The months of August through October aren't known just as "summer" or "autumn" in San Francisco's East Bay hills. In fact, at Mount Diablo State Park, they're referred to as "tarantula season." Each year during this time, male tarantulas that have finally reached full maturity, sprouting "nuptial hooks," head out into the park alone, searching for female mates — that's right, multiple partners. Completely ignoring any humans who wander through, gawking at these hairy and often misunderstood critters,
the males mate as many times as they can before winter arrives. Once the cold sets in, they whither and die alone.
This mating spectacle makes the already wild and sun-drenched Mount Diablo an unforgettable place to visit. While often overlooked in favor of larger parks like Yosemite or Lake Tahoe, it offers a rich mix of rugged wildlife, geological history, and some of the farthest-reaching views in the world. It's easy to access -- about an hour's drive from downtown San Francisco. The park's north entrance is only 5 miles east of eclectic Walnut Creek, a world-renowned shopping paradise.
And for those naturally scared of spiders, environmental nonprofit Save Mount Diablo shares an assuring message: "There's no need to be spooked by our resident tarantulas; they're generally harmless to people." As the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association explains, "Hollywood and the media have made tarantulas seem monstrous, so to many people these slow-moving spiders appear ominous and threatening." In fact, tarantula venom is so mild, its bite hurts no more than a bee sting, meaning "they are truly one of the gentle giants of the animal world." To learn more about these critters outside of California, check out La Junta Tarantula Fest — considered the best fall festival in the state of Colorado, according to travel blogs.
Read more: The 5 Best Parks Where You Can See Bison Roam (Other Than Yellowstone), According To Visitors
More Than Just Spiders ... Or, What Makes Mount Diablo State Park Special
The Bay Area has been ranked as the best urban hiking destination in the country, and with awe-inspiring nature parks like Mount Diablo nearby, it's easy to see why. Hikers, bikers, and horseback riders can explore 160 miles of trails across 20,000 acres, with the most popular being routes to the summit, which stands 3,849 feet above sea level. On a clear day, visitors can see as far as Yosemite's Sentinel Dome, nearly 200 miles to the east, and past the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands to the west. As many as 40 of California's 58 counties are visible with binoculars — and there's a widespread myth that no view on Earth outcompetes Mount Diablo's save the 19,000-foot-tall Mount Kilimanjaro.
The most popular trail to the summit is a 7.3-mile out-and-back climb with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain that takes around 4.5 hours. Spring covers the hills in California wildflowers while winter offers views of the snow-covered Sierra Nevadas in the distance. Summer typically brings clear skies and the widest vistas, and autumn, of course, brings tarantulas.
At the top, you'll find the Summit Museum Visitor Center (open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), built from fossilized sandstone, quarried in the park in the 1930s. Exhibits inside reveal how the mountain was formed during the Jurassic period and the role it played in the history the local Julpun and Miwok tribes. Rock City, near the park's south gate, is another great place to explore Mount Diablo's geological history. There, you can climb rocks, explore ancient wind caves, and observe Native American grinding stones, making it an especially big hit with families.
Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets.
Read the original article on Islands.
