Welcome back to a monthly column focused on local day hiking destinations, that with a little imagination, will take you back in time to when our local Native Americans lived in a garden of Eden we now call home.
I hope you will have fun exploring, discovering, educating others and protecting our Native Village sites. You will be hiking to villages historians say are 10,000 years old.
If you want additional information, go to www.eastbayhillpeople.com and read the “Travelogue Blog” tab for more hikes. I will be referencing this resource often and encourage you to use it for additional hiking destinations and information. I hope you will enjoy your journey back in time, visiting our Native American’s home sites in their garden of Eden. Please be respectful of where you travel.
Mt Diablo– we don’t know what the Native Americans called it– has always been a beacon. Even today, from every direction, from over a hundred miles away, be it geographical or spiritual the great mountain draws our attention.
Native Americans were also drawn to the mountain for practical, cultural and spiritual gatherings. For thousands of years, the Volvon tribe lived on the flanks of Mt Diablo and had many village sites that have been located over the years. Lucky for us, many of these sites are located within existing parks and protected open spaces. However, many are not. One of our goals at East Bay Hill People is to help establish a Volvon National Park recognition status. This would help fund educational and sensitive site protection programs. More on this later.
But for now, let’s go on a moderate 7 mile stroll back in time to a hidden Village. With the exception of one short section in the beginning, this is a beautiful level hike.
Spring is a wonderful time of year to explore the Volvon’s home territory on Mt Diablo. The upper slopes are turning gold, and the hidden valleys are still cool and green. The creeks, shaded by old oak trees, are running clear, wild flowers are in full bloom and sometimes, all you can hear are the singing birds.
Scientists think that one of the most important Native American gathering sites around Mt Diablo is now called Round Valley, home of the Volvon. It has been described by many as the Serengeti of California. Of course, all of pre historic California was like the Serengeti. But Round Valley was a true garden of Eden, which for thousands of years, managed to stay fairly hidden and pristine until the early 1800s.

Round Valley village site. (Photo by Richard DeGraffenreid)

In Volvon times, Round Valley was a natural location for a gathering of the tribes. Easily accessible with plenty of resources including game of all kinds. Bear, elk and deer lived here and ground critters provided additional protein that young boys would hunt and bring into camp. Springs and the watershed provided year around cool, clear, water for the large creek that meanders through the valley.
Crawdads, fish and amphibians where abundant. Acorns, roots, seasonal grains, tender greens, berries and wild honey helped make up a well balanced diet. It was a perfect place for a meeting of the tribes to celebrate and trade. Most likely, tribes from all around Mt Diablo including the Suisunes from the Benicia / Solano territory would come to gather.
On a recent visit to the Village, my wife Anne mentioned that she could just imagine aunts, sisters, grandmas and little ones chattering away as they prepared food while the men and boys would be hunting and running in the meadow. Some could be playing a game which was much like our football today. Only the goal lines were several miles apart.
Today, Round Valley is a large Regional Preserve. On your hike to the village, you will see some antique farm equipment that makes for interesting photo opportunities. Wildlife, including bobcats, fox, coyote and raptors are abundant. You will likely see Golden Eagles who’s wing span can reach 7 1/2 feet. Start early to avoid moderate heat in late afternoon and be alert for snakes. Oh boy!
We don’t know if we have found all the camps in Round Valley, but we have found a large village with over 350 mortars, obvious Wickiup camps and a large enclosure that we all must respect. Please stay out of it.
This is one of my favorite hikes because it really is like hiking back in time…very cool.
Please go to http://www.ebparks.org/parks/round_valley/for details and rules. No Dogs.

Directions:
* From Benicia, it takes a little over 45 minutes to get to Round Valley. The most scenic route is to head east on Highway 4 to Lone Tree Way, turn right and proceed on to Deer Valley Road and turn right. Enjoy the drive on Deer Valley Road until it ends at Marsh Creek Road and turn left. The park is just a few miles further on your right.
Because we think this is such a special site, I’m not going to give detailed directions, but for those who want to hike back in time, the village is easy to find.
   Here are some hints:
* Get a map from the kiosk at the parking lot. Go over the bridge, stay on the Miwok trail that parallels the Round Valley creek.
* When you enter Round Valley, just take either the Miwok trail or Murphy Meadow trail to the far end of the valley. You will see a gate and kiosk for admission into Los Vaqueros Regional Preserve. Just go through the gate and head directly up the hill about 75 yards and you will start seeing mortars, flat wickiup areas and more.
* If you want to help preserve this peaceful spot, you can help by “Day lighting” or cleaning debris out the mortars as part of the site maintenance. Day lighting is a bit controversial, but without it, these mortars would disappear in a few years. Please be respectful and enjoy your picnic.
* A very scenic way back is to just follow the creek. Some easy cross country trekking is needed but that only increases the feeling of going back in time exploring a vast Serengeti. Most of the way is a single track trail meandering back along the creek. I hope you will enjoy your adventure.

Next month, Yosemite Valley and visiting the Indian Caves that were taken off the maps many years ago.
Seize the day.

Richard DeGraffenreid and his wife Anne are 34-year residents of Benicia. He is also a drummer/songwriter, photographer, cook, dad and grandpa. He can be reached at richarddegraffenreid@comcast.net.

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