Ohlone Wilderness Trail / Hidden Valley Trail

This ascent of Mission Peak begins from a well established trailhead with limited parking. Especially on weekends, you'll want to get going earlier in the morning to secure a parking spot. The trail is wide and quite popular with day hikers, and those looking to watch the sunset. Due to the popularity of the trail, please be courteous to others that you'll see along the way. This trail starts off fairly navigable but gets steep quickly, with the steepest sections pitching up to 25%. The climb to the summit is fairly sustained, though you'll get a little bit of a break when you make your way around numerous switchbacks. The trail is pretty exposed, so you might want to bring water, even for this short excursion. Once you reach the top, take a minute to take in the views! Fewer visitors reach the summit, and you'll have sweeping views all around you.

Iconic "Mission Peeker" summit pole: Sculptor and park ranger Leonard Page along with a crew of six erected the iconic "Mission Peeker" on December 27, 1990. The pole is over six feet in height, and the foundation is two feet deep with 120 pounds of concrete.The sculptor's purpose was to promote environmental awareness. Sealed inside the steel tube are a crystal with traditional cultural uses, an Ohlone charmstone replica, a bottle of 1990 zinfandel wine whose yeast overshoot represents world population trends, and five time capsules with articles and photographs. The time capsules were intended to be opened in a century or more, after 2090, and focus on rainforest preservation, AIDs and homelessness. They offer images from popular culture of Bart Simpson, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Gary Larsen's Far Side cartoons