Morgan Territory Regional Preserve (EBRPD) C - D; *** ; 3+ miles 

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I haven't been to this park, but we're in luck -- Bob Coomber, aka 4wheelBob, the intrepid Livermore off-roader who took his wheelchair to the top of the Sierra's 14,246 foot-high White Mountain last year, is here to fill us in. Notice his remarks about trails' surface and steepness, also it gets HOT out there. But you knew that.

Says Bob:

Morgan Territory is my "home" park - where I refined the subtle art of handling trails in a chair. Volvon (a trail 2.4 miles long) is a good choice. There are some rocky sections, though, that are still a bit of a challenge for me. The chair gets a little "tippy" because the surface is not uniform.

A shorter alternative to Volvon would be Whipsnake Trail. It is in the Trails Challenge this year, and crosses through a gate into the Los Vaqueros Watershed (permit required, see map). THAT part of it is dicey. The piece in Morgan Territory is pretty good, with a short, significant (to me) hill up to the Watershed gates. But it's short (about 0.5 mile in the Morgan Territory Park).

If uneven surfaces are too much for your chair, MT may be a bit much. There's a steep downhill just as the trail crests out of the parking lot. I've learned to keep in the soft dirt on the sides or in the grass. Keeps the speed down....

There is an accessible pit toilet at the staging area. The drive up is spooky unless you're used to it - not much traffic, but the road gets narrow with some pretty dramatic drops. It's not fun meeting a horse trailer there!

Details: Exit I-580 in Livermore, at N. Livermore Ave. and turn north. Shortly after N. Livermore curves left (west), turn right onto Morgan Territory Road and follow it for about 5.5 miles to the staging area. From Walnut Creek/Concord, take Clayton Road to Marsh Creek Road, then turn right onto Morgan Territory Road. The staging area is 9.4 miles from Marsh Creek Road.