Fossil Hill–Willow Spring Pond, 5 sights
3 mi · ▲ 403 ft · 1 hr 12 min
Fossil Hill–Willow Spring Pond, 5 sights is a 3-mile out-and-back in Shell Ridge Open Space near Walnut Heights, CA. The route passes Willow Spring Pond and Bramhall Pond before reaching Fossil Hill at the turnaround, 1.5 miles in. It climbs 403 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 53/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Fossil Hill–Willow Spring Pond, 5 sights
3 mi · ▲ 403 ft · 1 hr 12 min
Elevation 218–471 ft
Out & Back · Shell Ridge Open Space
Trailhead: 37.88932, -122.01902
Weather Aug 3: Mostly clear, high 101°F / low 63° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:14 AM · sunset 8:16 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftPass Willow Spring Pond.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Fossil Hill Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Bramhall Pond.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Indian Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Fossil Hill Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Kovar Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftReach Fossil Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Fossil Hill Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Indian Creek Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Fossil Hill Trail, heading SE.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Other ways to reach this destination
- 4.8 mi · loop · via Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail
- 10.5 mi · out & back · via Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail
- 15.9 mi · out & back · via Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail
- 4.8 mi · out & back · via Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail
- 5.2 mi · out & back · via Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail
More from this trailhead
- Sulphur Creek Pond–Deer Lake Loop, 6 lakes 4.7 mi · ▲ 650 ft
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