is a good ride to do with a few friends so you can share the work slogging into those headwinds on Vasco.
Directions
Start at Blackhawk Plaza. Blackhawk Plaza is located at the intersection of Camino Tassajara, Crow Canyon and Blackhawk Roads.
