Coming soon!
5.4 Miles
After more than twenty years of anticipation, the wait is almost over—5.4 miles of brand-new Bay Area Ridge Trail will open on the San Francisco Peninsula next year. Led by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), with planning and support from the Ridge Trail, the Southern Skyline Ridge Trail Extension will offer a spectacular new route parallel to Skyline Boulevard, just south of Highway 92. Complete with parking, interpretive signage and restrooms, the trail will soon welcome hikers, cyclists, and equestrians to explore this exceptional landscape for the first time.
North of Highway 92 lies the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail, accessible only through docent-led tours. In contrast, the new Southern Skyline segment will allow visitors to explore independently with a permit. As part of the project, Fifield-Cahill will be enhanced with a new parking area and a 0.5-mile loop trail designed to be accessible for those with mobility limitations.
While the new segment greatly expands recreation opportunities, this new trail will not yet connect with existing Ridge Trail to the north or south. To the north there is currently no safe way to cross Highway 92 between Skylawn Memorial Park and the new trail. Closing this gap will require advocacy, planning, and funding—but opening the Southern Skyline Extension makes it a higher priority than ever.
To the south, the trail will end near–but not connect to–Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. Progress is underway to create a safe crossing of Skyline Boulevard. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, with funding support from the Ridge Trail Action Fund, is leading the design and construction of a crossing and an expanded parking lot that is expected to open in the next few years.
Construction on the Southern Skyline Ridge Trail Extension is ongoing through the fall, with a public opening expected in early 2026. This project stands as a powerful example of how public access and habitat protection can go hand in hand—opening one of the Bay Area’s most scenic ridgelines to a new generation of explorers.
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