The Trails Behind Magee Ranch Just Opened. The Road In Front Is a Construction Zone Until September.
July 16, 2026
July 16, 2026
Two related projects are changing how residents move around the Magee Ranch side of Danville. Behind the neighborhood, public access now extends through the Magee Preserve open space and into Sycamore Valley Open Space Regional Preserve. Along Diablo Road, crews are building the paved link intended to connect that open-space network with existing routes toward central Danville and Mount Diablo State Park.
The useful local insight is that these are parts of the same long-term connection, but they are arriving on different schedules.
The established Magee Preserve trail expansion is available now. The most disruptive phase of Diablo Road traffic control is scheduled through September 15, 2026. Construction on the road project will continue in phases through December.
| What is changing | Current status | What residents should know |
|---|---|---|
| Magee Preserve open-space network | More than 3.5 miles opened to public access in June 2025 | The network connects with Sycamore Valley Open Space Regional Preserve |
| Do’-yum’-bel’-le Vista Trail and Art Bonwell Trail | Save Mount Diablo said in April 2026 that they would open later in the year | Public online sources reviewed for this update do not confirm that these two named trails are open yet |
| Diablo Road traffic control | Scheduled on weekdays through September 15, 2026 | Expect alternating one-way traffic between Clydesdale Drive and Alameda Diablo |
| Full road-trail project | Construction continues in phases through December 2026 | September 15 is a traffic-control milestone, not the final completion date |
That distinction matters. Residents can use the established open-space network without assuming every planned trail segment is finished, and drivers should not assume all construction activity ends in September.
The verified public-access milestone occurred in June 2025, when more than 3.5 miles of trails within the 381-acre Magee Preserve property were opened and connected to Sycamore Valley Open Space Regional Preserve.
The East Bay Regional Park District map identifies several familiar connections in this expanded system:
The network supports hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Its practical value is the connection it makes rather than any single loop. The new access extends the existing Short Ridge side of Sycamore Valley Open Space into land that had not previously functioned as a public trail network.
This is the public benefit that grew out of the larger Magee Preserve plan. The property covers approximately 410 acres, with 69 single-family homes clustered on roughly 29 acres and approximately 381 acres retained as permanent open space. Magee Preserve sits south of Diablo Road and Blackhawk Road, east of McCauley Road, and next to the established Magee Ranch subdivision.
Two other routes are part of the current conversation: the Do’-yum’-bel’-le Vista Trail and the Art Bonwell Trail.
In an April 2026 stewardship update, Save Mount Diablo reported that both would open for public use later in the year. The approximately one-mile Do’-yum’-bel’-le Vista Trail connects with East Bay Regional Park District fire roads. Its name honors the Bay Miwok name for Mount Diablo. The Art Bonwell Trail recognizes one of Save Mount Diablo’s co-founders.
The available public sources for this update do not confirm that those two routes have opened. Residents should follow posted signs and current agency information rather than treating an anticipated opening date as final. The established 3.5-mile network remains the confirmed option.
The most immediate day-to-day issue is the construction zone along Diablo Road.
From June 15 through September 15, 2026, weekday traffic control is scheduled between Clydesdale Drive and Alameda Diablo. According to the Town of Danville traffic advisory, controls may be in place from 7 a.m. until as late as 6 p.m.
Drivers should expect:
The current phase includes soldier-pile wall construction near the creek between Fairway Drive and Alameda Diablo. Grading is also continuing on the eastern portion of the project.
For Magee Ranch, Hidden Valley, Fairway Drive, Belgian Drive, and Clydesdale Drive residents, this is a broad weekday window. A trip may be unaffected at one hour and delayed later the same day as crews shift traffic or move equipment. Leaving extra time is the practical response for appointments, errands, and trips toward central Danville.
The Town previously reported delays tied to environmental compliance for nesting birds and conflicts with utilities, including utility guy wires. Remaining tree removal moved forward after the Town obtained a permit extension from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Contra Costa County’s separate Smart Signals work also overlapped the Diablo Road corridor earlier in the summer. That work was scheduled to finish in early July, so it should not be confused with the trail construction continuing through September and beyond.
