Long Ridge Open Space Preserve (from Saratoga Gap to Grizzly Flat)

This 5.3-mile ramble on Long Ridge requires a car shuttle. My De Anza College class met at Grizzly Flat parking lot, which is along Skyline Boulevard about three miles north of where it intersects Highway 9. We then carpooled south to Saratoga Gap, which is at the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 9. From there we walked one-way back to Grizzly Flat.

First, we crossed to the west side of Skyline Boulevard, where we picked up the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. This trail, which ends at Waddell Beach in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, was built by volunteers between 1969 and 1976. We hiked about .4 miles west on the portion of this trail that was built in 1871 as the Saratoga Toll Road. We then took the first turn to the right, which crosses Highway 9 and connects with the Achistaca Trail in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve.

The Achistaca Trail closely parallels Skyline Boulevard for 1.7 miles as it passes through a Douglas fir and canyon live oak forest. At the north end of this trail we turned left (west) on the Hickory Oaks Trail and then took an alternate route to the top of a hill with spectacular views of the Pescadero Creek watershed and beyond. After pausing for lunch we sampled bay nut brownies I baked and recounted the Ohlone Indian creation story at Turtle Rock. From there we continued west on the Hickory Oaks Trail and turned right on a foot trail that connects to the Long Ridge Road Trail. We then turned right and downhill through a woodland to a beautiful pond along the Peters Creek Trail. Most of the pond is on property owned by the Jikoji Zen Center. From there we headed north on the Peters Creek Trail and made a right turn at the junction to the trail that goes uphill to Grizzly Flat.

The weather was sunny, and there was no fog or clouds to obscure our view all the way to the blue Pacific. We saw many wildflowers, including vetch, Indian paintbrush, Douglas iris, blue dick, baby blue eyes, buttercup, manzanita, wart-leaf ceanothus, linanthus, mule ear, blue-eyed grass, golden poppy, red maid, checker bloom, two-eyed violet, stinging nettle, and wild ginger. We also saw a wild turkey and several swallowtail butterflies.

TO GET THERE... the Grizzly Flat trailhead is along Skyline Boulevard about 5 miles south of Page Mill Road, and 3 miles north of Saratoga Gap (Skyline Boulevard & Highway 9).