Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve in Fremont, CA
Distance: ~5.3 miles (Panorama Trail) or 3.1 miles (Peak Trail) from Ohlone College. 3 miles (Peak Meadow View Trail) from Stanford Staging Area. Note: The information below reflects the Peak Trail.
Type: Day-hike; Out-and-back
Rating: Strenuous
Permits & Fees: Parking at the Ohlone College parking lot is $4 when school is in session, but it was free to park during the Winter Vacation. Parking is available in the lot next to the college’s baseball field:
Since this hike has increased in popularity, it is best to go as early as possible. During the warmer months, parking is open beginning at 6a. During the colder months, parking is open beginning at 6:30a. Click here for detailed parking information.
Preparation
Walking shoes are just fine for this hike. No special gear is required, other than water and warm clothes during the winter months. The temperature drops significantly closer to the Summit.
The Hike
After parking in the parking lot (pictured above) make your way to the trailhead where you will find these two signs:
From here, the trail begins! The trail follows a wide dirt path along and through several hills. Throughout the hike, there are several cattle guards and gates. If you’re lucky, you might see a few cows roaming around:
Make sure to pay attention to the several trail markers throughout the hike to follow the Panorama Trail (which turns into Peak Trail) to the base of the peak:
About 3/4’s of the way up to the Summit, there is a small bathroom where all of the trails come together for the final stretch of the hike prior to making it to the “Peak” sign. From the Peak sign, it is an uphill scramble to the top:
At the peak, there is a time capsule, known as the “Mission Peeker”. It’s a large pole sticking out of the ground that was placed there in 1990 and is meant to be opened in 2090. When we made it to the top, it was decorated for the holidays! Mt. Diablo, Mt. Tamalpais, and Mount Hamilton can all be viewed from the peak. The trek down was quick; it only took about 45 minutes to get back to the trailhead.