Address: 1880 Stanford Ave, Fremont, CA 94539
                                        OR 
                Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA
Parking: Free parking is available at the Standford Ave lot but this is a very small lot which fills up early. The city limits street parking in the neighborhood. Additional parking is available at Ohlone College in the new structure, lots H & G, with a fee of $4 when school is in session. Sunday parking is free.
Hours: Approx. 6:30 A.M. to 9 P.M.

See EBParks website for hours that vary by month

Type: Hike (Moderate, 6-7 miles)
Regulations: Dogs allowed off-leash if under voice control
Best time to visit: Early morning or a weekday in Spring, winter or fall on cool days
CAUTION: This is a strenuous trail with a lot of full sun. Every year, several dogs die of heat stroke or dehydration on this trail, so do not attempt it on a hot day and bring plenty of water. Watch out for grazing cattle throughout the year.

Description: The hike to the summit is a very popular trail, but if you start early on a cool day you will be rewarded with panoramic views of Mount Hamilton, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo and the Sierra Nevada. Lines usually form to take pictures climbing the pole on the highest peak. If you start from the Stanford Ave parking lot, you will have a shorter, more strenuous hike with little shade. The hike from Ohlone College is about a mile longer, but it is not as steep and snakes through shaded forest areas. I prefer starting at Ohlone College, for a trail with changing scenery. You can take either route to join Peak Trail, which will take you to the top. Mission Peak Regional Preserve has 3,000 acres of other trails you can explore, which have much less traffic.

I cannot stress the importance of visiting in the early morning or on a weekday if you want to enjoy the hike. This hike has become very popular and has over 40,000 visitors a month. Mid-day on a weekend you will have difficulty finding parking, and the trails are so crowded that you may not even enjoy the hike. There will also be a long line of people waiting to take pictures at the peak.

See trail map here courtesy of EBParks