REI Co-op Invests in the Ridge Trail

REI Co-op believes trails are a crucial to getting outside and life well-lived. To support this philosophy, the retailer is helping create lasting legacies in select communities by investing in large, longer-term projects that connect people and communities to the outdoors. This year the Ridge Trail Council was thrilled to become an REI Co-op Rewilding Grantee. The multi-year grant will be used to raise awareness about the Ridge Trail.

With more than six million active Co-op members and 143 stores, the Co-op invests in outdoor places by investing in trails—this is why it partners with community organizations like the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, who share its goal of creating, improving, and sustaining access to inspiring places. Kristen Ragain, the Co-op’s community affairs program manager, says, “The Co-op began the Rewilding program to invest in projects that can change the way people experience the outdoors.” Because the Bay Area is the Co-op’s biggest market—with 10 stores in close proximity to the Ridge Trail—the Co-op looked at the Ridge Trail project as an immense opportunity given the trail’s regional focus and impact on so many people in diverse communities.” The intent of the grant is to invest in building the Council’s organizational capacity.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail has had a long association with the Co-op through Ridge Trail Day. Over the past nine years, this collaborative workday—largely supported by local Co-op stores—has brought in 4,200 volunteers who have dedicated 16,000 hours to caring for the Ridge Trail. In addition, the Co-op has provided the Ridge Trail Council with $400,000 in grant funding over the last 26 years.

Under the current Legacy Grant, the Co-op and the Ridge Trail will collaborate in new ways. Through the REI Co-op Outdoor School, the Co-op will lead outings and offer in-store programs about the Ridge Trail. The Co-op values playing an active role furthering the mission of its grantees. The Ridge Trail Council is extremely grateful for its partnership with REI Co-op!

A Trail runner’s perspective: The Ridge Trail ensures access to nature for all

Board member Matt Zinn still remembers the confused looks he got during his first Ridge to Bridge (a Ridge Trail sponsored long-distance hike and ride), when he told the other participants he was going to run the route from Mount Tam down to the Presidio. “Everyone was perplexed!” he says. “People assumed you could hike Ridge to Bridge, or bike it, or even ride a horse—but run it?” That was different.

Trail running is one of the lesser-known uses of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, in comparison to hiking or mountain biking. But the trail runners are out there, blazing their way through the fog of the Marin Headlands and the golden hills of the Sierra Azul Preserve.

One reason Matt thinks the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is so important is that it provides an advocacy voice for public access in addition to open space protection. The Bay Area is lucky to have an abundance of open spaces with many advocates passionate about preserving open space, and some of those advocates leaning towards closing off protected areas from the public. In contrast, “the Ridge Trail promotes opportunities specifically to advocate for public trails in public spaces,” Matt says. The Ridge Trail Council gives people all around the Bay Area the chance to experience beautiful open spaces, from the inspiring redwood forests to the scrubby chaparral woodlands.

The beauty of trail running, Matt says, is that it gives you “a way to explore a trail yourself that you wouldn’t normally experience.” Just the sounds of bird song in your ears, and the firm ground of the Ridge Trail underneath.

Making the loop – two friends share their circumnavigation

It started with a dare. Somewhere on the travels of Dan Nowell and Prentiss Willson, they stumbled upon a book, Bay Area Ridge Trail: The Official Guide. Dan loosely dared Prentiss to hike the entire route and thus began a 350-mile journey to hike the Ridge Trail over two years, cementing what would become a 15-year friendship. Dan and Prentiss share an infectious spirit. Both are long-legged and athletic, and have amassed an impressive collection of life stories–making them excellent trail companions.

Their inaugural hike was in the Marin Headlands. Although Dan grew up in Mill Valley and spent untold hours wandering the hills on Mount Tam and around Tennessee Valley, he was awestruck. “The Ridge Trail brought me closer to my home. On that first hike I was inspired by my hometown in a way I didn’t think was still possible. In my own backyard, the Ridge Trail was hiding undiscovered gems.”

In addition to being circumnavigators, Dan and Prentiss understand that the Ridge Trail is user-supported—they are both donors. Prentiss is a Legacy Circle member. Prentiss says he included the Ridge Trail in his estate plan because, “the idea that someday it could be one contiguous trail is just awesome and I want to help make that happen (and hope I’m still here, in which case I’ll do it again).”

To find tools and resource to plan your circumnavigation or section hike see our TRAIL TOOLS page.

