Weekly Walker: Long Ridge Evokes Environmentalist Spirit of Wallace Stegner

By Tom Davids

Long Views from Long Ridge, Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

"To try to save for everyone, for the hostile and independent as well as the committed, some of the health that flows down across the green ridges from the skyline, and some of the beauty and spirit that are still available to any resident of the valley who has a moment and the wit to lift up his eyes unto the hills.” —Wallace Stegner (1909-1993)

Directions: On Skyline Boulevard, 24 miles south of Highway 92 and 1.7 miles north of Highway 9.

Trail Map: www.openspace.org and search for Long Ridge

Grade: Moderate

Distance: As little as one-half mile to the grassy knoll viewpoint, or 6.4 miles for the loop.

Time: Three to four hours for the loop.

Special Conditions: All trails are for hiking, bicycling, and equestrian use. Most are old ranch roads. No problem with poison oak. No water or restrooms. This preserve is under the jurisdiction of the Midpeninsula Open Space District.

The inscription above is on a stone bench that was built to the memory of Wallace Stegner, the award-winning novelist and environmentalist. Stegner spent many years at Stanford University, where he established and directed the writing program that gave energy and direction to contemporary American fiction. Stegner died in 1993, but his novels and writings will live on—as will the stone bench dedicated in 1996 to his memory.

You don't have to walk all the way to the Stegner bench to appreciate the 1,500-acre Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, but if you do, you will enjoy some of the best views on the Peninsula. The preserve features 12 miles of trails through mixed evergreen forests, along cool creeks, and over grassy knolls where you can see over the coastal range to the Pacific Ocean.

Start this walk at Gate LR01, which is located on Skyline Boulevard, 1.7 miles north of the intersection with Highway 9. Limited parking is available at roadside. The gate is located on the west side of Skyline. On the east side is a trail into the Upper Stevens Creek County Park, leading to the Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve. As you cross Gate LR01, the trailhead marker reads 1.1 miles to Long Ridge Road and 3.2 miles to Grizzly Flat parking. 

The trail leads uphill through a forest of pine, oak, and madrone. In a matter of minutes you will have climbed nearly 200 feet to a junction on the ridgeline. Turn right and begin to enjoy the westerly views. In 0.2 miles, the trail divides. Turn left and walk along the grassy hillside, now with uninterrupted views. Ahead are rocky outcroppings that invite you to sit awhile and ponder the beauty of more distant places—Big Basin State Park, Butano Ridge, and the Pacific Ocean. If your time or energy is limited, you may want to retrace your steps and return to Skyline Boulevard.

Continue along the trail, which leads around the knoll and disappears into the forest, then soon joins the main trail. Turning left, the trail (now a dirt ranch road) drops steeply, then regains altitude across a grassy hillside to another junction. You can turn right and reach Long Ridge Road in 0.3 miles or continue straight along Hickory Oaks Trail. We chose the latter and gradually descended 0.3 miles to the intersection with Ward Road. Here we turned right and climbed 200 feet in 0.6 miles to the intersection with Long Ridge Road. On a warm day, this is a welcome section of the trail, with oak, bay, and fir trees providing a shade canopy along the way. At the junction with Long Ridge Road, continue left or north for one-half mile to the Stegner bench. If you haven't already had a snack, this is your spot to rest and enjoy the view. You have hiked 2.2 miles, or 1.6 miles if you took the shortcut between Hickory Oaks Trail and Long Ridge Road, and it's decision time. Turn back along the route you came or continue on and complete the loop.

We suggest that you continue on. The Long Ridge Trail leads along the east side of the ridge through a shady forest area moving in and out of ravines. In about a mile you will pass by Gate LR12, then walk parallel to and above Portola Heights Road. The trail breaks away from the road and descends steeply to Peters Creek Trail, one of the main tributaries of Pescadero Creek. This is a rushing creek during the winter, but it slows to a trickle in the summer. Scattered logs, moss-covered rocks, and filtered sunlight make this an ideal stop for the photographer. Continue along the creek, past an old farm and orchard, where you may find tree-ripened apples in the fall.

After 0.7 miles, the trail turns right over an earthen dam that holds a small lake. The lake and surrounding area are on private property, and the area is posted. The next half-mile switchbacks uphill to the junction with Long Ridge Road. Turn left and continue for 0.3 miles along the grassy slope to the intersection with Hickory Oaks Trail. On this portion of the trail you will find a wood bench “affectionately dedicated to the memory of Leonard B. Schiff, renowned physicist and teacher, lover of this land and stars above.”

Do not turn left on the Ward Road Trail, or you will end up at Gate LR02, some distance from your car at Gate LR01.

You'll enjoy this 6.4-mile hike. It has great views, a shady forest, an active stream, and wild turkeys.

By the Way…

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve contains 2,035 acres and has 13.2 miles of trails. There is limited parking along Skyline Boulevard, and there are no whole access trails. Visitors to Long Ridge can look down on the early morning fog in the canyon, or watch the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. With options for short hikes and options for longer loops, the preserve provides an ideal hiking experience for everyone. The Bay Area Ridge Trail passes through Long Ridge, connecting with Russian Ridge to the north and Sanborn County Park to the south