Sweeney Ridge is a ridge of grassland and coastal scrub in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area between San Bruno and Pacifica. The National Park Service says it is about a 25-minute drive south of San Francisco. The ridge also marks an anniversary next week. Wikipedia notes that the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site on the ridge commemorates the Portolá expedition's first sighting of the bay on Nov. 4, 1769, though scouts actually saw it a few days earlier.
The easiest way up
The NPS calls the paved Sneath Lane Trail the easiest grade to the crest for both hikers and bikers. It climbs 1.8 miles and gains about 600 feet from the parking area at the end of Sneath Lane in San Bruno. At the top, go south to the Discovery Site or north to the former radar control site for Nike Site SF-51. The NPS says Nike missile sites guarded American cities against Soviet bombers from 1955 to 1974. Wikipedia notes that other trailheads include Skyline College in San Bruno and Shelldance Nursery and Fassler Avenue in Pacifica.
What you'll see
The NPS says the 1,200-foot summit slopes to the bay on one side and the Pacific on the other. On a clear day, a granite monument points out the Farallon Islands, Mount Tamalpais, Point Reyes, Mount Diablo and Montara Mountain. Wikipedia notes that the ridge is a well-known spot for watching raptors migrate north in spring. Hawks and deer are common.
Know before you go
Leashed dogs are allowed on Sneath Lane Trail. There is a vault toilet at the top but no running water. The NPS warns about poison oak and says sunny coastal days can turn windy, foggy and cold quickly, so bring layers.