Many bay area hikers will never take advantage of Long Ridge Open Space Preserve's most unique feature. Long Ridge's trails connect to Portola Redwoods State Park, creating a unique opportunity to trek along hiking-only trails in the eastern section of the state park. However, it's a long out-and-back journey; starting out at around 2300 feet on Skyline Boulevard and traveling 1.6 miles downhill to the park's boundary at around 1900 feet. From there a sturdy hiker can explore Portola Redwoods for a few miles (descending all the while) before turning around and doubling back to the trailhead.
      If the out-and-back hike to Portola is more than you bargained for, there are a few other delightful and easier hikes at Long Ridge, with a few loop options, and a couple out-and-back hikes into other adjacent parks and preserves. The Bay Area Ridge Trail travels north from Long Ridge to Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve, and south through the western edges of Upper Stevens Creek County Park and Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve. Either direction on the Bay Area Ridge Trail is an out-and-back hike. One long, challenging loop is the combination of Grizzly Flat Trail, Canyon Trail, and an unnamed hiking only trail through Upper Stevens Creek County Park, followed by the Bay Area Ridge Trail (Hickory Oaks, Long Ridge Road, and Peters Creek Trail), and then finishing up on Peters Creek Trail. This long haul is a nearly 9-mile loop, with plenty of elevation change along the way.
      Loops and semi-loops inside Long Ridge typically include Peters Creek Trail, Hickory Oaks Trail, and Long Ridge Road. Hickory Oaks and Long Ridge Road travel through mostly grassland, while Peters Creek Trail spends a good part of the time in the shade alongside its namesake.
      One thing that always surprises me about Long Ridge is how much noise drifts from Skyline Boulevard to the trails; on a still day you can hear motorcycles and cars on most trails. Luckily one quiet place is the Wallace Stegner Memorial Bench, which sits near the junction of Long Ridge Road and Long Ridge Trail. The bench, dedicated in 1996 to Stegner, who lived nearby in Portola Valley, features amazing views of Butano Ridge and the ocean.
     Long Ridge is renowned for springtime wildflowers. You can spend the better part of a morning creeping along the trails, finding flowers in the woods and grassland. By summer the grassland is dry, but views to the west are usually crystal clear, with none of the smog that is common on the east side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Dusty trails make it easy to track some of the preserve's wild animals, which include turkeys, feral pigs, and coyotes. There's not a lot of autumn color at Long Ridge, and I prefer to skip straight to winter, when trails are empty (most are closed to horses and bikes during muddy months) and the grassland returns to a lush and vibrant green.
     For the featured hike, start at the Grizzly Flat Trailhead and hike downhill on Peters Creek Trail. The multi-use trail winds through grassland, where you might see mule-ear sunflowers, vetch, and California buttercups in late spring. After passing through a stretch shaded by Douglas fir, madrone, and big-leaf maple, where springtime flowers include hounds tongue, milkmaids, mission bells, western heart's ease, starflower, and woodland star, Peters Creek Trail emerges into grassland at a signed junction at 0.43 mile. The Bay Area Ridge Trail heads north to the right, on its way to Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. Continue straight on Peters Creek Trail.
     After a few feet, Peters Creek Trail dips beneath cover of Douglas fir and live oaks, and edges close to Peters Creek. The path crosses a bridge, then ducks beneath a large fallen Douglas fir, and reaches a signed junction at 0.53 mile. (The hike can head in either direction from here; continuing on Peters Creek Trail, essentially taking the rest of the featured hike in reverse, is actually an easier option.) Turn right onto Long Ridge Trail.
     Right away the climbing is tough, but tall California bay, live oaks, madrones, and Douglas firs almost completely shade the trail, which is open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. Hazelnut shrubs, strawberries, common snowberries, and wild roses also flourish along the cool slopes. As Long Ridge Trail reaches a switchback, the path levels out dramatically. There's one sunny spot where some felled trees allow light to filter down to the trail, but most of Long Ridge Trail is cool and dark. After cresting, the trail actually descends just a bit, then maintains a mostly level pace. The path crosses a service road and turns to follow a short distance from private Portola Heights Road, which is occasionally visible through the thick vegetation. You might notice overgrown shrubs of poison oak and thimbleberry. Long Ridge Trail briefly passes through a sunny chaparral patch, with manzanitas, chamise, and yerba santa, switchbacks downhill slightly, shoots uphill to a clearing, then approaches a signed junction at 1.23 miles. The trail to the left heads downhill to Peters Creek Trail; this is an option if you'd like to cut your hike short. Bear right and continue uphill on Long Ridge Trail.