The wording of a traffic advisory can make September sound like the end of the entire job. It is better understood as the scheduled end of the current high-impact traffic-control period.
The broader Diablo Road project is expected to continue in phases through December 2026. Later work may still involve crews, equipment, signs, or localized traffic measures. The Town has said it will issue further advisories as construction progresses.
This distinction is useful for anyone planning fall routines. September should bring the end of the currently announced weekday one-way controls, assuming the schedule holds. It does not guarantee that the corridor will be fully complete on September 16.
The construction is creating the final 0.9-mile section of a planned 2.1-mile paved Class 1 multi-use trail. The new facility will be eight feet wide and run along the southern side of Diablo Road.
Once complete, the Town-built segment is intended to connect the existing Barbara Hale Trail with an approximately 0.7-mile path constructed as part of Magee Preserve. Together, these sections are designed to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections between Green Valley Road and Blackhawk Road while extending access toward Mount Diablo State Park.
The project also includes a HAWK signal at Diablo Road and Fairway Drive. Trail users will be able to activate the signal to stop traffic for the crossing.
That is the larger tradeoff residents are seeing this summer. The road work is temporarily making local trips less predictable while crews construct a route intended to make walking and bicycling along the corridor more practical when the full connection is finished.
The open-space routes are different from the future paved path along Diablo Road. They cross rolling, exposed terrain and include steep grades.
East Bay Regional Park District lists the preserve’s elevation range at approximately 600 to 1,000 feet. The agency also cautions that the steep grades generally make the dirt trails unsuitable for wheelchair users. The planned paved Diablo Road facility should not be treated as interchangeable with the open-space network.
For people approaching through Sycamore Valley Open Space, the Park District lists the Holbrook Drive Staging Area as the principal entrance. Parking is free.
Other listed access points include:
The preserve is generally open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless signs state otherwise. Residents should rely on official access points and posted trail information, especially while additional Magee Preserve connections are being completed.
The preserve includes grassland, oak savanna, mature woodland, gullies, intermittent drainages, and ponds. Valley oak, coast live oak, and buckeye are among the trees identified by the Park District.
Much of the route is exposed. For a summer outing, carry water, plan for direct sun, and check current park alerts before leaving. Early or later hours may be more comfortable than the middle of the day.
East Bay Regional Park District rules require bicyclists to yield to hikers and equestrians. Hikers also yield to equestrians. Bicycle bells are required on Park District trails.
Dogs must be leashed where posted and kept under full verbal control elsewhere. Owners are responsible for removing pet waste.
Current Park District rules allow Class 1 e-bikes where conventional bicycles are permitted. Class 2 e-bikes are restricted to designated paved regional trails. Class 3 e-bikes and e-scooters are not permitted in East Bay Regional Parks or on regional trails. Posted restrictions for an individual route should always control.
Danville has a separate rule taking effect August 6, 2026, that requires riders to dismount from e-bikes and motorized scooters inside Town parks. The Town has stated that this rule applies to Town parks. It should not automatically be applied to East Bay Regional Park District open-space trails, which operate under Park District rules.
For residents near Magee Ranch, the contrast is unusually clear. The hills behind the neighborhood now include a confirmed public network connecting into Sycamore Valley Open Space. The paved route in front is still being built, and its most disruptive traffic phase is scheduled to last through September 15.
The open-space trails offer a new way to experience this side of Danville now. The Diablo Road project is intended to make that access part of a broader pedestrian and bicycle connection later. Until then, the practical plan is simple: use confirmed trail entrances, follow posted restrictions, and allow more time for weekday trips through the Clydesdale Drive to Alameda Diablo construction zone.
Local infrastructure changes can also affect how homeowners describe access, setting, and neighborhood connections when presenting a property. If you would like a current, property-specific view of how your Magee Ranch or Danville home fits into today’s market, Scott Thompson offers responsive local guidance backed by premium marketing and Keller Williams resources.
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