Reviewed by: Karl , from Walnut Creek

Summary:
Pine Canyon is a beautiful trail that follows a stream. It's shady which can be a nice respite from the sunny hills surrounding. A number of stables abutt the park so you will, indeed, be treated to some equestrian company. There also tends to be a lot of hikers, especially on weekends, because it's such an easy trail with little elevation change. (Until BBQ Terrace and others!!) The horses grind trails to a fine dust in areas so hose down the chain and derailleur when you're home again.

Recommended Route:
I usually use the Pine Canyon trail as an outlet back to Walnut Creek when riding through the Shell Ridge/Mt Diablo Foothills trails. However, given the gentle incline it's a nice way to warm up if you start here on the way up to BBQ terrace and other connecting trails that have steeper inclines.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
While the Pine Canyon trail in Castle Rock is beautiful, I prefer using the Shell Ridge/Briones-to-Diablo trailhead to access this area because it's closer to downtown W.C., has no horses, and is endowed with some nice hill climbs in comparison.

Reviewed by: CHRIS , from walnut creek, california

Summary:
I dont know what Chunk was talking about but I find the trail as he said peacful but there is uphill and its not easy. If you want harder uphill, shift up. The downhill is interesting, its very short and leads to more hills but you can get a lot of speed on it.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
(towards the beginning of the downhill, there is a somewhat legal trail which no one is every one that has roots and drops that is VERY technical. I suggest advanced riders ride this trail. I just power over it with my Jamis Dakar Comp. I GAVE IT A 5 BECAUSE OF THE OFF TRAIL

Reviewed by: Mike Wood , from Alamo, CA

Summary:
If you are looking for gnarly, challenging terrain, go somewhere else. If, however, you enjoy the idea of a really serene and pretty canyon with lots of tree cover and a little creek running along, and across, the ride, the Pine Canyon trail, which it seems most are writing of, is a winner. Great place to enjoy a break and "re-fueling" on a ride, lower summer temperatures and a good way (via Barbeque terrace) to get up to the 2000' level and the Summit trail to begin climbing the rest of Mt. Diablo.
There are a number of interesting trails which spur off of Pine Canyon, some of which are "illegal" single track (very technical), some of which are fire roads with some good climbs and nice terrain.

Recommended Route:
I usually will drop down into this trail from some of the connecting trails,usually through Borges Ranch when or coming back off Mt. Diablo by way of Barbeque Terrace.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
The whole Castle Rock/Shell Ridge/Mt. Diablo area is worth checking out. See the East Bay Regional Parks web site for .pdf maps.

Reviewed by: ilakano , from walnut creek,ca

Summary:
The ride from the parking lot to the first gate is pretty tame. This is the first trail that my daughter rode on. After the gate, there are more streams to cross and you start going uphill. The Summit trail that connects here is grim, very long and steep. I usually ride this trail on the last part of my normal ride which starts on the south/west slope of Diablo. So, by the time I get to Castle Rock, I need a rest. This is a good place to take the kids and relax. The only downer is the horseback riders with the bad attitudes.

Recommended Route:
See the previous directions.

Reviewed by: chunck , from nut town

Summary:
I classify this trail as a beginner trail, as it hardly differs from a paved road, except during winter months when it is a bog of mud and cow and horse skat. Of course directly following the winter, the trail dries into a uniformly pock marked nusance, due to the ranchers and horse felating thespians, inconsideratly letting thier dimwitted quadro peds systimatically destroy the trail. This wears in, presumably at the loss of a few tons of terra firma; and the trail is left pavement smooth. Leave this trail to the ocassional leasurly stroll with your mate; don't expect any thrills. And screw the horse felating thespians, if they can't keep the bohemiths under control, they shouldn't expose them and us to the potentially disastrous results. If it were a dog out of control, it would be put down. You don't hear me yelling out ahead to get trail users off the trail and out of the way because I can't keep myself and my bike under control. Why make the same consessions for the horse felaters????

Recommended Route:
yep

Other recommended trails in the same area:
not mount d, unless you are a roadie with an itchin for ticks