Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Long Ridge is the Skyline preserve for people who like their trails quiet. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, describes short hikes, rides to scenic overlooks and longer loops, with oak woodland, a small valley at the head of Peters Creek and wide views over the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is also one of the few Midpen preserves on the ridge where you can bring a dog.

The preserve has a literary link too. A granite bench on its main loop honors Wallace Stegner, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and environmentalist. This guide covers how to get there, the main loop and the bench, the dog and bike rules and the ranch history of the ridge.

Getting there and parking

Drive Page Mill Road west from Palo Alto to Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35) and turn left, heading south. Midpen puts the Peters Creek trailhead about 3.3 miles south of the Page Mill Road intersection and about 3.6 miles north of Highway 9. Coming from the north, the pullout is on the right just past Portola Heights Road. From the south, Midpen says it is near the Palo Alto city limits sign, a reminder that the city reaches all the way to the crest. Allow roughly 35 to 40 minutes from downtown. There is no transit.

Midpen does not publish a fill time for these pullouts. They are roadside spaces on a busy scenic highway, so park fully off the pavement and watch for cyclists and motorcycles when you get out. There are no restrooms in the preserve.

The Long Ridge Loop and Peters Creek

This is the preserve's signature walk. Midpen describes a flat 4.3-mile loop that winds through a little valley to the headwaters of Peters Creek, then climbs out onto a ridge with striking views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. To walk it:

1. Start on the Peters Creek Trail from the Peters Creek parking area.
2. Follow it through the valley until it meets the Long Ridge Trail.
3. Take the Long Ridge Trail along the ridge, past the Stegner bench.
4. Rejoin the Peters Creek Trail and return to the car.

Midpen points out oak woodland and spring wildflowers along the way. The loop visits the creek's headwaters. Stay on the trail and out of the water, since water contact is prohibited in Midpen preserves.

The Wallace Stegner bench

At the intersection of Long Ridge Road and the Long Ridge Trail stands the Stegner Memorial Bench. Midpen dedicated it in 1996 in memory of Wallace Stegner, whom it describes as a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a noted environmentalist and a great supporter of Midpen. Midpen calls the view from the bench spectacular. It has also listed a guided outing called The Wallace Stegner Special in the past, though its current calendar shows no date for it.

The bench is a natural turnaround for a shorter walk or a snack stop on the full loop. Bring a jacket, since the ridge is often breezy.

Other trails

Hickory Oaks Trail and Turtle Rock

From the Hickory Oaks pullout on Skyline, this trail follows an old roadbed through a forest of large canyon oaks. A narrow side path leads to a spot called Turtle Rock. Midpen says it looks out over Big Basin, Butano Ridge and the Pacific Ocean.

Bay Area Ridge Trail

Long Ridge sits on one of the longest continuous segments of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Midpen says the segment runs 13 miles from Sanborn-Skyline County Park to the northern boundary of Russian Ridge Preserve, passing through Skyline Ridge on the way. It is popular with hikers, cyclists and riders.

Climbing

Midpen allows rock climbing at Long Ridge only in designated areas. Placing permanent anchors is prohibited. Midpen's District Ordinances, section 503, have the full rules.

Bringing a dog

Dogs are allowed on leash only on designated trails. Midpen's dog page names the Chestnut Trail at Long Ridge. Midpen's rules:

• Use a leash of 6 feet or less.
• Self-retracting leashes may extend up to 25 feet but must be locked at 6 feet near other visitors.
• No more than three dogs per person.
• Bag the waste and carry it out. There are no trash cans.

Keep your dog close around horses and cyclists. Never let it chase wildlife. For other places to walk a dog, see our dog-friendly places guide and the Windy Hill guide, another Midpen preserve with dog trails. Palo Alto's licensing rules are on our pets page.

Bikes, horses and other rules

• Bikes: designated trails only. Helmets are required. The speed limit is 15 mph, or 5 mph when passing. E-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails.
• Seasonal closures: Midpen's map, dated October 6, 2026, says the Peters Creek, Long Ridge and Chestnut trails close seasonally to bicyclists and equestrians.
• Horses: designated trails only. Helmets are recommended. Everyone yields to riders.
• Closed road: Portola Heights Road is closed to hiking, biking and horses.
• Also prohibited: drones and model aircraft, fires, smoking, swimming or wading and weapons.

Seasons and events

Spring brings wildflowers in the meadows; our wildflowers guide covers timing. Summer is dry and the open ridge can be warm. Fall often brings clear air. Winter brings mud and the seasonal closures for bikes and horses. Midpen's calendar lists an Explorer Hike on lichens on November 4, a Fall Frolic With a View on November 6, an Early Winter Exploration on November 15 and a French broom removal workday on November 19, 2026. Midpen is also studying sudden oak death and recruiting community scientists to monitor the preserve's oaks.

Safety

There is no water or restroom in the preserve. Carry two quarts per person for every two hours, as Midpen suggests. Cell service is sporadic.

• Mountain lions live in these mountains and are occasionally seen. Do not run. Keep children and dogs close, face the lion, stand tall and make noise, then leave and warn others.
• Ticks are present and may carry disease. Dogs pick them up too. The City of Palo Alto's checklist suggests checking pets and harnesses after a hike.
• Poison oak grows on most preserves. Dog fur can carry its oil, Midpen notes, so wash your dog if it brushes through.
• Rattlesnakes are active in warm weather.

History of the ridge

Midpen says the first property owner on Long Ridge was Winston Bennett, who lived at a spot then called Pot Hollow. Born in Georgia, he came west in the 1840s, caught gold fever and later worked as a trader, a constable and a deputy sheriff before selling his ranch in 1884. Over the years the land served as a ranch, an orchard and even an alternative boarding school. When Midpen bought it in the 1980s it was the last real working cattle ranch in the area. The Sempervirens Fund helped pay for parts of the preserve. Our hiking guide compares Long Ridge with other trails near town.

Frequently asked questions