Richard R. Taylor started the Clayton Ghost Walk in 1979, and for 40 years it brought the town's history, folklore and ghost stories to life. After several years away, it returns on Friday, October 30, 2026, and it again starts at the Clayton Historical Society Museum at 6101 Main Street.
The walk is the centerpiece of a short, unusually local stretch of the calendar. From October 24 through October 30, Clayton's Halloween events are mostly about Clayton itself: the town's ghost stories, the canyon at the foot of Mount Diablo, and a pirate who is said to have lived in a cave near Mitchell Canyon. Most of these events are free, and the rest cost no more than a park entry fee.
The week at a glance
Here is the schedule from the weekend of October 24 through Halloween, with each event's own listing:
- Saturday, October 24, 2 to 4 p.m.: Hay Day Trunk-or-Treat, 6055 Main Street. Free.
- Sunday, October 25, 3 to 6 p.m.: Halloween Hike on Devil Mountain, Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center, 96 Mitchell Canyon Road. Reservations required. Park entry fee applies.
- Wednesday, October 28, 2 to 2:45 p.m.: "Birds of the East Bay" at the Clayton Community Library, presented by East Bay Regional Park District.
- Friday, October 30, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Clayton Ghost Walk, starting at 6101 Main Street. Reservations are free.
Two of the four take place on Main Street, only a few street numbers apart. The third sits at the end of Mitchell Canyon Road. Most of your Halloween week can happen within a short drive of downtown.
Granny Norton, the Gomez house and Growlers Saloon
The Historical Society's description of the returning walk names its stops. It covers Lady Sarah "Granny" Norton, the "White Witch"; the Gomez house; and Growlers Saloon, along with "other local legends." It also promises stories of "more recent unexplained happenings with eerie connections to Clayton's past."
You can choose between two versions:
- 5:30 p.m., Family-Friendly Ghost Walk. The museum calls it "a spooky-but-fun journey" through Clayton's history and folklore for all ages.
- 7:30 p.m., Fully Haunted Ghost Walk. It starts after dark and covers "the spookier side" of the same stories.
Reservations are free through the Historical Society's ticketing page, and donations to the Clayton Historical Society are welcome. If your family is split between those who want to be scared and those who don't, the two times let everyone come along. Younger kids can take the early walk, and older ones can go back for the later one.
If you want the background before Friday night, the museum is open to the public Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. This year it has a new exhibit on Joel Clayton and the Gold Rush. A Sunday or Wednesday afternoon there gives you the founding story the ghost stories grew out of.
Main Street on Saturday afternoon
Hay Day Trunk-or-Treat is set up for the youngest trick-or-treaters. On Saturday, October 24, from 2 to 4 p.m., kids can trick-or-treat from decorated cars, show off their costumes, and play games at 6055 Main Street. Admission is free, and Clayton Community Church and the Clayton Business & Community Association present it together.
It's a daytime event in the middle of downtown, which makes it a good fit for kids who will be asleep by the time the haunted Ghost Walk starts the following Friday. The CBCA also put on this month's Oktoberfest on Main Street on October 3 and 4, so for downtown Clayton, Hay Day is the second big weekend of the month.
Mitchell Canyon, tarantulas and a pirate named Bully Ingram
Sunday's event moves the stories up the mountain. The Mount Diablo Interpretive Association's Halloween Hike on Devil Mountain starts at the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. The walk heads up the canyon "in search of witches' broom, devil's horns, ghost pines, and other scary and not-so-scary signs of the season."
Before the walk starts, hikers meet two tarantulas MDIA calls "the famous 8-legged diva, Scarlett O'Harry" and "her sidekick, Wishbone." They also look at skins and skulls of native Bay Area animals and hear the tale of Bully Ingram, a pirate who jumped ship and moved into a cave near Mitchell Canyon. The Ghost Walk has Granny Norton; Mitchell Canyon has Bully Ingram. Both events are built on stories that belong to this town.
