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| Bay Area Ridge Trail | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tunnel toAlpine Pond atRussian Ridge Open Space Preserve | |
| Length | 550 mi (890 km) |
| Location | San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States |
| Use | Hiking,bicycling,horseback riding,birdwatching,environmental education |
| Waymark | Yes |
| Website | ridgetrail |
TheBay Area Ridge Trail (shortened asRidge Trail) is a multi-use trail along the hill and mountainridgelines surrounding theSan Francisco Bay Area, inNorthern California. It is planned to extend 550 miles (890 km); As of May 2025[update], 427 miles (687 km) have been established.[1] When complete, the trail will connect over seventy-five parks and open spaces. The trail is being developed to provide access for hikers, runners, mountain bicyclists, andequestrians. It is intended to be accessible through trailheads near major population centers, but the trail extends into more remote areas. The first trail section was dedicated on May 13, 1989.
William Penn Mott Jr., the twelfth director of theNational Park Service, gave a speech in March 1987 at a state parks and recreation conference and discussed plans for the Ridge Trail.[2] While working for theEast Bay Regional Park District in the 1960s, Mott's office was on aridgeline in the East Bay, and the views from the office inspired his vision of a hill-and-ridge trail encircling the Bay and linking its communities.[3] The plan would later attract bipartisan support, withGeorge Miller joining Mott.[4]
In May 1987, theGreenbelt Alliance held a meeting to strategize how to approach theSan Francisco Water Department and convince them to open their watershed lands to the public; Mark Evanoff convened the meeting andBrian O'Neill, Superintendent of theGolden Gate National Recreation Area, proposed a potential strategy to pursue the goals outlined in the report by the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors.[2][5] Later that year, a planning committee was formed with memberships from nearly forty public agencies, recreation groups, and individuals. Eventually, this committee became the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council.[2]
Dinesh Desai, a retired engineer, and Bob Cowell, a retired fire chief, completed the first hike of the Ridge Trail in 1999.[6] The pair followed designated and non-designated trails, including a crossing of theCarquinez Strait by kayak.[7]
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The first two segments of the trail, dedicated on May 13, 1989, were located inSan Mateo County and managed by theMidpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the San Mateo County Department of Parks.[6]Marin County andSan Francisco City and County opened their first segments in September 1989;Napa,Solano, andSanta Clara counties in October 1989;Contra Costa andAlameda counties in June 1990; andSonoma County in October 1990.[8] Existing trails in public spaces were incorporated into the Ridge Trail, extending the trail to 100 miles (160 km) by 1990 and 200 miles (320 km) by 1995.[6]
By 1999, 217 miles (349 km) of the Ridge Trail had been completed, mostly on public lands.[4] 10 miles (16 km) of the Ridge Trail were added in 2005, including a new bridge overSan Geronimo Creek; at that point, the Ridge Trail ran for 285 miles (459 km).[9] The section of Ridge Trail throughCrockett Hills Regional Park in Contra Costa County, which opened in June 2006, pushed the trail past the 300-mile (480 km) mark.[6]
As of 2020[update], the Ridge Trail stood at 383 miles (616 km) completed.[6] The section of the trail that runs through San Francisco has been completed, and parts of the San Francisco trail have been rerouted to pass through more green space and over theTwin Peaks. Large sections of the trail running through San Mateo,[10] Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties have been completed. Much of the remaining mileage is onprivate property in Santa Clara,[11] Sonoma, and Napa.
Starting at theGolden Gate Bridge and proceeding clockwise, the route goes through every Bay Area county:Marin,Sonoma,Napa,Solano,Contra Costa,Alameda,Santa Clara,Santa Cruz,San Mateo, andSan Francisco. The planned alignment of the Ridge Trail extends as far north asCalistoga andAngwin, and as far south asGilroy.[12]
From south to north, the trail passes through the following landmarks:Lake Merced,Stern Grove,Twin Peaks,Buena Vista Park, the panhandle ofGolden Gate Park, andthe Presidio.
| County | Completed length of segments | Final planned length of segments |
|---|---|---|
| Marin | 62 miles (100 kilometres) | 72 miles (116 kilometres) |
| Sonoma | 29 miles (47 kilometres) | 50 miles (80 kilometres) |
| Napa | 18 miles (29 kilometres) | 80 miles (130 kilometres) |
| Solano | 30 miles (48 kilometres) | 50 miles (80 kilometres) |
| Contra Costa | 43 miles (69 kilometres) | 49 miles (79 kilometres) |
| Alameda | 36 miles (58 kilometres) | 56 miles (90 kilometres) |
| Santa Clara | 83 miles (134 kilometres) | 190 miles (310 kilometres) |
| San Mateo | 44 miles (71 kilometres) | 65 miles (105 kilometres) |
| San Francisco | 15 miles (24 kilometres) | 20 miles (32 kilometres) |
| Santa Cruz | 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) | 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) |
The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council (BARTC), founded in 1987,[13] is the organization building, maintaining, and promoting the Ridge Trail. BARTC initially was supported by the Greenbelt Alliance, but it was incorporated in 1991 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under co-chairs Brian O'Neill and Marcia McNally.[2] The Council office is located inBerkeley.[14]
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