     On an easy ascent through madrone, tanoak, live oaks, and Douglas fir, the path passes some sandstone boulders and crosses through a few grassy areas on the way to the ridge. In late spring, look for carpets of lupines, checkerblooms, and clover in the grassland. Once through a gate (installed to restrict trail use to cyclists and equestrians in the wet months), Long Ridge Trail steps out into the grassland and ends at 2.03 miles. Long Ridge Road (to the left) is the only trail option from here, but first visit the Wallace Stegner Memorial Bench, a few steps away from the junction.
      The simple stone bench is a fantastic rest stop, with unobstructed views to the west and southwest of the forested mountains receding toward the ocean. In early spring, a riot of flowers dot the grass, but even in late spring, a few California poppies, checkerblooms, scarlet pimpernels, redmaids, lupines, and clovers persist. Wallace Stegner, author of Big Rock Candy Mountain and Angle of Repose (two of the best western novels ever written, in my opinion), was an advocate for the preservation of open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a quote of his is inscribed on a plaque affixed to the bench. One of my last visits to Long Ridge was four years to the day of the bench's dedication, which I didn't realize until I was editing the photos. When you're ready to continue, head east on Long Ridge Road.
     A few live oaks and Douglas fir line this wide fire road, which is open to cyclists, equestrians, and hikers, but grassland dominates the landscape. Long Ridge Road winds levelly along, with small changes in the elevation that are barely noticeable, particularly if you find yourself captivated by the vistas. There's a well-worn path off the right side of the trail; it loops back to join Long Ridge Road after a few feet, and it's a fine spot to take one last lingering look west before heading back downhill. On a summer hike, I noticed turkey prints on the trail, and I followed them as they wandered on and off the trail for almost 1/2 mile. Finally, just past Peters Creek Trail, I saw them strutting up the fire road: three large turkeys just strolling along like you and me. Although I was as quiet as possible, they soon acknowledged my presence by leaving the trail and entering the woods. At 2.54 miles, you'll reach a signed multi-trail junction. (If you'd like to extend your hike a bit more, you could turn right onto Ward Road, then take Hickory Oaks Trail and turn left when you reach Long Ridge Road again. This option adds about 1.2 miles to the featured hike. You can also continue straight on Long Ridge Road, which dumps into Hickory Oaks, and turn back when you wish, retracing your steps to this junction.) Turn left onto Peters Creek Trail.
      After passing through another seasonal closure gate, the multi-use trail gently switchbacks downhill through madrone, oaks, and Douglas fir. Creambush, wild rose, poison oak, and common snowberries all can be found on the side of the path. Peters Creek Trail abandons the woods for grassland, where in the spring, California buttercups, checkerbloom, lupines, and clover bloom. The trail crosses over a bridge and edges along a pond. The pond, and the surrounding land to the right, are private property, so stay on the trail. Peters Creek Trail makes a sharp turn left at a signed junction with a gated service road at 3.04 miles. Stay left on Peters Creek Trail.
     After ambling levelly through the shade along Peters Creek for a while, the trail crosses the stream and cuts through patches of grassland. Poison hemlock is common, along with more benign plants such as columbine, currant, nettles, horsetail, and cow parsnip. At 3.38 miles, two legs of an unmarked trail break off from Peters Creek Trail; the path ends at a pullout on Skyline Boulevard. Continue straight on Peters Creek Trail.
      A few trees survive in an old orchard off the right side of the trail; look for walnuts and apples in late summer. Closer to the ground, strawberry and blackberry plants put out blossoms in the spring and then fruit in the summer. Ripe blackberries are easy to find, but it takes luck and sharp vision to find ripe wild strawberries. At 3.68 miles, you'll reach a signed junction. The trail to the left heads uphill to join Long Ridge Trail (you passed the other end of it earlier). Bear right and continue on Peters Creek Trail.
     This is a pretty and quiet segment. Wildflowers, including blue-eyed grass, bluedicks, and California buttercup thrive in the grass along the trail. In May I was delighted to see a large clump of false baby stars off the left side of the trail. Peters Creek Trail transitions to woodland, and resumes a course along the creek. Ferns and moss-covered rocks line the path. At 4.18 miles, you'll reach a previously encountered junction with Long Ridge Trail. Stay to the right on Peters Creek Trail, and then retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Total distance: 4.71 miles
Last hiked: Friday, August 31, 2001

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