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!

Connecting Mt. Sutro to Golden Gate Park

Mt Sutro to the Phil Arnold Trail in Golden Gate Park is scheduled to open in April 2020!

What: This spring, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and Ridge Trail will dedicate the next stretch of trail from Mt Sutro along Stanyan Road and through Golden Gate Park, also known as the “Stanyan Edge.” The opening will occur during the park’s 150th anniversary year and will complete another critical connection in the San Francisco Reroute that leaves only the stretch over the iconic Twin Peaks to Mt Sutro section left to be built.

Why: In 2019, the Ridge Trail dedicated a beautiful section the winds its way through the beautiful ancient Oak Woodlands in Golden Gate Park and was named the Phil Arnold Trail after our former Board President. This was the second dedication along the San Francisco Reroute, after Mt Sutro Open Space Preserve, that shifts that Ridge Trail alignment from City streets and sidewalks to the iconic parks and opens spaces.

Funding need: $1M is still needed for the Twin Peaks Promenade redevelopment and connection of Twin Peaks to Mount Sutro for trail construction and hazardous tree removal.

Ridge Trail Sign Survey and Update

COMPLETED – Over 350 miles of new Ridge Trail signs updated! Only 100 more miles to go!

Why: In 2017, the Ridge Trail adopted the new trail sign design and in 2018 they set the goal to install the new signs along 200 miles of trail!

What: With the support of volunteers, partner agencies and our sign intern Fabio, we have signed over 350 miles of trail in 2018 (NOTE: Approximately 70 miles are access and connector trails)! In less than five months, Fabio biked over 500 miles and hiked over 60 miles to replace almost 700 unique sign locations on over 200 miles of Ridge Trail throughout the Bay Area. We still have around 100 more miles of primary Ridge Trail to go to complete all of the dedicated miles! We plan to complete this effort with the help of volunteers and partner agencies.

Funding need: Although we are getting very close to completing the trail “blazes” there is an ongoing funding need to maintain, replace and install new interpretive and map signs that will help orient and educate trail users about the Ridge Trail and other site specific information. We hope you can support this ongoing effort!

Silicon Valley Trail Loop Study: Reducing Emissions

In the heart of Silicon Valley, an intersection of existing and planned trails and transit—including the Ridge Trail, the San Francisco Bay Trail, and the City of San Jose Trail Network—offers the opportunity to travel by trail and transit instead of by car. The Silicon Valley Trail Loop (SVTL) makes it convenient and fun to leave the car at home while commuting to work or school, running errands, enjoying urban attractions, or getting to nearby wild natural areas. The trail and public access possibilities will be greatly expanded by the opening of the new Berryessa BART station next year, which will directly intersect this trail loop and the Ridge Trail itself.

Combining trails and transit for commute and non-commute trips also helps cut greenhouse gases. For this project, the Ridge Trail, Bay Trail, and other partners completed a study focused on the SVTL that forecast greenhouse gas emissions reductions from replacing car trips with trail and transit trips, and surveyed options that large-scale tech employers, planners and decision-makers could use to encourage the shift from cars to trails and transit for commuting. A fully completed trail loop ranked as the #1 factor that would result in the greatest shift from cars to trail-and-transit commutes. Even low-cost simple measures to promote bicycling to work have a significant impact, such as policies allowing bicycles in buildings, “social” measures such as active commute contests or “bike-pooling,” and safety seminars.

You can plan your own trips with a new app we have developed in partnership with Trailhead Labs. Not only does this tool help plan trips, it also calculates carbon and cost savings!

Download:
Silicon Valley Trail Finder app
SVTL full study
SVTL executive Summary