To find out how you can include the Ridge Trail in your planned giving visit our PLANNED GIVING page.

Twin Peaks Trail Improvements

Twin Peaks is one of San Francisco’s most visited natural destinations, offering sweeping 360-degree views of the city and the Bay Area. To protect its fragile habitat and enhance the visitor experience, the Twin Peaks Trail Improvement and Promenade Project is making significant updates to the trail system

Enhancing Access, Safety & Sustainability

April 2025

Twin Peaks is one of San Francisco’s most visited natural destinations, offering sweeping 360-degree views of the city and the Bay Area. To protect its fragile habitat and enhance the visitor experience, the Twin Peaks Trail Improvement and Promenade Project is making significant updates to the trail system, including a key section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Recent and upcoming work on Twin Peaks includes the replacement and installation of steps to improve accessibility, as well as plant restoration of the coastal grassland habitat. The project also involves planning and installing wayfinding and interpretive signage to help visitors navigate the area and learn more about its unique natural features. These improvements are designed to preserve the surrounding environment and create a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone who visits.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council has been a long-time partner in this effort, working alongside the City of San Francisco, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, and other local partners for over 35 years. The Ridge Trail runs for more than 14 miles through San Francisco, with 1.2 of those miles crossing directly over Eureka and Noe Peaks in Twin Peaks Open Space — a spectacular stretch that offers some of the best panoramic views of San Francisco and the Bay Area..

The project has received strong funding support from several sources, including most recently the 2022 Priority Conservation Area Grant through the State Coastal Conservancy, the 2022 California State Parks Regional Program under Proposition 68, and a 2024 Recreation Trails Program (RTP) Grant. In addition, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council has contributed $37,000 to the Twin Peaks Promenade improvements. Of this, $25,000 from the Ridge Trail Action Fund is dedicated to new interpretive and wayfinding signage, while $12,000 from the Lucas Horan Memorial Fund will support the installation of a memorial bench in Lucas’s honor along the promenade.

This project represents a significant step toward preserving the natural beauty of Twin Peaks while making it safer and more accessible for generations to come.

More Info

San Francisco Stern Grove to the Presidio Trail Map
Twin Peaks Curated Adventure

Previous Project Updates

From Pilot to Permanent: Twin Peaks joins the Ridge Trail!

May 2020

After a four year pilot project to close Twin Peaks Boulevard to cars, in May 2020 the SFMTA announced that eastern portion of Twin Peaks Boulevard would become a permanent ‘Slow Street’. Previously, the trail followed neighborhood sidewalks and bypassed the more dangerous roadway to Twin Peaks. The permanent closure to cars was the result of years of advocacy for safer bicycle and pedestrian access to Twin Peaks Boulevard.

This section is a key link in the San Francisco Reroute, a long term project to shift the Ridge Trail from city streets to scenic parks and open spaces. Volunteers and partners at SFMTA, San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department, San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Walk SF, and SF Urban Riders all worked together to close this gap.

Bailey Avenue Trail Overcrossing

The Project: The Bailey Avenue Trail Overcrossing is a proposed 0.8-mile Class I Trail connection along the existing Bailey Avenue overcrossing of Monterey Road, U.S. 101, the high speed rail corridor, and the Coyote Creek Trail. This design leverages existing, under-utilized road infrastructure by reducing one traffic lane on the north side of the Bailey Avenue and converting it into a separated Class I trail.

The Benefits: After 30 years of planning, study, and partner coordination, the Bailey Avenue Trail Overcrossing has been identified as the optimal connection, the linchpin, for a 40-mile continuous stretch of Ridge Trail and the connection between Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve to Santa Teresa County Park.  The creation of a safe trail crossing in this location will not only close a gap for trail users to cross Coyote Valley, but it will also has the potential to aid wildlife crossing between Coyote Creek and Coyote Ridge.

Funding Need: $286,000 is needed to complete the design and engineering of this project.

How Can You Help: You can join our South Bay Trail Advocacy Group by emailing advocacy@ridgetrail.org to support trail development in the South Bay.  Additionally, you can donate to the Trail Opportunity Fund to help us fund important projects like this!

