Crushin' on Russian Ridge

Hike Russian Ridge Open Space in San Mateo County

Hike Russian Ridge Open Space San Mateo County

We can't always guarantee timing, but recent rains and warm days can bring a burst of wildflowers to the Peninsula’s Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. In spring this park can be a tapestry of colors, but even if the flower power isn't full on, the views sure are! For a moderate 5-miler that can pair wildflowers with amazing views, start on the Ridge Trail. If flowers are out then within the first mile you're likely to see the yellow Johnny jump-ups leap into view, along with blue-eyed grass weaving all across the ridge.

From 2,500 feet, Half Moon Bay beckons and Silicon Valley and the Bay shine beneath a series of cascading hills. Descend the ridge by making a left onto Hawk Trail where a native blackberry bush brims with white blossoms. Soon you’ll be winding through a furry green grove of knotty and twisted oak trees—some with branches so thick they make good seats for taking a break. On the ascent back to the ridge, milkmaids, hound’s tongue and miner’s lettuce sprinkle the trail. Good Russia color!

The Russian Ridge parking lot is at the intersection of Hwy. 35 and Alpine Rd. Download a map before leaving home or snap a photo of the signboard map before you hike. Follow the Ridge Trail about 2 miles until you reach Hawk Trail. Turn left and take the Hawk Trail and follow signs toward the Ancient Oaks Trail. Take the Ancient Oaks Trail. After half a mile you can turn left to go back up to the Ridge Trail, or continue on the Ancient Oaks Trail. Either way will take you back to the parking lot. Bring your own water. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View