Author: Sharon Bone

Welcome to 80 miles of trail! In partnership with Ridge Trail, the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy completed new construction on Milagra Ridge, overlooking Pacifica. In addition, the Ridge Trail worked with the cities of Pacifica and Daly City to dedicate and sign 1.5 miles of city streets, closing a gap and extending the longest continuous section of Ridge Trail to nearly 80 miles, from northern Marin County south to Highway 92 in San Mateo County. In 2017, we began seeing the first thru-hikers camping and hiking this continuous section of Ridge Trail—the Western Ridge Section. Explore away!

Mount St. Helena will be the highest spur on the Ridge Trail—a whopping 4,343 feet—and will hopefully be dedicated sometime this year. The Ridge Trail Council has been  working to dedicate a Ridge Trail spur from the Lower Oat Hill Mine Trails above Calistoga, up the Palisades and Table Rock Trails to the craggy summit of Mount St. Helena—guaranteeing wide-open vistas and a fresh perspective to all who brave the steep ascents. By supporting the Ridge Trail, you make existing trails better. The three sections that comprise this project—especially the Table Rock Trail—have a history of problems. Improper grades, inadequate signage, and faulty drainage have made portions of these trails hard to navigate. On occasion, people get lost or hurt. Cal Fire responds to about a dozen rescues annually, often requiring helicopter support. This can cost taxpayers as much as $20,000 dollars per rescue.

The first phase (adding Ridge Trail signs to improve wayfinding) is complete. Going forward, the Council will seek to raise and leverage funding to improve the grade on the trail to Table Rock. Ridge Trail Steward John Aranson states, “There are long stretches of the Table Rock Trail that exceed 30-40% grade. Trails at such steep grades allow sediment to runoff into streams and cause water pollution. Our goal is to reduce the grade to less than 15% and create a beautiful, sustainable trail.”

After decades of behind-the-scenes advocacy and leveraging over a million dollars in funding, the Ridge Trail is proud to announce that Mt. Umunhum is open to the public for the first time in a generation. Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Ridge Trail’s highest peak on primary trail, Mt. Um opened during a celebration in September of 2017. On a clear day, from this 3,486-foot vista, visitors can admire 360 degree views for nearly 150 miles from the new visitor observation platform. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District was the lead partner in the project with key support from the Ridge Trail Council and the Coastal Conservancy. Majority funding came from 2014’s Measure AA Open Space Bond.

The project included:

• Newly constructed 5.3 miles of Ridge Trail—from the top of Mount Umunhum to Bald Mountain.
• ADA accessible parking area complete with bathrooms.
• Native American ceremonial space.

Explore the diverse geologic features of this inspiring landscape and observe the plant and animal life thriving in the challenging weather conditions of Mt. Umunhum.

The Ridge Trail is Now BARTable!
As of June 13, 2020 the Ridge Trail connects from Berryessa BART to the protected open spaces along the ridgelines overlooking San José! This continuous Ridge Trail connection goes from the BART station along Penitencia Creek Trail through Alum Rock Park to the sweeping views and serpentine landscape of Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, with planned trail connections north to Ed Levin County Park and south to Joseph D. Grant County Park.

Why:
In 2017, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority granted the Ridge Trail their Urban Open Space funding to bring people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to their surrounding trails and parks. With an estimated daily ridership of 12,000 and nearly 30,000 residents within a ½ mile radius, this project has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people each year.

What:
The project includes the following elements, which will be developed in coordination with the VTA and the City of San Jose’s Trail Program:

• Directional and wayfinding signs in and around the Berryessa BART station, leading people to local parks and beyond to the ridge via the Ridge Trail.
• Interpretive panels that include an overview map, highlighting the benefits of trails and active transportation.
• Guided outings in English and Spanish (virtual outings planned due to COVID-19).
• Brochures in English and Spanish.*

* According to the Santa Clara Valley OSA’s “Understanding Our Community” report, the percentage of Spanish speakers in this area may be as high as 71%.

More info:
Ridge Trail Berryessa BART Brochure and Map
Ridge Trail Berryessa BART Folleto y Mapa
Ridge Trail Berryessa BART Brochure và bản đồ
Penitencia Creek Trail Map
Alum Rock Park and Sierra Vista Open Space Trail Map
Penitencia Creek Bridges Scavenger Hunt

For a map showing updated (as of March 2018) information on fire-related Ridge Trail closures and re-openings, click here.

Updates and Ridge Trail Re-openings: Our partners have been working tirelessly to restore and re-open their trails after the devastating North Bay fires last fall.  The following sections of Ridge Trail in burned areas of Sonoma and Napa County are now open or will hopefully open soon:

• The Ridge Trail in Skyline Wilderness Park re-opened on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
• The Lower Oat Hill Mine Ridge Trail (in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park) re-opened in late November 2017.
• All Ridge Trails in Sonoma County Regional Parks are open, with the exception of trails in Trione-Annadel State Park.
• Sugarloaf State Park’s Ridge Trail re-opened on February 1, 2018.

Why: Extensive wildfires in Sonoma, Napa, and Solano Counties burned homes, businesses, wildlands, and many miles of Ridge Trail. As a partner to over 75 park and open space agencies, the Ridge Trail is in a unique position to support our land-managing partners.

What: The Ridge Trail will be helping our partners assess damage, rally volunteers, leverage funding, and physically restore the trail. We are in discussions to figure out how we can be the most help.

In addition, miles of Ridge Trail were destroyed both by the fire and in the efforts to control the fire. In particular, the Napa-Solano Ridge Trail, which is on private property, sustained extensive damage including:

• Trail bulldozed to make a fire line
• Trees burned to the core that are in danger of falling on the trail
• Burned bridges and retaining walls
• Destroyed water bars which can no longer prevent rain-related erosion
• Ridge Trail signs destroyed 

Funding and volunteer need:

Volunteer:
Skyline Wilderness Park: There are regular trail work days on Saturdays. For more information, please call (707) 252-0481..

The Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Association (REMBA) posts information on upcoming trail work in areas affected by these wildfires.

Donate:
We welcome your donations to fund our ongoing work to support our partners and repair the Napa-Solano Ridge Trail. Help us heal the trail and the people who live near it.

Rebuild Ridge Trail Today!

Photo credit: Christopher Chung, The Press Democrat