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Donner Canyon–Falls loop from Regency

Mount Diablo hike · Save Mount Diablo route · from Regency Drive Trailhead

Information checked

The 30-second version

Checked September 6, 2026

Distance
~5.1 mi, approximate, as the guide gives it
savemountdiablo.org
Elevation
Not reported by the guide
savemountdiablo.org
Difficulty
Moderate, in the guide's own terms
savemountdiablo.org
Shape
Loop
savemountdiablo.org
Park
Mount Diablo State Park sets hours, rules and closures
parks.ca.gov

Save Mount Diablo calls the Donner Creek loop popular. That is the guide authors' judgement, not a count.

The guide's outline

Trail names follow the linked guide. Use the park's official map for navigation.

  1. Donner Canyon Road
  2. Hetherington Loop
  3. Cardinet Oaks Road
  4. Falls Trail
  5. Middle Trail

Start: Regency Drive Trailhead

Where
End of Regency Drive, Clayton (no numeric address verified)
Parking
Only in designated street areas; parts of Regency Drive prohibit parking, and school parking is not overflow. Current street signs control.
Hours
State park operating hours apply inside the boundary.

Check access and route context

Rules that apply

Hours
Plan on gates 8am to sunset. The 2026 operating order: no entry after sunset, all areas close 45 minutes after sunset until 8am, and vehicles and bikes should head out within 15 minutes. Approved after-hours events are the exception.
Dogs
Pets are prohibited on trails and fire roads; trained service dogs are allowed on leash. Developed-area rules differ.
Bikes
Road-width dirt and gravel fire roads and specifically designated singletrack, Class 1 e-bikes included. Check the park map and signs before riding other segments.
Fees
A vehicle entry fee is charged at the staging areas and gates and differs by access point. Check current amounts on the park page.

From Mount Diablo State Park; closures are not tracked here.

Worth knowing

  • Elevation gain is not listed in the guide.
  • The falls run in the wet season; don't count on flowing water.
  • Use the linked guide and current official map for navigation; this outline does not give turn-by-turn directions.

Other routes from the same start

  • DemandingMount Diablo hike · Mount Diablo Interpretive Association

    Mount Olympia loop via Middle Trail

    Starts at Regency Drive Trailhead~8 mi3,000 ft gainLoop

    Before you hike

    Distance and difficulty are from Mount Diablo Interpretive Association; distances are approximate.

    Starts at
    Regency Drive Trailhead
    Access
    End of Regency Drive, Clayton (no numeric address verified)
    Posted hours
    State park operating hours apply inside the boundary.
    Parking
    Only in designated street areas; parts of Regency Drive prohibit parking, and school parking is not overflow. Current street signs control.

    Route information checked Sep 2026. Access information checked Sep 2026. Check the park for current rules and closures.

    Worth knowing

    MDIA lists no facilities at the Regency Drive trailhead and no dogs. Park on the street beyond the last houses, not in the permit-only areas in front of them.

    The guide calls the climb toward Prospectors Gap and the descent from North Peak challenging, and keeps the Olympia Trail section off private property.

    Use the linked guide and current official map for navigation; this outline does not give turn-by-turn directions.

    Open full page

    Check the park page for current closures, including fire closures, before going.

    Add to my day
    Read the MDIA route guide Check access and route context Check park alerts and conditions
Illustration: a Mount Diablo fairy lantern, the nodding yellow globe lily, with its narrow leaves.
Mount Diablo fairy lanternA globe lily that grows almost nowhere but this mountain, best known along the Mitchell Canyon Trail. It blooms late March–mid June, as MDIA and CNPS describe it.

What we still want to learn from locals

  • When do the falls actually run?
  • Where is it legal and neighborly to park on Regency?

Make a day of it

Nearby stops, with straight-line distances. Check routes and hours before you go. Nothing is booked here.

  • Eat & Drink

    Coffee or breakfast · 1.3 mi away, straight-line from Regency Drive Trailhead

    Sip 'N Sweet

    Ice cream, frozen yogurt and coffee on Center Street; flavors rotate.

    Monday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm · Friday and Saturday, 8:00 am to 9:00 pm · Sunday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

    Add to my day
  • Eat & Drink

    Lunch or dinner · 1.3 mi away, straight-line from Regency Drive Trailhead

    Ed's Mudville Grill

    A sports grill on Center Street with a beer and wine bar and a kids menu.

    Open daily from 11 am

    Add to my day

Put a whole day together, one step at a time: Build your day

Sources and checks