If you’ve ever hiked the Ridge Trail through the hills of John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, you’ve probably arrived at a padlocked gate and had to turn back. Beyond the gate is Almond Ranch,  281 acres of private property abutting Mount Wanda.

Now there is good news for trail users, nature lovers, and wildlife alike! John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) – a wonderful Ridge Trail partner committed to the conservation and care of open space, ranches, farms, parkland and shoreline in the East Bay – has reached their fundraising goal and successfully acquired Almond Ranch! 

The acquisition saves the land from possible future development, preserving 281 acres of grassland, scrub, oak-bay woodlands in the riparian zone surrounding the seasonal stream that winds through the property and eventually flows into Alhambra Creek. This addition will also close a critical one-mile gap in the Ridge Trail, which is also currently one of several remaining gaps in the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail, the 50-mile loop that encircles the Carquinez Strait and climbs into the surrounding hills. The Ridge Trail Council expects to dedicate this new trail near the end of 2020.

To find out more about the project visit jmlt.org/almondranch.

 

The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail: a corridor where the San Francisco Bay Trail, Great California Delta Trail, Juan Bautista de Anza Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail meet the historic center of Northern California—works to promote the natural, historical, scenic and recreational opportunities along the Carquinez Strait in Contra Costa and Solano Counties.

This trail network can be reached by the Vallejo Ferry, Martinez Amtrak or a quick drive and a currently navigable 25-mile trail loop around the Carquinez Strait passes through five historic downtowns (including the iconic Port Costa with the oldest operating hotel in CA, the Burlington Hotel), the historic State Capital in Benicia, John Muir’s residence, two major bridges, and spectacular views.

 

Although there are a handful of gaps in the Ridge Trail along the Carquinez Strait, here is a list of our favorite three you can enjoy today.

Trail Map: John Muir National Historic Site to the Franklin Ridge Ranches

Photo Credit: Adam Weidenbach

Success! The 11th annual Ridge Trail Day rallied over 400 trail volunteers at 13 sites around the Bay. You helped build, repair, and improve trail for everyone.

See what these volunteers had to say about Ridge Trail Day 2018.

With the support of our volunteers we were able to prepare the trails for winter, and spread our vision of a 550+ mile loop around the Bay. Here are some accomplishments across all nine Bay Area counties from Ridge Trail Day 2018:

• Prepared 12 miles of trail for winter by creating drainage features to prevent erosion
• Planted 27 native plants to encourage habitat growth in Golden Gate Park
• Removed more than 8 truckloads of invasive species and trash to create safe passageways and encourage native species growth
• Realigned 0.25 miles of trail in Napa and San Francisco and removed hazardous boulders to make it safer for users of all types

Now the trails are all pretty and waiting for you to enjoy them on Black Friday (November, 23). Instead of going indoors on that shopping-crazed day, head outside with REI Co-op as they close their doors for the day to enjoy the fresh air.

Please view our photo gallery to see highlights of the Ridge Trail Day activities. We will be adding more photos from our many partners in the days to come. If you are one of die-hard Ridge Trail Day fans and want to see ALL the photos (and maybe add some of your own!) you can access them on this Google drive folder.

Thank you!

The 22nd annual Ridge to Bridge took place on Saturday April 21st and had nearly 300 people hike, bike, run and ride their horses over 4,000 miles of trail! We were so thrilled to have the beautiful spring weather, abundance of wildflowers, and the camaraderie on the trail made for another spectacular event.

With the support of our participants we were able to make this the largest peer-to-peer fundraising year for Ridge to Bridge. Due to the tireless efforts of our fundraisers, we raised $25,709 to help build, connect and fix Ridge Trail near you. Our top individual fundraisers were:

1. Matthew Zinn
2. Jay Bailinson
3. Michael Irvine
4. Steve Smoot
5. Kathryn Weber

Our top fundraising teams were:

1. Sleep Late & Hike
2. Mt. Tam Marvels
3. Bay Area Ridge Trail (RT) and more Meetup Group
4. The Scrambled Legs
5. Team Draeger

Please view our photo gallery to see highlights from the event. Joanna Salazar of Snapped With Love Photography took some amazing shots.

We hope to see you all next year!

Success! The 10th annual Ridge Trail Day rallied over 500 trail volunteers in 14 sites around the Bay. You helped build, repair, and improve trail for everyone.

With the support of our volunteers we were able to prepare the trails for winter, and spread our vision of a 550+ mile loop around the Bay. Here are some accomplishments across all nine Bay Area counties from Ridge Trail Day 2017:

• Removed fire debris so that we may begin rebuilding trail affected by the North Bay fires
• Dug out drainage to prepare trails for winter storms and prevent erosion
• Planted trees to protect the soil
• Repaired 59 feet of fencing to keep people on trails and off sensitive flora and fauna
• Removed more than 12 truckloads invasive species so that native plants can regrow
  Installed a bench so generations can enjoy the iconic 360 degree Ridge Trail views

Please view our photo gallery to see highlights of the day’s activities. We will be adding more photos from our many partners in the days to come.

Thank you!

The Ridge Trail spur to the top of Mount Saint Helena is now properly signed along the Palisades and Table Rock sections. With a peak at 4,343 feet, Mount St. Helena is a heavy hitter in the world of Ridge Trail views.

When you support the Ridge Trail, you make existing trails better. For many years, this area has lacked adequate signage. This led to problems such as expensive lost-hiker rescues. Before dedicating Mount St. Helena and the nearby Palisades and Table Rock trails as Ridge Trail, we sought to improve these trails. Improper grades and faulty drainage have made portions of them hard to navigate.

Ridge Trail Steward John Aranson worked with the local fire department and State Parks to ensure that the signs addressed all of the stakeholders’ needs.

Former Trail Director, Moira McEnespy took the newly signed trail for a “test-hike” and reports, “The new signs look fabulous and I did not get lost!  There were quite a few folks out that day, so the new signs are keeping a lot of people safe and on the trail.”

The trails of Mount St. Helena will be officially dedicated soon, hopefully sometime this year, once Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District is able to assume management of the area. Patience and perseverance open all trails!

The wait is over! A new mountain peak is opening for public access in the Bay Area for the first time in years. Mount Umunhum, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is opening with a series of celebrations and full public opening on September 18, 2017

“The view from the top is shockingly great,” exclaimed Bern Smith, the recently retired trail director for Ridge Trail. On a clear day, from its 3,486-foot peak, visitors can admire 360-degree views for nearly 150 miles from the new visitor observation platform.

Enjoy a 3.2 mile hike or ride on the Mt. Umunhum Trail from Bald Mountain parking area, then a 0.2 mile stair hike to the summit (see map, page 3). On the way up, explore the diverse geologic features of this inspiring landscape and observe the plant and animal life thriving in the challenging weather conditions of Mount Umunhum.

A total of 5.3 miles of new Ridge Trail is being dedicated, including a stretch extending south from existing Ridge Trail in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, along Barlow Road Trail, envisioned as part of a future grand southern loop.

By opening Mount Umunhum to the public, a new chapter begins, telling “…stories of the Native Americans who lived there for centuries, of the Air Force personnel who scanned  the skies during the cold war and of the settlers who tried to eke out a living in that harsh environment,” says MROSD General Manager Steve Abbors.

Now you too can visit and explore the iconic peak, whose name translates as “resting place of the hummingbirds” in the native Amah Mutsun tribal language.