Tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains about an hour’s drive south of San Francisco, you’ll find the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. This 3,137-acre preserve is well worth a trip from the city if you like to spend time in nature and even more so if you like birdwatching. It has more than 10 miles of trails to explore, and it’s a beautiful mix of oak forest and open grasslands. On clear days, you can see out over the hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean in one direction and over San Francisco Bay in another.
Russian Ridge got its name from a Russian immigrant who used the land as a dairy ranch for decades until 1950, but the Ohlone people had used it centuries earlier. They would use the ridgeline to travel between the ocean and San Francisco Bay, and you can essentially follow in their footsteps. The preserve is one of the protected areas within the larger Midpeninsula Regional Open Space, which protects more than 70,000 acres of open space through the Santa Cruz Mountains and down towards the Pacific Ocean.
It’s known as a great place to spot raptors, also known as birds of prey. Year-round, you’re likely to see turkey vultures; it’s almost mesmerizing to watch them as they spiral upwards as they catch thermals. You can also see several different hawk species here. Some, like the red-tailed hawks and Cooper’s hawks, are here year-round. In winter, you might also see sharp-shinned hawks. There’s even a golden eagle nesting site near Mindego Hill, so while you don’t see them here very often, it’s worth keeping an eye out. Other year-round raptors include great horned owls, barn owls, and burrowing owls.
Hiking at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve has miles of trails, including one leading to the highest named point in San Mateo County: Borel Hill, at 2,572 feet. From here, you can get 360-degree views out over the region. If it’s clear, you can see all the way across San Francisco Bay to Mount Diablo. Borel Hill is a small side hike off the Ridge Trail, which runs a little more than 2 miles from the parking lot northwest along the ridge until it becomes the Badger’s Byway Trail. One thing to note about the Ridge Trail is that it can be windy, and it’s largely exposed, so dress accordingly. This trail can be a particularly good spot to see the raptors that the area’s known for…