Photos by Hank Fabian

& Kevin Hintsa

Named for Jerimiah Morgan

Had 17 children and liked Morgan territory because
there was good Grizzly Bear hunting.
Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, called "Top of the
World Park" by area historian Anne Homan.
Established in 1976, the East Bay Regional Park
District preserve's is now nearly 5,000 acres (20 km).

 Jeremiah Morgan was in 1818 in Alabama.

Came to California via covered wagon is 1849.
After a brief stint as a gold miner, Morgan left
California for Iowa, only to return with his family
in 1853.
In 1857 he started a ranch in the area that we
know as Morgan Territory after having seen the
land while on a hunting expedition.

Manfred "Manny" Lindner of the Contra Costa

Park Council led efforts to establish a new
preserve in Morgan Territory in late 1960searly 1970s.
Hulet Hornbeck, Chief of Acquisitions for the
East Bay Regional Park District, collaborated
with Lindner in convincing the District Board
of Directors to create the Preserve in an area
with little public interest or need.

Bob Walker (1952-1992), a president of the

Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter and
one of the founders of the Chapter's Gay
Lesbian Activities Section (GLS), the first such
group, led the dramatic expansion of the
preserve in the late 1980s and early 1990s from
970 acres (3.9 km) to more than 5,000 acres
(20 km).
A prolific photographer, his work is preserved in
the Oakland Museum of California.

Robert Doyle, president of Save Mount Diablo

had succeeded Hornbeck as Assistant General
Manager and Chief of Acquisitions for the East
Bay Regional Park District. Doyle and Walker
created public support for expanding the
Preserve from its original 970 acres (3.9 km),
and in 1987 the square mile Marshall property
was added to the Preserve. Seth Adams, staff
for Save Mount Diablo, aided Walker and Doyle
even as SMD worked to expand the nearby Mt.
Diablo State Park with its Morgan Ranch
acquisition.

Square mile sections were added to the

Preserve even as the 19,000 acre (77 km)
Los Vaqueros watershed was preserved to
the east and Round Valley, threatened by
Contra Costa County landfill proposals, was
made into another new adjoining Regional
Preserve.

Wildlife corridor stretching east from Riggs

Canyon and Mt. Diablo State Park to the
Contra Costa Water District's Los Vaqueros
watershed and EBRPD's Round Valley
Preserve.
Park expanded in the late 1980s and
afterwards across the parallel Highland Ridge
west of the road and into Riggs Canyon.

Morgan Territory's sandstone hills

include the headwaters of Marsh and
Tassajara creeks, feature more than
ninety species of wildflowers, and are
home to mountain lion, golden eagles
and the endemic Diablo Sunflower
and Mt. Diablo Manzanita.

 Bay Miwok Indians

Archeological sites as well as mortars.
Home of Volvon Indians; language similar to
Miwok.
1772 Spanish explored the East Bay.
Resisted Spanish until 1806.
Diseases killed large numbers of native peoples.
Missions were unsanitary.

Preserve trails are named for the First

people, such as the Volvon (one of five
Native American nations in the Diablo
area who spoke dialects of the Bay
Miwok language); animals such as
condor (molluk), prairie falcon, eagle and
coyote; and for natural features of the
preserve's ranching history (Valley View,
Blue Oak, and Highland Ridge).

Our loop:
2.75 miles.
Mostly easy
to moderate
hiking

Trails
Condor/Volvon Loop

To Condor Trail

Pond

Condor Trail

Condor Trail

Condor Trail

Condor Trail
Mortars

Condor Trail

Volvon to Prairie
Falcon Trail

Prairie
Falcon Trail

Prairie Falcon Trail

Volvon Trail

Blue Oak Trail

Blue Oak Trail

Pond on Blue Oak Trail

Blue Oak Trail

Volvon
Trail

Back to Parking Area

Mt. Diablo Manzanita

Contra Costa Manzanita
Mt. Diablo Fairy Lantern
Mt. Diablo Sunflower

Contra Costa
Manzanita
Mt. Diablo
Manzanita

Mt. Diablo Fairy

Lantern

Mt. Diablo Sunflower

Spore-bearing Plants & Fungi

Coffee Fern
Bracken fern

Coastal
Wood
Fern

Polypody Fern

Golden-backed Fern
Giant Chain
Fern

Gray Pines

Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizeni)

Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
Blue Oak (Quercus dougalsii)
Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)
Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)

Also hybrids

Oak Trees
Blue Oak

California Black Oak,

Coast Live Oak

Valley Oak

Interior Live Oak

Some Other Trees

Big leaf Maple

California Buckeye

Hop Tree

Sandbar, Red and Arroyo Willow (Salix spp)

California Bay (Umbellularia californica)
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
Big-leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
California Juniper (Juniperus californicum)
Northern Black Walnut (Juglans californica)
Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)

Flowering Plants

Apiaceae
Lomatium

Lomatium utriculatum

Lomatium dasycarpum

Apiaceae
Sanicula

Sanicula bipinnatifida

Sanicula crassicaulis

Sanicula tuberosa

Sanicula bipinnata

Asteraceae

Micropus californicus

Helianthella castanea

Blennosperma
californicum

Psilocarpus tenellus

Asteraceae

Achyrachaena mollis

Uropappus species

Asteraceae

Lasthenia californica

Asteraceae

Artemesia californica

Boraginaceae

Plagiobothrys species

Amsinckia menziesii

Brassicaceae

Lepidium species

Thysanocarpus curvipes

Convolulaceae

Calystegia subacaulis

Crassulaceae

Crassula connata

Cucurbitaceae

Marah fabaceus

Ericaceae

Arctstaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita

Fabaceae
Trifolium

Trifolium depauperatum
Trifolium willdenovii

Trifolium ciliolatum

Trifolium bifidum

Trifolium albopurpureum

Fabaceae

Lathyrus vestitus
Vicia americana

Vicia sativa

Fabaceae
Lupinus

Lupinus bicolor

Lupinus albifrons

Fabaceae
Lotus

Lotus micranthus

Lotus wrangelianus

Lotus scoparius

Geraneaceae

Erodium cicutarium
Geranium molle

Geranium dissectum

Hydrophyllaceae

Nemophila heterophylla

Eriodictyon californicum

Iridaceae

Sisyrinchium bellum

Laminaceae

Scutillarea tuberosa

Salvia mellifera

Lepechinia calycina

Liliaceae

Calochortus puchellus
Dictelostemma congestum
Zygadenus fremontii

Dictelostemma capitatum

Triteleia laxa

Fritillaria affinis

Orobanchaceae
Note: Trypysaria
and Pedicularis
were formerly in
Scophulariaceae
Tryphysaria pusilla

Tryphysaria eriantha

Orobanche bulbosa

Pedicularis densiflora

Papaveraceae

Eschscholzia californica

Phrymaceae.

Minulus guttatus
Mimulus aurantiacus

Plantaginaceae

Micropus californicus
(Asteraceae)

Plantago erecta (Plantaginaceae)

Plantaginaceae
(formerly in Scropulariaceae)

Collinsia

Collinsia sparsiflora

Collinsia heterophylla

Polemoniaceae

Linanthus bicolor

Portulacacea

Claytonia perfoliata

Calandrinia ciliata

Ranunculacea

Ranunculus californica?

Ranunculus aquaticus

Ranunculus hebecarpus

Ranunculaceae

Delphinium patens

Delphinium variegatum

Rosaceae

Heteromeles arbutifolia
Adenostoma fasiculatum

Rubiaceae

Galium andrewsii

Galium porrigens

Sherardia arvensis

Saxifragaceae
Saxifragia californica

Lithophragma affine

Valerianaceae

Plectritis species

Viscaceae

Phoradendron macrophyllum

Phoradendron villosum

Fish

Three-spined Stickleback

Amphibians

California Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps attenuatus

Arboreal Salamander
Aneides lugubris

Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica

Ambystoma californiense

Sierran Chorus Frog

Pseudacris sierra

Western Toad
Bufo boreas halophilus

Red-legged Frog
Rana draytonii

Reptiles

Western Pond Turtle

Actinemmys marmorata

Western Fence Lizard

Scleroporus occidentalis

Southern Alligator Lizard

Elegaria multiplicata

Western Skink
Eumeces skiltonianus

Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis

Diablo Range Garter Snake

Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus

Wandering Gartersnake
Thamnophis elegans terrestris

Alameda Whipsnake
Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus

Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getulus

Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctata

Northern Pacific Rattelsnake

Crotalus viridis oreganus

Mammals

California ground squirrel

Coyote
Mule deer
Bobcat
Gray Fox
Desert Cottontail
Brush Rabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Northern Raccoon

