Most Bay Area hikers know Russian Ridge for its spring wildflowers. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which manages the preserve, makes a case for fall instead: autumn, when the fog recedes, is the ideal time to enjoy ridge views of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains through crisp, clean air.

The view from Borel Hill

The preserve's high point is Borel Hill, at 2,572 feet. The district calls it the highest named point in San Mateo County, with a 360-degree view. On a clear day you can look east across the bay from San Jose to San Francisco and west to the Pacific.

Trails to try

  • Bay Area Ridge Trail: Runs north from Skyline Ridge Preserve along the crest to Rapley Ranch Road, passing Borel Hill, with views of both the ocean and the bay.
  • Ancient Oaks Trail: Old oak limbs arch over the path to form a canopy. It leads to the Mindego parking lot on Alpine Road.
  • Fog Drift Vista Trail: A short, steep out-and-back to a vista point with views of Mt. Melville to the north and the Peninsula and bay to the east.
  • Mindego Hill Trail: Leads from the Mindego Gateway parking area. Its extension to the top of Mindego Hill, through areas with grazing cattle, is open.

In all, the preserve has about 10.4 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

Raptors and wildlife

The district calls Russian Ridge one of the best places in the Bay Area to see raptors. Red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, Cooper's hawks, sharp-shinned hawks and golden eagles have all been spotted. Coyotes patrol the ridges, and bobcats, bats and California newts live here too.

In spring the meadows fill with poppies and lupine, followed in May and June by gumweed, mule's ears, farewell-to-spring and brodiaea. During wildflower season the whole preserve is closed to off-trail use.

Why it's called Russian Ridge

The name comes from a Russian immigrant named Paskey who ran a dairy farm here from the 1920s to 1950. He leased the land from James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr., the San Francisco mayor who later became governor. The district began buying the land in 1978 from owners who had planned to subdivide it.

Parking

There's roadside parking on northbound Skyline Boulevard and a lot at the Audrey C. Rust Commemorative Site just off Alpine Road near Skyline. The district warns that parking can be limited during peak weekend hours, weekday evenings and holidays, so carpool and park only in marked spots.