Download the Summary Reports Here:
Bailey Avenue Class I Trail Overcrossing: Phase I Design Summary (2020-2022)
Bailey Avenue Trail Crossing-Pathways for Wildlife Comments (2022)
North Coyote Valley Ridge Trail Feasibility Study (2017-2020)

North Coyote Valley Route Study

What: The Ridge Trail is working to connect the eastern and western stretches of the Ridge Trail through a critical gap in Coyote Valley, just south of San José.  In March 2021 we kicked off the redesign of the Bailey Avenue overpasses. This project will design a separated trail along the existing Bailey Avenue overpasses and connect Coyote Ridge Open Space to the Coyote Valley Conservation Areas.  This project was identified in our North Coyote Valley Ridge Trail Route Feasibility Study, published in November 2020. By using existing infrastructure, we can protect natural resources and minimize the trail impact in this critical wildlife corridor – a win-win for conservation and public access!

North Coyote Feasibility Study Results – Map of Potential Ridge Trail Route

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download the North Coyote Valley Ridge Trail Feasibility Study here.

Why: Coyote Valley is considered one of the most important conservation areas in the country as it is a critical link for wildlife and water between the two biodiversity hot spots of Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range.  Partners in the area are conserving large swaths of land, most notably the acquisition and expansion of the Coyote Valley Conservation Area by the City of San José, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA).

In the past several years significant progress has been made to connect the Ridge Trail in Santa Clara County. When the Ridge Trail is completed through Coyote Valley, you will be able to travel on uninterrupted trail from Santa Teresa County Park in San José, through Almaden Quicksilver County Park, and all the way up to Mount Umunhum in Sierra Azul Preserve. 

Funding need:  This is a complex multi-phase project and we are currently seeking additional funding for design, environmental review, permitting and construction of connections along Bailey Avenue across U.S. 101. 

Voice Your Support: OSA is beginning the master planning process to determine how this land will be conserved and what kinds of access will be allowed. Now is the time to advocate for the Ridge Trail route to be included in the Coyote Valley Conservation Area Master Plan!  This trail will serve as a critical linkage through the valley.

Sign up to participate in the Coyote Valley Conservation Area Master Plan process and advocate for the Ridge Trail here!

Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail

The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is a 50-mile loop travelling both the scenic shores and sweeping ridgelines of the Carquinez Strait, where the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta meet. This vision for this trail was developed in 2020 by five regional trails – the Ridge Trail, Bay Trail, Delta Trail, SF Water Trail and the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail. – and several community partners including the City of Benicia and Contra Costa County. 

The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is 70% complete but there are still 9 gaps on the trail that we are working to close. The Ridge Trail helps lead a Working Group of land managers and trail partners to complete all the gaps in the trail. In 2020, we completed the trail at Almond Ranch and added 1.6 miles to the loop. Our upcoming construction projects include:

Get Involved! Help us spread the word about the trail by visiting our website and getting outside to explore! Get involved with our local Trail Advocacy Group to advocate for more local trails. Contact advocacy@ridgetrail.org to learn more.

Resources:
Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail 2020 Vision Plan
Explore the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail – Maps & Itineraries

 

Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossing

Help the Ridge Trail Solve Complex Crossings like Highway 17!
Have you ever driven Highway 17 and thought it was harrowing? Now imagine you are a hiker, biker or mountain lion. Help us provide safe crossings for outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife, which will connect over 30,000 acres of protected public lands on both sides of Highway 17 and create over 50 continuous miles of Ridge Trail. And Highway 17 is not the only complex crossing along the planned trail route. As the Ridge Trail proceeds to completion, some of our biggest obstacles will be complex and expensive crossings such as Highways 92, 35, 4, 680 and the railroads at Niles Canyon Road.

Why:
This is a critical gap for both wildlife and regional trails. The Ridge Trail believes that both wildlife and humans are important trail users and that careful and balanced planning will create the most elegant solution. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) reached out to the Ridge Trail Council to rally trail advocates and to help fundraise to complete the crossing and the trail connections leading up to the crossing. Make sure to sign up for Midpen project updates here.

Current Status (as of July 2021):
This project is currently in the Environmental Review and Caltrans Project Report Phase, with Midpen preparation of the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) underway. This project also just received $2 million in funding to complete the Design (Plans, Specifications and Estimates) Phase through the most recent State budget, thanks to a proposal from Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose). Learn more about the project timeline and funding status here.

Funding need:
Funding is still needed for the construction phase of this project, and to support the Ridge Trail’s work attending meetings, reviewing planning documents, and organizing community members and volunteers to advocate for this important regional trail connection. To support our work on this project, you can make a donation here. Thank you for helping us to make this vital connection for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts a reality!