Hidden Pockets: Mt. Diablo’s Wind Caves

The rolling hills of the diablo range, some of its trails, and even the summit of Mt. Diablo have been featured here on Tipsy from the Trip. Today, however, you’re going to see an almost hidden gem up in those mountains — Mt. Diablo’s Wind Caves in Mt. Diablo State Park.

These wind caves are situated in an area called Rock City, a little more than halfway up Mt. Diablo in Northern California. Rock City Wind Caves are open to the public, and you can either hike through here or just go explore the caves. Whatever you do, you’ll see yourself fascinated by the cavities on the rocks. (Taggers, Sorry!! 😐)

Some of them are small and some, a little larger, some large enough for a grown human being to get into. In some places, you will also see some interesting textures that have been exposed by the elements. These depressions, hollows, and caves in this Rock City are results of centuries of wind and water evaporation that took place here on the Diablo Range.

An information sign that’s installed there tells us that when the uplift of Mt. Diablo happened, the geological event exposed layers of sandstone that used to be ‘way below’ the surface of the earth. When these sandstone rocks were exposed, they were also exposed to rainwater, carbon dioxide, and California’s hot air.

The water from the rains and the carbon dioxide in the air are believed to have gone on to form some acidic water that ran over the rocks and seeped into them in several places. Now, this acidic water is said to have dissolved the calcite that cements the sand in these rocks, and then evaporated. The repeated evaporation of this erosive water during the Californian Summers seems to have led the weaker, softer sandstone to erode leaving behind these depressions and cavities.

Things to know when you plan your trip to Mt. Diablo’s Wind Caves–

• This attraction is within Mt. Diablo State Park, CA
• These Wind Caves are in the Rock City area of the park.
• There are a couple of parking lots for Rock City.
• Look for the signs on the way up to the summit. It’s on South Gate Road, to be precise.
• There are several trails around here.
• Make sure to carry water and some extra layers of clothing depending on what season you chose to visit.
• There are several picnic tables in this part of the state park so you might want to carry a picnic lunch.

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More:
From this State Park–
Vistas from California’s Devil Mountain

See also:
Shasta Caverns
Rocky Attractions on Tipsy from the TRIP

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