Circumnavigation

Congratulations! Claim your spot on the wall of fame by filling out the finisher form. Then we’ll add your name to the wall of fame and email you a certificate of completion.

Even though the Ridge Trail is still growing, a circumnavigation is considered “complete” if all existing trail segments are traveled at the time of your circumnavigation attempt. You can complete new segments as they are added, but the addition of a new segment does not negate your already completed circumnavigation.

The Ridge Trail is planned as a 550-mile trail, with over 400 miles open and ready to explore today. There are two continuous stretches (from the Peninsula to Marin, and in the East Bay) but otherwise there are still gaps in the trail. Here are some ways people have tackled them:

• If they are short, you may want to travel along a connecting road. HOWEVER, we NEVER encourage you to cross busy roads or highways at undesignated places!
• If they are longer, you can use a rideshare such as Lyft or Uber, or shuttle by car, bike or public transportation.
• Some gaps you may just want to skip. Thru-hiking is easiest on our long stretches but harder in the North Bay where there are many more gaps, for example.

Many people have solo circumnavigated, and while going alone can be rewarding, it can make logistics like running shuttles a bit more difficult. Tips from our former circumnavigators include: 

• Using rideshares such as Lyft or Uber or nearby public transportation to shuttle yourself. Note: some trailheads don’t have reception, so you may need to go closer to town to get service. 
• Using bike shuttles, or locking your bike at the end of a trail segment to be able to ride on the road back to your car.
• Make sure to let someone know where you are going that day and what time you expect to be back.

We have a dozen multi-day backpacking, bikepacking and ‘basecamp’ trip itineraries on our Trip Planning Tools webpage. Three-day basecamps use one central point, like a motel or hostel, for you to knock out several days of hikes in one area. Check out these itineraries for Sonoma County, Napa County, Santa Clara County and San Mateo County.

There are quite a few areas that you can camp off the trail, but some sections are much harder to coordinate than others. Check out our Interactive Map to find campsites along the Ridge Trail or consider staying at a Hipcamp.

There are several sections that require a trail permit, primarily on sensitive watershed lands:

East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) Lands
All East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) lands require you to get a trail permit. There are permit options for one day, one year, and three years.
Buy a trail permit

Ridge Trail sections that travel through EBMUD lands are:

• Pinole Valley Watershed
• Pinole Valley Watershed to Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve
• Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area to Tilden Regional Park (Inspiration Point)
• Tilden to Redwood Regional via Skyline Trail, Sibley and Huckleberry
• East Bay Municipal Utility District Lands to Cull Canyon

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail
To finish the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail on the Peninsula, you need to sign up for a docent-led hike. If there are no open spots on a scheduled hike, or you don’t see a hike scheduled that you’d like to join, you can reach out to one of our trained docents, Thomas Beck, to schedule one. 

Sign up for a Hike | Schedule a Hike

Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve
To protect rare, threatened, and endangered species on the property, the preserve is enrolled in the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan Reserve System. A Butterfly Pass is required to fully access the Tule Elk, Bay Checkerspot, and Serpentine Trails. Access is restricted to certain days of the week to protect sensitive species.

Cell reception varies across the length of the trail. Some sections have excellent signal while others don’t have any at all. Reception tends to be weaker at trailheads that are lower down and in valleys, versus stronger reception up on the ridge lines. Be sure to plan ahead, download your maps before leaving home, or be ready to hike closer to town if you need a signal to coordinate a shuttle.