$2.6M Grant Awarded For New Mt. Diablo Education, Visitor Center

MOUNT DIABLO, CA—The California Wildlife Conservation Board awarded the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association a $2.6 million grant last week to help build the Mitchell Canyon Education Center in Mount Diablo State Park.

"On behalf of MDIA, I want to express how thrilled we are," said Steve Smith, president of the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. "We are immensely grateful to the Wildlife Conservation Board for this grant and to all the donors and community organizations who believed in the value of this project and generously provided the initial funding for it."

MDIA, an all-volunteer association and the official support organization for Mount Diablo State Park, has worked closely with California State Parks and the park's staff to pursue funding for a new education and visitor center.

The grant provides critical funding that moves the project forward toward construction phases. The new facility will replace an aging trailer that is not ADA-compliant. It will be fully accessible, able to accommodate school groups on the mountain, expand the natural and cultural history content, and enhance the visitor experience overall.

Construction may begin as early as Fall 2025.

The project has attracted wide community support, including from state Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who secured a $1 million state allocation based in part on the new opportunity to serve all the school districts in Contra Costa County. A wide variety of community leaders, foundations and organizations have also contributed to and endorsed the project.

WCB is a California State Board whose primary purpose is to approve funding for wildlife habitat protection, restoration and wildlife-oriented public access projects.

Established in 1974, the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association —MDIA— is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization that assists the California Department of Parks and Recreation in maintaining and interpreting Mount Diablo State Park for its 700,000 annual visitors.

To better serve visitors and open new student opportunities, MDIA initiated a campaign in 2022 to build a new education center in Mitchell Canyon on Mount Diablo’s northeast side.