The hike is easy. It's about 2 miles round trip with roughly a hundred feet of elevation gain. MDIA suggests bringing water and snacks, dressing in layers, and wearing good hiking shoes. Reserve by emailing [email protected].
Why tarantulas, and why now
The two ambassador spiders on Sunday's hike tie into a real seasonal pattern. In its guide to Bay Area tarantula season, KQED reported that local mating season typically starts in mid-September and peaks around mid-October, when tarantulas come out to mate. The station lists Mount Diablo among the places you might spot one.
KQED also reported that tarantulas are harmless and afraid of humans. They have no ears, but they sense footsteps through nerves in their feet and try to move away. If you see one on a trail this month, give it room and watch from a distance. California State Parks asks visitors to view wildlife from a safe distance and not touch it. Sunday's hike is the one event this week where meeting a tarantula up close is on the program.
Mitchell Canyon logistics
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Address | Mitchell Canyon Staging Area, 96 Mitchell Canyon Road, Clayton |
| Vehicle fee | $6, cash or check, per California State Parks |
| Senior rate | $5, per MDIA's event listing |
| Gate hours | Open 8 a.m., close at sunset |
| Visitor center | Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., March through October |
California State Parks asks visitors to be in their vehicles and heading out by sunset so they don't get locked in. The Halloween hike runs until 6 p.m., so keep an eye on the light as you walk back down the canyon. MDIA's listing asks for exact cash at the entrance gate.
Where to eat between events
Every downtown restaurant below appears in a local Clayton guide whose listings were checked in September 2026. Hours change, so call or check each restaurant's own page before you go.
| Place | Address | Closest event |
|---|---|---|
| Moresi's Chophouse | 6115 Main Street | Ghost Walk start, 6101 Main |
| Vinny's Taqueria | 6101 Center Street | Ghost Walk or Trunk-or-Treat |
| Ed's Mudville Grill | 6200 Center Street | Trunk-or-Treat |
| La Veranda Cafe | 6201 Center Street | Trunk-or-Treat |
| Sip 'N Sweet | 6200 Center Street, Suite G | Any of them |
| Roadside 22 | 5439 Clayton Road, Suites E–F | On the way to or from Mitchell Canyon |
Some timing notes from the posted hours:
- Friday, October 30. Moresi's opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and it's next door to the museum by street number. That makes it the obvious stop before the 7:30 p.m. haunted walk. Vinny's stays open until 9 p.m. on Fridays, which works after the 5:30 p.m. family walk.
- Saturday, October 24. Ed's Mudville Grill opens daily at 11 a.m. La Veranda Cafe opens at 10 a.m. on weekends, so you can fit in lunch before the 2 p.m. Trunk-or-Treat. Sip 'N Sweet is open until 9 p.m. on Saturdays for a treat after the trick-or-treating.
- Sunday, October 25. Relentless Grind Coffee Company, inside Roadside 22 at Clayton Station, is open 7 a.m. to noon Thursday through Sunday. That's a morning stop if you also want to join Save Mount Diablo's "The Morning Side of Mount Diablo from Morgan Territory" hike, 9 a.m. to noon at 9401 Morgan Territory Road, before the afternoon hike in Mitchell Canyon. Roadside 22 opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays and closes at 7 p.m., so it fits after the hike only if you head straight there from the canyon.
After Halloween
The local calendar keeps going into November. MDIA runs a separate Wonder Hikes outing from the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center on November 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and reservations are required. Save Mount Diablo's Black Diamond Mines Autumn Hike meets November 7 at the Somersville Staging Area in Antioch. All month, the Clayton Community Library has a Native American Heritage Month Seek & Find in its children's area. Downtown's next big night is the CBCA's Holidays in The Grove on December 5 at 5 p.m. in The Grove Park, with a holiday program, a tree lighting and photos with Santa.
If you're hosting family for Halloween week and want ideas for the visit, from the 5:30 p.m. Ghost Walk to an afternoon in Mitchell Canyon, the Wendy Moore Real Estate Team is glad to share what we know about the Clayton calendar. We'll see you on Main Street. Contact Us.