California Ground Squirrel

Pocket Gopher

Mule Deer

Northern Raccoon

Coyote

Gray Fox

Bobcat

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit

Desert
Cottontail

 Mountain Lion
Avoid jogging at dawn or dusk
If alone, avoid hunkering down
Chances of sightings = very slim
Chances of attack in group = essentially zero

Feral pigs
Can be dangerous in herds
Do much damage to the park

Papillionidae
(swallowtails)
Pieridae
(Whites, Sulfurs. Orange-tips and Marbles
Lycaenidae
(Coppers, Hairsteaks, Blues and Metalmarks
Nymphalidae
(Brushfoots: Fritillaries, Crescents, Checkerspots,
Tortoiseshell, Ladies, Sisters, Satrys and Monarch)
Hesperidae

(Skippers)

Butterflies

Swallowtails
Papilonids
Adapt genetically to ecotype to form multiple
ecological races.
Hill topping species

Swallowtails
Anise Swallowtail

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Pale Swallowtail

Two-tailed Swallowtail

Whites, Sulfurs, Marbles and

Orange-tips
Pieridae
Yellow, orange, white with black markings
Prefer plants that produce mustard oils

Whites & Sulfurs

Orange Sulfur

Cabbage White

Orange-tips and Marbles

Large Marble

Sara orange-tip

Coppers, Hairstreaks, Blues and

Metalmarks
Lycaenidae
Largest group of butterflies 6,000+ species
Fragile looking wings = gossamer-winged
butterflies
Some have false head near anal opening
Most of their caterpillars produce honeydew
that attract ants, which in turn, protect them.

Blues
Echo Blue
Acmon Blue

Silvery Blue

Hairstreaks

Thicket Hairstreak
Hedgerow
Hairstreak

Mountain Mahogany
Hairstreak

Hairstreaks

Great Purple Hairstreak

Inland Bramble Hairstreak

Common Hairstreak

Coppers
Gorgon Copper

Great Copper

Nymphalidae
Brushfoots
Females use forelimbs to sense correct
host plants.
Relatively long-lived
Migratory butterflies

Fritillaries

Callippe Fritillary

Cresent
Mylitta Crescent

Checkerspots

Edith Checkerspot

Northern Checkerspot
Variable Checkerspot

Mourning Cloak

Rosa form

Buckeye

Ladies (Vanessa)
American Lady

Painted Lady
Red Admiral

West Coast Lady

Admirals &Sisters (Adelphis)

California Sister
California Sister

Lorquins Admiral

Satyrs
California Ringlet

Common Wood Nymph

Monarch

Skippers
Hesperiidae
Broad heads and muscular bodies
Recurved hook at end of antennae
(apiculus)
Territorial and hilltop

Dusky Wings
Propertius Duskywing

Mournful Duskywing

Skippers

Woodland Skipper

Farmer

Skippers

Umber Skipper

Common Checkered Skipper

Other Insects

Common Whitetail

Dragonflies
Cardinal Meadowhawk

Blue-eyed
Darner

Blue Dasher

Flame Skimmer

Jerusalem Cricket

Tarantula Hawk

Tarantula Hawk & Wolf Spider

Other invertebrates

Tarantula

Scorpion

Myriapods

Centipede

Millipede

Birds

Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
White-tailed Kite
Nuttalls Woodpecker
Sparrow Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Acorn woodpecker
Turkey Vulture
Scrub Jay
California Quail
California towhee
Western Bluebird
Lesser Goldfinch
Gold crowned and white crowned sparrows

Turkey Vulture

Golden Eagle

White-tailed Kite

Red-tailed Hawk

Coopers
Hawk

American Kestrel

Wild Turkey

California Quail

Doves

Eurasian Collared Dove

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Western Screech Owl

Annas Humingbird

Acorn Woodpecker

Woodpeckers

Nutthals

Downy

Northern Flicker

Flycatchers

Black Phoebe

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Jays

Western Scrub Jay

Stellers Jay

Raven

Oak
Titmouse

Wrentit

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Whitebreasted
Nuthatch

Bewicks Wren

Rock Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Western Blue Bird

Thrushes

American Robin

Hermit Thrush

Western Meadowlark

Northern Mocking Bird

California Thrasher

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

California Towhee

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Lesser Goldfinch